Shivambu Shastra
- Healing with Urine Therapy -
The ancient Ayurvedic practice of urine therapy is undergoing a resurgence,
as its myriad health benefits are being explored by scientists,
health practitioners and the general public.
Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 9, Number 4 (June-July 2002)
PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. _editor@nexusmagazine.com
Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
From our web page at: _www.nexusmagazine.com
by Natalia Perera © 2002
Saffronrose
49 Ocean Street
Woollahra, NSW 2025
Australia
Telephone: +61 (0)2 9362 8838
Email: _nataliaperera@saffronrose.com
AWAKENING THE HEALER WITHIN
We are in a very magical era: all around us, on all levels, we are witnessing the connection between the
East and the West, the ancient and the modern, spiritual heritage and science. We are so truly fortunate
to be living in such an exciting time, and to be able to watch in awe the way life unfolds before our
very eyes. Modern scientific research is discovering today that ancient spiritual ideas come very close
to today's most recent discoveries in the field of quantum physics and vibrational healing methods.
One such powerful practice for healing that is continuing to flourish today is Shivambu Shastra,
respected for thousands of years as the "Mother of Ayurvedic Medicine" and commonly known as
"Self-Urine Therapy". Shivambu means literally "Water of Shiva", referring to the auspiciousness of
the practice. Its "method of drinking urine for rejuvenation" is outlined in the Shivambu Kalpa Vidhi,
part of a 5,000-year-old document called the Damar Tantra, linking this practice back to the Vedas, the
sacred Hindu texts. Self-urine therapy has been seen as one of the divine manifestations of cosmic
intelligence, and has been used as such by Indian yogis to unleash kundalini up to their third eye.
There is something esoteric about urine. It is considered to be a supernatural, living food because it is a
by-product of the blood and contains "life force" or prana. Using urine as a therapeutic tool mirrors to
us the "healer within" who works on a mechanistic level as well as on an energetic level. This implies
that urine, as a holographic substance, has the ability to affect all levels of being--from the physical,
through the electromagnetic fields of the emotions and the mind, up to the subtler vibrations of the
soul.
Urine is considered to be an invaluable source of nourishment and healing that perhaps has been too
controversial or not financially rewarding enough for it to be talked about and encouraged as a potent
medicine. One's own urine, a living food, contains elements that are specific to one's body alone. The
body is constantly producing a huge variety of antibodies, hormones, enzymes and other natural
chemicals to regulate and control its functions and combat imbalances that one may not be aware of.
Clinical studies have proved that the thousands of critical body chemicals and nutrients that end up in
urine reflect the individual body's functions. When re-utilised, these chemicals and nutrients act as
natural vaccines, antibacterial, antiviral and anticarcinogenic agents as well as hormone balancers and
allergy relievers. The information that urine contains therefore cannot be duplicated or derived from
any other source. Just as nature produces no two people who are exactly the same, there are no two
urine samples in the world that contain exactly the same components.
A STERILE BY-PRODUCT OF BLOOD FILTRATION
Urine is not a dirty and toxic substance rejected by the body. Urine is a by-product of blood filtration,
not waste filtration. Medically it is referred to as "plasma ultrafiltrate". It is a purified derivative of the
blood itself, made by the kidneys--whose principal function is not excretion but regulation of all the
elements and their concentrations in the blood. Urine can be compared to leftovers from a meal, and
this metaphor may help us understand why our bodies excrete elements that are valuable to our health
and well-being.
Nutrient-filled blood passes through the liver where toxins are removed to be excreted as solid waste.
Eventually, this purified "clean" blood undergoes a filtering process in the kidneys, where excess
water, salts, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antibodies, urea, uric acid and other elements not usable at
that time by the body are collected in the form of a purified, sterile, watery solution that is urine. The
function of the kidneys is to keep the various elements in the blood balanced. The important elements
in the blood are not filtered out because they are toxic and harmful to the body, but simply because the
body does not need a particular concentration of an element at that specific point in time. It is this very
regulating process of the kidneys that allows us to eat and drink more than our bodies need at any one
time.
BIOCHEMICAL COMPONENTS
Urine is estimated to have thousands of biochemical compounds, but only 200 or so have been studied.
It contains an incredible array of critically important nutrients, enzymes, hormones, natural antibodies
and immune defence agents.
Some of these components are well worth further consideration--such as allantoin (also found in
comfrey, known as "bone-knit", and in aloe vera, which guards against sunburn); the amino acid
creatinine (popular with body-builders); DHEA hormone (proven by research to have anti-ageing,
anticancer and anti-obesity properties); melatonin (known for its calming effect while strengthening the
physical body and immunity); and sex hormones such as testosterone, androgen and oestrogen.
In view of such an array of ingredients, it is easier to understand urine's antibacterial, antifungal,
antiviral, antineoplastic, anticonvulsive and antispasmodic effects.
Dr A. H. Free published in his book, Urinalysis in Clinical Laboratory Practice, a list of constituents
which in 1975 was by no means exhaustive:
Alanine - 38 mg/day
Arginine - 32 mg/day
Ascorbic acid - 30 mg/day
Allantoin - 12 mg/day
Amino acids - 2.1 g/day
Bicarbonate - 140 mg/day
Biotin - 35 mg/day
Calcium - 23 mg/day
Creatinine - 1.4 mg/day
Cystine - 120 mg/day
Dopamine - 0.40 mg/day
Epinephrine - 0.01 mg/day
Folic acid - 4 mg/day
Glucose - 100 mg/day
Glutamic acid - 308 mg/day
Glycine - 455 mg/day
Inositol - 14 mg/day
Iodine - 0.25 mg/day
Iron - 0.5 mg/day
Lysine - 56 mg/day
Magnesium - 100 mg/day
Manganese - 0.5 mg/day
Methionine - 10 mg/day
Nitrogen - 15 g/day
Ornithine - 10 mg/day
Pantothenic acid - 3 mg/day
Phenylalanine - 21mg/day
Phosphorus, organic - 9 mg/day
Potassium - 2.5 mg/day
Proteins, total - 5 mg/day
Riboflavin - 0.9 mg/day
Tryptophan - 28 mg/day
Tyrosine - 50 mg/day
Urea - 24.5 mg/day
Vitamin B6 - 100 mg/day
Vitamin B12 - 0.03 mg/day
Zinc - 1.4 mg/day
ACTIONS, BENEFITS AND APPLICATIONS
Anything that was in the blood cannot be harmful to the person that it came from. Besides, when taken
internally, the urine does not go straight into the bloodstream but travels through the digestive system,
where its constituents are sorted out. The useful ones are used up again, while others are rejected as
solid waste. When the level of toxins in the blood increases, this stimulates the intestines and the
lymphatic system into flushing themselves out to eliminate any stagnated excrements accumulated in
the colon. The amount of toxins found in the urine of each person is related to the amount of stagnated
excrement in the colon. So the toxins, in such minute amounts in urine, stimulate a cleansing reaction
in each individual and vaccinate and protect the body from illnesses.
Studies on urea, considered the poisonous organic solid in urine, have shown it is converted into an
essential amino acid once it is recycled by ingestion, helping our bodies use protein more efficiently.
Urea has also been proven to be an extraordinarily effective antibacterial and antiviral agent, one of the
best natural diuretics and one of the most effective skin moisturisers ever discovered. Urea actually
increases the water-binding capacity of the skin by opening skin layers for hydrogen bonding and thus
attracting moisture to dry skin cells. As a natural diuretic, it is unparalleled and is also widely
prescribed in cases of oedema or swelling, glaucoma, epilepsy and meningitis and to reduce excess
cerebral and spinal pressure. Urea is an FDA-approved medicinal agent, and its remarkable and
comprehensive antineoplastic properties are well utilised in anticancer drugs and treatments.
Even uric acid, normally thought of as a waste product that can cause gout, has tremendous medicinal
implications, such as acting as a defence against cancer and ageing by actively destroying free radicals.
Urokinase, an enzyme also found in urine, is used in drug form to dissolve blood clots and is widely
used for unblocking coronary arteries in victims of heart attacks.
One of the world's largest fertility drug-producing companies makes use of the ovulation-enhancing
hormone in human urine to make Pergonal, reported to have had US$855 million in sales in 1992 (a
figure that has continued to increase since then).
More examples of commercial medical applications of urine and urea in use today include: Murine Ear
Drops and Murine Ear Wax Removal System; Ureaphil, a diuretic made from urea; Urofollotropin, a
urine-extract fertility drug; Ureacin, a urea cream for skin problems; Amino-Cerv, a urea cream used
for cervical treatments; Premarin, a urine-extract oestrogen for skin ulcers, burns, infected wounds, and
other purposes.
A SUBTLE SCIENCE
Most urine therapists have never sought a scientific explanation for why or how it works; their own
experiences have proven to be more than sufficient. However, as modern medicine's interest in the
powerful healing aspects of Shivambu Shastra grows, more research is being undertaken and a lot is
being revealed to substantiate scientifically the therapy's very rich history in healing.
Ayurveda considers disease to be caused by a shift in the internal metabolic balance, manifested as the
five elements of aether, air, fire, water and earth in that individual. To create health involves
rebalancing that unique metabolism to attain elemental equilibrium.
In scientific terms, one can consider self-urine therapy as an extension of the methods of Jenner and
Pasteur, as auto-inoculation or self-vaccination. Certain bodily substances which have been removed
from the body, some of which may have been produced as a result of an imbalance, are re-introduced
into the body in small amounts and re-absorbed into the blood through either the intestines or the skin.
This gives the immune system all the information that it needs and the chance to react appropriately to
achieve homeostasis.
Coen van der Kroon, in his book The Golden Fountain, proposes what he calls the "transmutation
theory" for the underlying mechanics of Shivambu Shastra. His proposal is coherent in terms of the
visible shift in recent times from reductionism to holism in scientific research. The theory implies that
the body is capable, through energy exchange, to "short-circuit" the system by ingesting its own
secreted body fluids to stimulate the transmutational forces within and challenge the body to transform
unusable substances into usable ones. Van der Kroon proposes that self-urine therapy could possibly
restructure disturbed DNA, especially if one is fasting on urine.
The medical doctor and urine therapist Dr Johann Abele puts it as such:
...the question rises as to whether urine could possibly be considered to be a sort of liquid hologram.
Once the body is made conscious of urine in an unconventional way (such as it being reintroduced into
the body by intramuscular injection or by ingesting it), the whole organism evaluates it and
subsequently updates its own regulating mechanisms...
An important aspect of this theory is the concept of "structured water". Both the body and urine are
mainly made up of water, in varying degrees of molecular organisation. The more water molecules are
organised, the more efficiently enzymes responsible for digestion, absorption and transmutation can do
their job.
It has been proven that water molecules in biological systems become more organised through
exposure to sunlight and through close contact with crystals. The body is a receptor of sunlight and
contains a high amount of solid and liquid crystalline-like substances; indeed, body fluids themselves
form fluid crystals.
Urine itself is a crystalline-like substance containing a high amount of structured water, and when
retaken it promotes a better enzymatic functioning and higher solubility for minerals, thus improving
health and increasing energy reserves. Seeing urine as a liquid crystal implies that it contains vibrations
completely in tune with the vibrational condition of the body it comes from. Re-ingestion might give
the body valuable vibrational information needed for two things: first, for maintaining the existing
healthy body resonance, and second, for counteracting disease or stress vibrations and any unhealthy
resonance in the body. By way of example, disharmonious sounds can been counteracted by employing
the same sounds.
The vibratory patterns of the body, both in the bones (solid crystals) and in the tissues and fluids (liquid
crystals), play an important role in the process of transmutation. The resonance field of a crystal can
make a protein, for example, change its form into one that is more useful for the body or more easily
adaptable by it. This can be described as "modern alchemy", and it resonates with the principles of
homoeopathy.
Homoeopathy refers to a therapeutic method which clinically applies the "law of similars" and uses
medically active substances at infinitesimal doses and never at full strength, where the original
substance has undergone a dilution process. When the body is given a homoeopathic remedy, it is
stimulated into action not because of the physical or chemical nature of the substance but because of
the energetic nature that is received through new vibratory information.
Isopathy is another valid hypothesis worth considering. Once microbes have evolved in the blood to a
pathogenic level, then de-evolving them back to a stage where they are less harmful would facilitate
recovery. The primary way to do this is through diet to rebalance the pH in the blood. But in severe
cases, the process can be accelerated biologically, as demonstrated by Professor Enderlein's results
from his research on the development life cycle of the internal parasite. A rather evolved pathogenic
microbe causing disease in the body can be mated with the same type of microbe at an earlier
developmental stage to breed a form that is less strong and non-pathogenic. This process is probable
since the colloids or somatids are in fact so small that they are unfilterable by the kidneys; therefore,
once urine is consumed, one can receive a dose of these pure somatids which biologically proceed to
support the immune function and possibly lead to taking the pathogenic microbes in the blood back
down to apathogenic states. This is the basis of isopathic remedies; they promote gentle yet effective
self-healing through biological means.
Allergy treatment illustrates this method quite well. By using the same substance that is causing the
allergy and reintroducing it to the body, the immune system is allowed to develop antibodies to the
antigen receptors found in the urine to stop the allergic response.
HEALTH POINTERS FOR SELF-THERAPY
To begin with, Dr Beatrice Bartnett (author of Urine Therapy - It May Save Your Life) suggests
making a prayer, thanking our bodies for providing us with this divine elixir, and drinking the urine
slowly, willingly and with cheerfulness! This is all very well, considering that most people who start
drinking urine find the taste much too sour, bitter or pungent and the odour way too strong. Even if the
urine is diluted, they may experience nausea, headaches and other strong reactions before they get used
to it and start seeing results.
Martha Christy (author of Your Own Perfect Medicine) suggests not taking copious amounts of water
to flush out the kidneys, as this dilutes the healing properties of the urine.
It is good to remember that urine is a mere sample of what is flowing through the body's veins, and any
repulsion should be used as a motivation to improve the internal conditions rather than as an excuse for
not using this miraculous therapy for creating health.
Urine is actually less toxic and more alive than much of the food and drink that we take into our bodies,
which somehow manage to digest the junk foods and devitalised liquids and still produce a valuable,
medicinal drink. However, how much more valuable for medicinal and cleansing purposes if the urine
is the product of a body fed healthy, natural, organic and raw foods?
Drinking urine makes us think seriously about what we eat. Since it is a by-product of the blood, it
makes sense that the cleaner the blood is, the healthier the urine will be. But even urine from relatively
unhealthy blood contains valuable immunological factors that can improve health if recycled. Urine
drinking's cleansing effect on the blood can be observed by the change in taste and the colour of the
urine: as it is more and more recycled, it becomes purer and clearer. If one has difficulty urinating--and
it has been said that a weak flow is a sign of a weak life-force-- then this practice actually strengthens
the flow of urine, consequently increasing the vital life-force.
Ingesting more toxic substances in the body, however, may neutralise the good effects of self-urine
therapy. So it is recommended that anyone embarking on the therapy give up tobacco in all forms and
restrict consumption of cold drinks, spices, fried foods, junk foods, refined foods and sugars as much as
possible. Above all, it is best to avoid alcohol, meat and coffee as well as recreational drugs. It is also
advisable to follow a low-salt, low-protein diet.
Like all other natural therapies, this is not a treatment that needs to be stopped after the relief of certain
symptoms, but can be incorporated into one's health regime. More subtle, yet very real effects of this
therapy as a lifestyle choice include feeling stronger, more relaxed, more self-confident, invigorated
and generally happier and lighter emotionally and physically.
SELF-THERAPY METHODS
The middle stream of fresh, warm, morning urine is the most potent, and drinking it mixed with freshly
squeezed orange juice is probably the fastest way to accomplish this task, although it is best not to mix
urine with other foods or drinks or to take it within an hour before or after eating.
Oral drops of fresh urine can be placed directly under the tongue. Urine therapists suggest their patients
start with 1-5 drops of fresh morning urine on the first day, increase to 5-10 drops on the second day,
and take 5-10 drops on the morning of the third day and the same amount that evening before going to
bed. Once patients feel comfortable with this therapy, they can gradually increase the amount as they
see fit to obtain the results required for their body's condition. Over time, they can learn to adjust the
amount that is needed by observing their reactions to the therapy; their dosage may become as much as
one full cup at a time!
Self-urine may be used as eye drops and ear drops, in foot baths and even as effective enemas. Nose
drops can help loosen mucus and clear up blocked nasal passages. Gargling with it is helpful for a sore
throat, and inhaling it relieves sinus and respiratory congestion. Taken internally, it has a laxative and
diuretic effect, as it cleanses the digestive tract.
Dr John Armstrong (author of The Water of Life) emphasises the need to massage with urine. He
insists that cures work faster and more effectively in those who are bathed, massaged, rubbed and
soaked in their own urine. He highly recommends it for more serious illnesses, since urine is absorbed
through the skin and the hormonal and protein-based contents are slowly reabsorbed into the system,
bypassing digestive juices that otherwise may have neutralised their potency. In this way, it also works
as an excellent cosmetic for moisturising and healing skin blemishes, burns and scar tissue. However,
for this usage, it is preferable to use urine that is 4-8 days old. The smell of ammonia in the old urine is
not toxic but actually beneficial if used topically only, and not taken internally.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can a woman drink her urine during her menses?
Yes, and although the urethra and the vagina are two separate organs, there is nothing in the menstrual
fluid that can harm a person if it is accidentally mixed with urine.
Can a person drink their urine while on medications?
The short answer is no, because of the remote possibility of overdosing on any particular medication by
recycling the portion of what is discharged in urine. However, hormone, vitamin and mineral
supplements can be taken while drinking urine, as long as the intake is frequently monitored and the
amounts reduced accordingly as the imbalance improves.
In what cases can Shivambu Shastra be used?
Regarded truly as a "panacea", Shivambu Shastra is said to be effective in over 175 health conditions.
Diagnosis plays no practical part in the therapy, since the urine sample reflects so perfectly the
individual's most intimate details about the state of their health. In fact, it works brilliantly on the more
subtle health imbalances that are very real, yet often too evasive to label medically.
Urine can be massaged topically for the most chronic and stubborn skin problems, such as acne,
eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, sores, fungal infections, insect bites, wounds, burns and even gangrene.
Internally, the therapy is said to be effective in treating AIDS (since the AIDS antibodies are found in
urine) as well as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, anaemia, all sorts of urinary diseases, weight loss,
colds and flus, candida, diabetes, digestive problems, jaundice and more. It has been medically proven
to work against polio and tuberculosis, and doctors have injected it intramuscularly to treat
immunological illnesses such as psoriasis, basal cell carcinoma and asthma, to name a few.
Why does urine therapy seem ineffective in some cases?
There are times when there is a chronic deficiency of one or several minerals, and in such cases there is
none of that mineral in the urine; therefore, although the general health and other metabolic imbalances
in that person improve, that particular problem may remain the same. For instance, a diabetic person
may need to take chromium for the cells to use blood sugar and vanadium to produce insulin. These
supplements may be necessary to eradicate diabetes or any other blood sugar problem that is not
correctable with self-urine therapy.
A GOLDEN FUTURE
Although much attention has been focused on many elements in urine and their potential for medical
use, comprehensive research has not yet been conducted on urine as a total entity that is therapeutically
applied.
Still to be proven are the theories regarding how and why urine therapy works--so let us welcome and
support the scientific community that is interested in undertaking studies using urine as a total entity.
More than 600 scientists--many of whom believe that human urine can treat everything from baldness
to cancer and AIDS--gathered in Goa, India, for the First World Conference on Auto-Urine Therapy in
February 1996. The Second World Conference on Auto-Urine Therapy was held in Germany in 1998.
These are certainly signs that Shivambu Shastra is flourishing all over the world, and that people are
ready to take responsibility for their own health and well-being and are ready to overcome their
prejudices and open their minds to embrace such an ancient spiritual and magical practice.
It is certainly crucial in these times, when we ache for deeper healing, that Shivambu Shastra be
acknowledged and adopted as a valid and profoundly effective method of creating health in body, mind
and spirit.
Author's Note:
The material in this paper is not intended to replace medical treatments. It is an attempt to broaden the
awareness of Shivambu Shastra. Readers interested in Self-Urine Therapy are encouraged to discuss it
with their health practitioner.
References:
Armstrong, John (Dr), The Water of Life, Health Science Press, Rupa and Co., 1990.
Bartnett, Beatrice (Dr), Urine Therapy - It May Save Your Life, Lifestyle Institute, 1994.
Christy, Martha M., Your Own Perfect Medicine, Futuremed, 1996.
Desai, Morarji, Miracles of Urine Therapy, Pankaj Books, 1998.
Free, A. H. (Dr), Urinalysis in Clinical Laboratory Practice, CRC Press, Cleveland, 1975.
Van der Kroon, Coen, The Golden Fountain: The Complete Guide to Urine Therapy, Amethyst Books,
1996.
About the Author:
Natalia Perera has a BA in Psychology and an MA in International Relations from the University of
New South Wales in Sydney. She studied mind-body medicine and natural therapies at Nature Care
College, Sydney, focusing on Ayurvedic medicine and bodywork and also undertook three years of
practical training in gestalt therapy. She is passionate about integrating the sciences of Ayurveda and
yoga with the arts of holistic counselling and bodywork to facilitate deep healing and create health on
the foundations of a higher consciousness.
Upon completion of her studies, Natalia worked in India as a duty doctor at a prominent Ayurvedic
hospital in Kerala for some months. She returned to Australia in 2001 and set up her clinic,
Saffronrose, in Woollahra, Sydney. Natalia takes clients through an in-depth consultation to determine
their natural constitution and identify the imbalances underlying their health symptoms. She designs
individualised lifestyle regimes and therapeutic programs that can involve nutritional advice, food and
herbal home remedies, appropriate exercise routines, yoga postures, meditation and breathing
techniques, personal counselling sessions, Ayurvedic cooking recipes and Ayurvedic massage
treatments.
Natalia Perera can be contacted at: Saffronrose, 49 Ocean Street, Woollahra, NSW 2025, Australia;
telephone +61 (0)2 9362 8838, email _nataliaperera@saffronrose.com.
