Yogacharya's famous 'Salt Water Cocktail'.  What would a discussion of Yogacharya be without a description of his salt water treatment.  It is and was fairly controversial.  It seems to go against all accepted medical advice, but Yogacharya felt very strongly about it and consequently so do I.  In my mind I felt it was impossible to be Yogacharya's disciple if you didn't drink salt water on a daily basis.  I know that sounds harsh, but if you can't follow that simple instruction what happens when more strict discipline follows.

I think Yogacharya first discovered the salt water treatment through Rishi Gherwal.  It is primarily a technique to improve elimination thereby generally improving your health.  Mr. Black many times took pains to explain how and why it worked and how good it was for you.  The salt water is primarily a colon cleanser, but as Yogacharya would explain it is more subtle than that.  It is important to follow the procedure exactly.  First you need a measuring teaspoon, salt (any kind will do) a straight edge, a quart container (measures exactly 1 quart), and a regular spoon.  Next, measure exactly 2 level teaspoons of salt (use the straight edge to get the salt level) and put them in the quart container.  After that add 1 quart of water that is warm to the touch (mostly for taste) mix the salt and water and drink the entire quart.  There are a couple of warnings that you should heed if you are going to try this.  First, this is only to be done in the morning upon waking before you eat or drink anything.  Secondly, scrape your tongue with a regular spoon before drinking the cocktail.  After drinking you can go about your regular daily routine, but make sure you stay close to a toilet for the next few hours.  This procedure should result in a dramatic bowel movement that cleanses the entire digestive system.  The cleansing is so effective that it is wise to eat a little yogurt afterward to replace the good bacteria the colon needs for digestion. 

Now for Yogacharya's rationale and scientific explanation.  Most Yogi's are mindful of their health and Yogacharya was a splendid example of this.  He would say that 90% of all diseases were caused by poor elimination and after 24 hours any food left in the intestines would begin to putrefy.  Obviously not a good process to be going on in the body.  Therefore the saltwater treatment was a painless solution to this problem.  He explained the science this way.  The proportion of salt to water in the cocktail is the same as the proportion of salt to water in the human blood.   (The same proportion as ocean water also - a case for evolution).  Chemistry teaches that to cleanse a solution pass a like solution through it.  In this instance the saline solution is passed through the stomach, intestines, and to a lesser extent the blood stream.  It always seemed to be a good way to stay healthy without being too much of a crank about my diet.

If you try this good luck and be healthy.