Ayurveda the science of life is an medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent.
Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it.
Ayurveda therapies have varied and evolved over more than two millennia.
Therapies include medicines, special diets, meditation, yoga, massage, laxatives, enemas, and medical oils.
Medicines are typically based on complex herbal compounds, minerals, and metal substances (perhaps under the influence of early Indian alchemy or rasa shastra).
Ancient Ayurveda texts also taught surgical techniques, including rhinoplasty, kidney stone extractions, sutures, and the extraction of foreign objects.
The main classical Ayurveda texts begin with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the gods to sages, and then to human physicians.
In Sushruta Samhita (Sushruta’s Compendium), Sushruta wrote that Dhanvantari, Hindu god of Ayurveda, incarnated himself as a king of Varanasi and taught medicine to a group of physicians, including Sushruta.
Ayurveda has been adapted for Western consumption, notably by Baba Hari Dass in the 1970s and Maharishi Ayurveda in the 1980s.
Some scholars assert that Ayurveda originated in prehistoric times, and that some of the concepts of Ayurveda have existed from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization or even earlier.
Ayurveda developed significantly during the Vedic period and later some of the non-Vedic systems such as Buddhism and Jainism also developed medical concepts and practices that appear in the classical Ayurveda texts.
In Ayurveda texts, Doṣa balance is emphasized, and suppressing natural urges is considered unhealthy and claimed to lead to illness.
Ayurveda treatises describe three elemental doṣas viz. vāta, pitta and kapha, and state that balance (Skt. sāmyatva) of the doṣas results in health, while imbalance (viṣamatva) results in disease. Ayurveda treatises divide medicine into eight canonical components.
Ayurveda practitioners had developed various medicinal preparations and surgical procedures from at least the beginning of the common era.
Listen to Renu, an Ayurveda practioner in north India talk about Ayurveda.
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Drones handle with care
Drones handle with care as they are used in many contexts from military uses to leisure and for fun.
But are they just dangerous toys or just accidents waiting to happen?
There have been many stories and reports of drone near-misses and accidents involving aircraft and one even landed on The White House lawn.
A drone that can be bought on the high street can weigh up to 1.5 Kg and fly at speeds up to 20 meters a second (72 km / hour) at heights reaching 6,000 meters and a maximum distance of 16 kilometers.
So, it can be very dangerous, if not used with care and within the legal restrictions, which varies from country to country.
Drones handle with care!
Listen to the podcast about the rules for flying a drone in France and what purposes that drones can be used for.
Later, we will be going out flying a drone and posting the pictures and videos on EFLPodBlog.
10 Stupid things people have done with drones
5 Amazing Drone Use Ideas
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So what’s an animated podcast ?
Good question !
It’s a podcast with pictures, learning tips and clues. In short, it’s just a helping hand to help you understand the conversation and the context.
This is Animated Podcast number 7 in a series of 10, in which each one has a specific focus and gets progressively more challenging.
In the seventh one, Are you a Geek, you can hear a conversation with someone who calls herself and “Un-Geek”. This word doesn’t really exist but you can get it’s meaning ! The focus is on talking about devices and gadgets that we use everyday, with more or less success.
Who is it designed for ?
It’s a perfect opportunity for new learners (pre-intermediate) to hear technology vocabulary spoken at natural speed between 2 British speakers.
It’s a great way for Intermediate learners to consolidate knowledge.
Enjoy and Welcome to the English Podcasts YouTube Channel !
Click here to access the YouTube Channel
Don’t forget to listen to the sequel in which Chris (the Geek !) explains about all the devices he has.
Chris could be described as a technophile –
Technophilia (from Greek τέχνη – technē, “art, skill, craft” and φίλος – philos, “beloved, dear, friend”) refers generally to a strong enthusiasm for technology, especially new technologiessuch as personal computers, the Internet, mobile phones and home cinema. The term is used in sociology to examine individuals’ interactions with society and is contrasted with technophobia.
On a psychodynamic level, technophilia generates the expression of its opposite, technophobia. Technophilia and technophobia are the two extremes of the relationship between technology and society. The technophile regards most or all technology positively, adopts new forms of technology enthusiastically and sees it as a means to improve life, whilst some may even view it as a means to combat social problems.
The term technophilia is used as a way of highlighting how technology can evoke in humans strong positive futuristic feelings. However, the reverential attitude towards technology that technophilia produces can sometimes inhibit realistic appraisals of the social and environmental impacts of technology on society. Technophiles do not fear of the effects of technological developments on society, as do technophobes. Technological determinism is the theory that humanity has little power to resist the influence that technology has on society.
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Listen to Sue, explaining her views on everyday technology and gadgets – she could be described as a technophobe.
Technophobia (from Greek τέχνη technē, “art, skill, craft” and φόβος phobos, “fear”) is the fear or dislike of advanced technology or complex devices, especially computers. Although there are numerous interpretations of technophobia, they seem to become more complex as technology continues to evolve.
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How many unidentified flying phenomena do you think are sighted by people and that cannot be explained by scientists every year?
Are UFOs investigated by keen amateurs and geeks?
Are UFOs taken seriously by governments and state agencies?
Listen to a real UFO investigator talk about this and much more.
UFO Sightings Daily
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