Physical health is closely linked to mental and spiritual health. Very often a physical ailment is nothing but a manifestation of a problem at the psychological level. Down the ages, many alternative methods with incredible solutions to variety of ailments have come up.

Alternative medicine has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years. This success has been largely due to the failure of traditional medicine in handling chronic ailments as well as due to its high costs. This has led numerous medical practitioners, including allopathic doctors, to try their hand at complementary and drugless medicines, incorporating insights from wisdom traditions of the world. In this article, we try to bring together the approaches both ancient and modern, which have developed a world wide acceptance in the hope that a wider audience will benefit from these innovations.

MANTRA HEALING

Mantra meditation is often called "Mantra Yoga", consi¬dered to be a part of "Nada Yoga", which means the "yoga of sound". The word "yoga" means to "link with God" and this is the ultimate goal of all yoga. Today, many people know nothing of yoga. Although used as a means to keeping good physical condition, in reality this is but a by-product of yoga. The physical postures or "asanas" are to help bring the senses under control in order to prepare for meditation. Control over the urges of the external senses (tongue, belly, and genitals) is required to actually engage in true meditation. Also, the mind will be also brought under control. Power is within the mantra. Ultimately, a taste develops most specially in chanting mantras glorifying and extolling the qualities of god. Chanting mantras clearly with clear heart will not only make your body and spirit light, but also healthy.

YANTRA HEALING

Often the subject of "yantra" evokes stares of incomprehension. If you then say "sacred geometry" some will understand, as this is what the people know about ancient system of yantras. All ancient cultures had sacred geometric designs representative of their Gods, which had a mantra (or sacred sound vibration) that corresponded to it. Indians, Egyptians, Jews, Chinese, and Mayans all had systems of "planetary yantras" which they used to combat malefic influences. Yantra is the ultimate "symbology". In the Vedic culture we find much power and energy said to be held within sacred geometric symbols. They are to be found throughout sacred scriptures, carved in stone, hidden within paintings and in temples.