Michael Ducharme
Campana
Anton's Valley
Windsor, Ontario
Canada +1 514 667 7628
Panama +507 832 2436
Cellular +507 6676 8111
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
general terms | food items | diseases
ASANAS
Pronounced AH-sah-nahs. Yoga postures. The most famous pose is the lotus position. There are thousands of other poses, each designed to strengthen and stretch the body, which removes toxins and restores balance.
ATTACHMENT
An illusion that is reinforced by society, perhaps from an early age. A common misconception is that a person or thing can be an attachment. But a person is not an attachment any more than a trailer hitch is a car. At some times it may be convenient to pull another car a short distance, but usually it is better for each car to be driven separately, even if both are going in the same direction.
BRAIN
An organ used for thinking. Not to be confused with mind. Should be rested daily.
BUDDHA
One who is totally purified from all defilements and who clearly understands the way the universe works through a clear understanding of him or herself.
CHAKRA
The seven chakras are energy centers that each one of us has. Through them, we absorb energy from the environment, and we interchange energy amongst ourselves. The seven major chakras are lined up in the spinal column, and each one has its specific function for your body, mind and spirit.
The most "famous" chakra is the fourth chakra, known as the heart chakra. A common portrayal of Jesus has his heart in the center of his chest, as opposed to the actual location of the heart (organ), to the left. As well, this portrayal shows that light (love) from the heart (chakra) goes in every direction, because Jesus' love was for all, not a selected few. The depiction of thorns around his heart shows that pain and fear are experienced here, in the heart chakra.
CHI
The Chinese word for life force energy. Can also be spelled "qi". The hindu word, Prana, refers to the very same energy. We can learn to cultivate or grow this energy within ourselves such that we increase our strength, our enjoyment, our peace and our influence.
COMPERSION
The opposite of jealousy. One takes joy in the joy of others.
DNA - DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID
While it is commonly believed that DNA was discovered in the 1960's using a miscroscope, in fact ancient cultures knew about and recorded information on genes thousands of years ago, without the assistance of microscopes.
Shamans and ancient medicine men used natural 'hallucinogens' such as tabacco and ayahuasca to reveal the reality of life that is normally hidden: that all humans, animals, plants and even seemingly inanimate objects were 'alive' and constantly changing and similarly built. Back then, the common building blocks were depicted as divine snakes or vines in twisted pairs, which bear stunning resemblance to the double-helix used in modern DNA textbooks. Amazingly, the ancient shamans and current molecular biologists have come to the same conclusion using different methods.
DOGMA
A belief based on religious persuasion and not scientific fact. It should be noted that many or most religious teachings do coincide with scientific fact.
GURU
Teacher. Master.
A close relationship with others, such as with a best friend, a lover or a family member. Nearly all experts agree that intimacy is central to our existence, and that it promotes physical and psychological well-being.
Dr. Howard C. Cutler writes in The Art of Happiness: "The romantic notion of that "One Special Person" with whom we have a passionate intimate relationship is a product of our time and culture. But this model of intimacy is not universally accepted among all cultures. For instance, the Japanese seem to rely more on friendships to gain intimacy, whereas Americans seek it more romantic relationships with a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. In noting this... Asians... appear to be less vulnerable to the kind of disillusionment that leads to the crumbling of relationships."
KARMA
Action. The law of action and reaction.
KUNDALINI
The life force energy in the body that is often compared to a snake lying coiled at the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened.
LOVE
1. verb: the act of being unselfish and loyal; compassion; the benevolent concern for the good of others.
2. noun: a warm or tender feeling that one gets from the act of loving.
LOVING KINDNESS
The way to achieve inner and outer peace and to make happiness grow in your heart and in the world. Lovingkindness was the path of our great leaders including Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi and Mother Theresa.
MIND
Sensation, consciousness. Not to be confused with brain.
POLYAMORY
Polyamory means "many loves". This term may be used to describe anyone that loves two parents, two children, two siblings, two best friends or two lovers. Clearly, each person is capable of sustaining multiple meaningful relationships simultaneously.
Polyamory accepts more than one simultaneous loving (not necessarily sexual), lasting, intimate relationship with the full knowledge and consent of all those involved. Lying and cheating go against love, and therefore cannot be part of polyamory.
All humans seek intimacy, or closeness with other humans. Nearly everyone agrees that intimacy promotes health. Our greatest teachers of all time (Jesus, Buda, King Solomon, Osho and others) showed us to love everyone.
Modern society normally allows us to love two family members or two friends, but there is great difficulty when attempting to include members of the opposite gender. But discrimination does not fit within the definition of love. In this sense it seems that society's understanding of love has become corrupted.
Love always encompasses respect, freedom of choice, trust, unselfishness and compersion, the opposite of jealousy.
There should be no need to "dump" one friend or lover to satisfy the next. Dumping is not held within the definition of love. If you feel it necessary to dump your former lover or friend to know me, then won't you one day dump me too?
PRANA
Same as Chi, above.
PRANAYAMA
Method of controlling prana or life force through the regulation of breathing.
TANTRA
The highest yoga. In Sanskrit, "to weave". Tantra weaves our inner energy with our outer, everyday lives. It's teachings, more than two thousand years old, were passed down by monks and yogis.
The exercises in tantra can help us to have happier lives by improving the physical state of our body. They can enhance all types of expression, from art and music to dance and martial arts. Some of them teach proper breathing methods called pranayamas.
Tantric exercises can transform our intimacy into a more fulfilling, shared experience of our feelings. Doing these exercises helps to balance the energies within us. Tantra teaches that every adult has all their natural childlike energy within them, always waiting to be activated and help us be more creative, experience love, and feel happiness.
TOXIN
Toxic substances intoxify you; they make your body toxic; they make you acidic, they burn you, they make you sick, they give you stress, and that stress creates more chemicals which perpetuates the cycle. Each toxin can corrupt many cells that it encounters anywhere in the body's sophisticated organ system. It can corrupt nerve and brain cells affecting your mood and your thoughts. It can corrupt your heart cells, lung cells, and other vital organs. It can irritate and blemish skin. It causes so much harm and it demands more of itself because it abides the universal law of attraction. Complete removal is therefore necessary for addiction recovery.
YOGA
Union. With daily practice of yoga asanas or postures, the body is purified, such that one may be joined on all three levels, body, mind and soul, and this central point joins seamlessly with nature, and with other beings.