Jan 19, 2019
Niraj Naik, my guest on today's show (and the same guy who invented the crazy holotropic-style breathwork protocol I do in my sauna) is a qualified pharmacist who comes from a background of working long hours for several years as a community pharmacist.
Becoming a certified “legal drug dealer” at the ripe age of 24, he got to witness first-hand, many clients going home with shopping bags full of drugs each month, rarely getting better and usually going on to suffer from other diseases. He also learnt of the debilitating side effects of the prescription medication which drove many of the patients to have to take more and more drugs to ease the side effects.
Curious to find ways to improve his own health he attended several health seminars and discovered an in-depth approach on how to reach optimum health and vitality by understanding the true origin of disease and how to prevent it. After experiencing great benefits with his own health, Niraj was motivated to devise a scheme to see if he could also help his suffering patients. He incorporate a lifestyle plan called his "healthy shopping lists' that includes simple food swaps, tools and websites to support their specific condition.
Within two weeks he received testimonials from patients who were starting to get better and within a few months some being able to lower the dose or complete come off their medication.
After an arduous battle trying to get his novel approach accepted into the mainstream that resulted in a lot of stress and disillusionment, in 2010 he was diagnosed with a stress related illness, ulcerative colitis, that left him housebound for over 10 months.
He was told by doctors and nurses there existed no cure and he would need to be on medication for the rest of his life. Like his patients, Niraj suffered from side effects of his medication to the point he felt completely hopeless and even suicidal. He was then left with a choice that would be a major turning point in his life. Test out a new drug or have his colon removed.
He decided to choose option 3, a path not yet known by conventional medicine. So began his search to learn from people who had great success with either curing themselves or others from chronic illness. He learned a combination of natural treatments including Ayurvedic practices, and dietary recommendations from Paleo and SCD. He studied healing methods through meditation, yoga and mind power techniques like self hypnosis and NLP. He even discovered the powerful techniques of sound and music therapy as tools for reducing stress and promoting self healing.
Niraj finally broke free from the burdens of his illness, without medication. The experience of illness has allowed him to completely reinvent his life and discover a new passion for helping others to do the same. His speciality is helping people recover, prevent or reduce the dependency for longterm medication for the metabolic diseases of diabetes, heart disease and obesity and auto-immune disease where stress is an underlining factor in the cause.
Niraj is now a professional musician, holistic health expert and entrepreneur. He runs several successful websites that help others who suffer from stress-related, chronic diseases through his self-composed, captivating meditation music and online courses. Niraj has composed music for healing centres, spas and therapists worldwide.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-The story behind Niraj's famous infographic on how a can of Coke affects the human body...7:10
- Was friends with a world-famous psychic
- "Only one thing worse than bad publicity, and that's no publicity."
- Saw a conspicuous link between sugary drinks and metabolic diseases; doctors weren't aware of it (in 2005 timeframe)
- Frustrated with the "dumbed-down" state of the healthcare industry
- First published by truththeory.com; Became #1 trending article on Facebook within a few weeks
- Firms literally pay millions of dollars for the type of authority the infographic gave Niraj
- Follow up infographic on Diet Coke was equally successful
-How Niraj used alternative medicine to heal himself of some serious health issues...16:45
- Very little awareness of the effects of diet to overall health (2009 timeframe)
- Created "Healthy shopping lists" as a pharmacist in the U.K. (employed by a major pharmacy chain)
- Niraj's boss and biggest supporter left for another job, was left to fend for himself; his practices were deemed by corporate as "too controversial" - they watered down everything he said
- Negative emotions/thoughts manifested as physical symptoms; became very ill (ulcerative colitis)
- Severely depressed; considered suicide (31 years old)
- G.O.D. "Gift of Desperation"
- Met a mentor who encouraged him "You'll get over this and change the lives of many people"
- Combination of colostrum, breath work, and a change in perception
-Examples of ayurvedic principles used to heal the gut...25:22
- Colostrum
- Efficacious for improving digestive health
- Health of the mother (including mental health) affects the quality of the colostrum
- Cow colostrum translates perfectly to humans (produces 4x the amount a calf needs)
- Proper dosages:
- You need whole fat colostrum
- Big doses in the beginning (2-3 heaping tablespoons)
- Take it raw
- Use powder (a lot of it is absorbed by the gums)
- Suck it for 5-10 minutes and then swallow it
- Regain emotional balance
- Yoga
- Diet protocols
- Ayurvedic means "balanced"
- Modern medicine not aligned with human nature (scientific approach, averages)
- Ask Lots of questions, "Know thyself..."
- There is no pill for every ill; but there is an ill that follows every pill
- Most important question: "Do I wake up every day enthusiastic about a hard day's work?"
- Prof. B. M. Hegde
-A unique breath protocol Naij specializes in called SOMA...51:00
- SOMA is referenced over 50,000 times in the Rig Veda, the oldest known religious manuscript
- Physical elements:
- amanita muscaria mushrooms
- kush cannabis
- blue lotus (full of DNT)
- Tantra has its roots in SOMA
- Use it purposefully, for therapeutic purposes; don't use it recreationally or habitually
- Hatha yoga incorporates breath work
- We can "wake up" the internal pharmacy. We have everything that might be prescribed to us with in us; breath work releases it
-Why the medical industry doesn't advocate for SOMA therapy...1:02:34
- "Unconscious capitalism"
- "Cholesterol myth" is good for big business
-A practical example of using breathing to chance one's physiology...1:04:30
-The true intent of yoga and how the "yoga industrial complex" has twisted it out of context...1:10:40
- Turned it into a fitness or aerobic routine
- Meant as a "route to the divine"
- SOMA Awakening:
- Rhythmic breathing
- kumbhaka breathing (breath retention)
-What it's like to go through Niraj's SOMA protocol...1:13:30
- Bhastrikā, followed by kumbhaka rechaka
- Rhythmic breathing
- Fallacy of a scarcity of oxygen; the opposite is true
- Pranayama means "energy control"
- Body adapts to having less than normal oxygen
- Stimulates production of red blood cells
- Better blood flow to the heart
-The 21 day protocol and webinar Niraj has developed...1:25:26
- Click here for more info.
-And MUCH more...
Resources from this episode:
-What Happens After Drinking One Can Of Coke (and here's the one for Diet Coke)
-Feeding You Lies: How to Unravel the Food Industry's Playbook and Reclaim Your Health
-The Renegade Colostrum that Niraj uses and discusses in podcast
-The Age Of Aging Documentary Ben mentions
-Ayurveda Over Western Medicines | Dr. B.M HEGDE | TEDxMITE
-Essential Oil Wizardy for Blue Lotus
-Study: Effects of Cold Exposure and Breathing Techniques on Immune Response
-My interview with Patrick McKeown on breathwork
-Soma Breathwork 21 Day Protocol - use code BEN for 20% off
-SOMA Awakening Breathwork Meditation Webinar - this is completely free
-SOMA Breathwork Instructor Training - use code BEN for 20% off
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Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Niraj or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!