1. Health Tips

Know and Build-up your Immunity!

“I want to tell you that the best and the wisest thing is to see that you do not fall ill… One sacred duty of a doctor is to advise persons on how to preserve health and prevent disease and also educate the villagers in methods of avoiding illness… The current belief is that medicine is to be valued for its validity during illness and its use ends with the cure. But this point of view has to change. Medicine is to be used to see that one does not fall ill.”…Sathya Sai Baba^1,2

1. What is immunity?

Immunity is the defence mechanism of the body to recognise and retain whatever belongs to the self and reject what is foreign, to protect itself against infection. Self includes cells, tissues and organs; foreign implies harmful organisms like viruses, bacteria, other pathogens and toxins. This capacity is two-fold. One is innate/natural or genetic immunity we are born with. The other is acquired or adaptive immunity developed by the body when exposed to various pathogens.^3-8

2. Innate immunity

Innate immunity is the foremost and immediate line of defence carried out by the body in four ways: first is the mechanical barrier of the skin and mucous membranes that line our mouth, nose, eyes, and the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital tracts, which prevents entry of toxins and harmful organisms; second is the chemical barrier of sweat, tears, saliva, stomach acids, mucus, and other fluids secreted by the body that make it inhospitable for invaders to enter or inhabit the body. If these two barriers are breached, the next two defences are fever and inflammation which indicate that the body is fighting an infection using the cells of innate immune system. So, do not get annoyed when sick. A constant battle is on, out of sight, inside the fortress of your body, to protect you! ^5,6,7

3. Adaptive immunity (active & passive)

Our body develops active adaptive immunity in two ways. Either it gets the disease and develops immunity towards it naturally during the recovery period or it develops immunity by vaccination against that particular disease.^5,6

3.1 Adaptive immunity through the disease: It takes weeks after one gets a disease to develop this immunity but it protects against recurrence of that disease lifelong, eg, measles and chickenpox. The body responds rapidly to prevent the disease when it faces the same pathogen again. This is because the immune system keeps a record of every germ/microbe it has encountered, recognises it, and immediately produces the antibodies and/or the warrior T-cells to fight it. But they are specific to a disease or a related infection eg, measles antibodies will protect when exposed to measles but will not protect against any other disease like chickenpox. Flu and the common cold have to be fought many times as they are caused by different viruses or different strains of the same virus.^5,6,7,8,9,10

3.2 Adaptive immunity induced through vaccination: A vaccine is a weakened or inactivated version or fragment of a pathogen. When injected or given orally or through a nasal spray, it exposes the body to that pathogen/disease without causing that disease so that the body is enabled to rapidly respond to an attack by the live infectious pathogens and prevent that disease in future. The normal immune response takes about two weeks to work after vaccination and may need to be given several times to build long-lasting protection as immunity tends to wane with time.¹⁰

Examples: Trivalent DTaP vaccine to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) is given in three doses followed by booster doses. One or two doses of MMRV vaccine takes care of four diseases measles, mumps, rubella (German measles) and chickenpox. Pentavalent Vaccine (3 doses) protects against five diseases (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b).^11,12,13

Several diseases that have been prevented or nearly eliminated in many countries with vaccines include flu, tuberculosis, hepatitis A, HPV (human papillomavirus), meningococcal disease, pneumococcal, rotavirus, shingles (herpes zoster) and malaria. Only two diseases have been eradicated as certified by WHO -- Smallpox in humans caused by variola virus for over 3000 years (last incident was in 1977), and rinderpest (cattle plague) from mid-2011. Polio is also near eradication.^14,15,16

Benefits: Vaccinations have no doubt reduced disease, disability, and death from a variety of infectious diseases. In addition to individual protection, they offer community protection called herd immunity by interrupting the chain of human-to-human transmission and slowing down the spread of the disease.^17,18,19,20

Mild to moderate side effects: As the body’s immune system responds to a vaccine, it is common to experience pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fever, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills or nausea, which pass off within a few days.²¹

Caution: People with allergies or autoimmune or other conditions should check with their doctor before getting vaccinated. Vaccinations may not be advisable for those who have had severe allergic reactions to any vaccine in the past in the form of rapid heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, or a generalized rash or hives which may require immediate medical attention.^21,22

3.3 Passive immunity: When a person is injected with antibodies to a disease, produced in a body other than his own, it is called artificial passive immunity. This is given for immediate protection, not as a routine when a vaccine for the disease is not accessible or available; or as a preventive measure to high-risk individuals or those with immune system deficiencies. The immunity will last a few weeks or months. A newborn baby receives passive immunity naturally through the placenta of the mother and after birth through breast milk; the protection gradually wanes after 6 months of age.^5,8,10,23

4. Know your immune system

The human immune system is an ingenious and fascinating network of cells, organs and chemicals - an efficient internal police force - present throughout the body ever ready to protect us. It has four main functions – protection against millions of foreign microorganisms (bacteria, virus, parasites, and fungi); body equilibrium through the removal of worn-out or dead cells; surveillance and removal of mutant cells which alter genetic material; and regulation through increasing and suppressing the immune response. It also involves a complex process that, to be most effective, requires interaction between all the mechanisms of the body.^6,9,24 Five types of white blood cells (WBC) composed of many immune cells including the Special B-cells and T-cells play a vital role. T-cells regulate the immune system and also attack the cells infected with viruses. Antibodies (immunoglobulins) are specialised Y-shaped proteins produced by B-cells as part of their search-and-destroy army to locate and fight the invaders. All immune cells are continuously learning who to fight and how.^{7,10,25,26,27}

5. Be aware of immunity disorders

When the immune system does not work as it should, four kinds of disorders are possible.^28-31

5.1 Primary immune deficiency is being born with a weak immune system with defective, fewer, or no immune cells, and is usually diagnosed in childhood. Such children are in constant danger of repeated, long-lasting, or unusual infections that are difficult to treat. Other signs are an enlarged spleen, poor growth, and problems after receiving a live vaccine. Complications may arise later in life in the form of severe infections, autoimmune disorders, or cancer.^28,29

5.2 Secondary/Acquired immune deficiency happens when the immune system is weakened by external factors like flu or measles for a short time, by special drugs or treatment given for cancer or organ transplant, by diseases like HIV/AIDS which destroy WBC, or when the immunity is compromised due to poor lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol, and poor nutrition.²⁸

5.3 Overactive immune system, genetic in nature, can cause asthma, eczema, or allergic rhinitis when triggered by common harmless allergens like dust, pollen, or smoke which generally won’t affect a healthy person.^28,30

5.4 Autoimmune disease happens when our own immune system turns against us by mistaking a part of our body as foreign and releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack the healthy cells. There are many such diseases, the most common ones being type -1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, celiac disease, Hashimoto’s disease, certain types of cancer like lymphoma, myeloma, and leukaemia, and lupus which affects the whole body. The cause is unknown, possibly a combination of genes triggered by something in the diet or environment, and it is usually not easy to diagnose.^28,31

6. Keep your immune system in balance

The immune system works hard to keep us alive and active. We must, therefore, respect it and not interfere with its working. It should be kept in balance (neither underactive nor overactive) for it to function at its best. ^7,32-40

• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Refer to health tips given in our newsletters regarding sleep, exercise, intake of water, and a healthy diet.
• Sai Vibrionics remedies can be taken to build up your immunity at the root level!
• Do not be influenced by immunity boosting advertisements for food and supplements.⁷ Far from helping, they may actually interfere with the functioning of the immune system.
• Keep away from unhealthy practices of smoking, consuming alcohol, or self-medication.
• Do not ignore fatigue, achy muscles, swelling and redness, low-grade fever, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, unusual hair loss, and frequent or irritant skin rash.
• The Covid-19 virus and its variants have posed an unprecedented challenge to mankind, being handled worldwide through vaccines, new treatment protocols, and guidelines on health and safety measures.^36-39 See Newsletter vol 11 #2 on Covid-19 Prevention and care and vol 0 #3 for updates of 9 June 2021.
• Be happy, keep smiling, laugh frequently, be in tune with yourself, embrace the universe and its creation with your inner light and love. These will all help keep your immune system in balance! ^35,40

References and Links

1. Sathya Sai Baba Speaks on preventing illness: Divine Discourse on “The Best Tonic”, 21 Sept 1960: https://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume01/sss01-28.pdf

2. Sathya Sai baba Speaks on preventing illness: Divine Discourse on “The Doctor’s Profession”, Sept 1980: https://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume14/sss14-53.pdf

3. Immune system: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/immune-system

4. Antigens/pathogens: https://study.com/academy/lesson/antigens-vs-pathogens.html

5. Innate and Adaptive immunity: https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/articles/active-vs-passive-immunity-differences-and-definition-335112

6. https://www.verywellhealth.com/types-of-white-blood-cells-and-immunity-2252553

7. The myth of a super-charged immune system: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60171592

8. Adaptive immunity: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/immunity-types.htm

9. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/immune-system

10. Immunity thru vaccine: https://www.immune.org.nz/immunisation/immune-system-vaccination#

11. DTaP vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/dtap-tdap-td/public/index.html#

12. MMRV vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/mmrv.html

13. Pentavalent vaccine: https://www.gavi.org/types-support/vaccine-support/pentavalent

14. Vaccine eliminated diseases: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/forgot-14-diseases.html

15. Disease prevention with vaccine: https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/U_Z/What-diseases-do-vaccines-protect-against

16. Eradicated diseases: https://asm.org/Articles/2020/March/Disease-Eradication-What-Does-It-Take-to-Wipe-out

17. Vaccines save lives: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5402432/

18. Unicef on safety of Covid vaccines: https://www.unicef.org/northmacedonia/vaccines-save-lives

19. Benefits of Covid-19 vaccine: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html

20. Vaccines protect lives: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/protect-your-life-against-all-vaccine-preventable-diseases-get-vaccinated/articleshow/87108483.cms

21. Handling side effects or allergy: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html

22. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/allergic-reaction.html

23. Passive immunisation: https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/passive-immunization

24. Our Immune system: https://primaryimmune.org/immune-system-and-primary-immunodeficiency

25. WBC the key player with five types of cells https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21871-white-blood-cells

26. B-cells & T-cells: https://www.cancercenter.com/what-are-b-cells-vs-t-cells

27. Antibodies: https://www.livescience.com/antibodies.html

28. Immunity disorders: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/disorders-of-the-immune-system

29. Primary Immunodeficiency: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17964-primary-immunodeficiency

30. Overactive immune system: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-immune-system-go-haywire-falter/ (tips)

31. Autoimmune: https://www.healthline.com/health/autoimmune-disorders#causes

32. Balance immunity: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

33. Self-care: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/ImmunityBoostingAYUSHAdvisory.pdf

34. Reduce your risks: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/boosting-your-immune-system.html

35. https://www.matherhospital.org/wellness-at-mather/boosting-your-immune-system-is-it-even-possible/

36. Hand sanitiser guidelines: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/coronavirus-covid-19-drugs/hand-sanitizers-covid-19

37. Covid-19 vaccines guidelines: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines/advice

38. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid19-vaccine-hesitancy-12-things-you-need-to-know

39. Better to vaccinate than catch disease to get immunity: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

40. Laughter the best therapy! https://www.khca.org/files/2015/10/Humor-Therapy.pdf

2. AP Telugu workshop 30 Dec 2021–1 Jan 2022 Puttaparthi

As part of our initiative to impart training in vernacular languages to reach out to rural and remote areas, a workshop for Assistant Practitioners was conducted in Telugu for four participants from AP and Telangana by two senior teachers along with three aspiring teachers as silent observers. The zeal and enthusiasm of the participants were remarkable and they felt even more charged after listening to the encouraging and inspiring words of wisdom by Dr Aggarwal, see workshop pic.

It is very heartening to note that soon after qualifying, Practitioner ¹⁸⁰⁰⁵ took up the responsibility of distributing 2750 bottles of IBs to various Sai centres in different districts of AP and a tribal village near Visakhapatnam under the leadership of Senior Practitioner ¹¹⁵⁶⁷ and his dedicated team. This seva was initiated with the encouragement and blessings of the State President of AP, see IB pic.

3. Monthly meetings in French

French Coordinator ⁰¹⁶²⁰ has been organizing virtual meetings every month for the past two years which are attended by 3 practitioners from Gabon and eight from France. One practitioner presents a chosen topic that covers one body system (from the 21 categories of the 108CC book), an organ or a specific disease. The presentation includes a detailed explanation of the anatomy, physiology, and various related diseases, any visible signs of an illness or imbalance, and treatment with vibrionics combos. All practitioners research the topic by diligently going through the manuals, newsletters, and the conference book. They all actively contribute to the session with their own inputs, questions, case histories, and success stories.

Practitioner ⁰³⁵⁴⁶  comments: “These topics are leading me to become more and more aware of the complexity and sophistication of the creation of this extraordinary machine that is the human body, how each part, no matter how small, has a very specific and useful role in the multiplicity. This creation - free of charge - can only be divine and we must take great care of it”. She also tries to instill this awareness into her patients. 

4. Interesting Anecdotes  

4.1 Miracle of healing by faith ^{18004…India} A 56-year-old village woman was suffering from severe arthritis, back pain, sciatica, and varicose veins for three years. She was unable to walk even a few steps properly, unable to sleep well and the excruciating pain would render her unconscious at times. She was taking ayurvedic painkillers which were not helping her. A vibrionics patient advised her to meet his practitioner but only after three days of stopping her ayurvedic medicines since he knew that vibrionics should not be taken along with Ayurveda. The very same day, the lady prayed to Swami and stopped her medicines, resolving to take only His medicine! Five days later she was able to walk all the way to the practitioner’s place on her own and informed him that she was completely cured ever since she took the Sankalpa! The practitioner was astounded but still gave her an appropriate remedy. The woman happily agreed to take it; the pain never returned. This practitioner has successfully treated over 170 patients within two months of having been trained.

4.2 From the diary of a Practitioner ^{10707…India} a story (paraphrased) of pain and miraculous cure: Throughout my childhood I was plagued with frequent, debilitating headaches, no less than one episode a month. After I started working in a bank their severity increased, and was soon accompanied by nausea. All of a sudden half the objects in view would blur and everything in my field of vision floated. 30 minutes later the headache would start and would generally lead to two days of severe headache, nausea, sleeplessness, and exhaustion. For relief, I popped Anacin tablets, untold numbers of them over the years. Not until I visited our Super Speciality hospital in Puttaparthi did I discover I was suffering from classic migraine headaches and was prescribed Vasograin each time I had an attack. 

Sai Vibrionics to my rescue....
And then, gratefully, I discovered Vibrionics and joined a training course in Aug 2009 at Brindavan.  Within two days of completing the course at around 8 pm a migraine developed and rather than resorting to the prescribed allopathy, I made a remedy: CC11.3 Headaches + CC11.4 Migraines. I took one pill while chanting 'Sai Ram' and fell asleep within 30 minutes only to awaken around 12:30 am in extreme pain. Feeling shocked I grabbed my allopathy, ripped open the pack and removed the tablet but then mysteriously something stopped me. I felt I should respect the oath and the teaching of our Vibrionics training program; that I should first try vibrionics on myself and my family. Only when I feel totally convinced of its efficacy should I begin the seva of offering it to others.
I kept aside the allopathic tablet and instead popped a vibro pill under my tongue.  At 4.30 am I awoke again, astonished to discover my pain had completely vanished! What a divine miracle! The following day I felt unusually fresh and energetic. Though I did not take the remedy every day, the migraine episodes rapidly dwindled and, at present, though I am not taking any remedy, they have completely vanished.  For me, vibrionics is among His best gifts to humankind and since 2009, my family has switched over completely to vibrionics.

I present this case as an offering to dear Swami from my heart and thank the Vibrionics team with gratitude for disseminating this unique seva, enabling practitioners like myself, to be His instruments of divine love.

5. In Memoriam

With a heavy heart, we bid farewell to Col S K Bose ^{02414…India} who was 84 when he passed away on 9 Feb 2022. He came from a family of staunch Sai devotees; it is well known that his father was raised from the dead by Swami. He was a civil engineer in the Indian Army and post-retirement, moved to Puttaparthi in 1999. He supervised the construction of Chaitanya Jyoti museum and was appointed its 1^st director. Keenly interested in homoeopathy, he became a vibrionics practitioner 22 years ago. Whether at home or in his office he always made time for his patients. He was doing Swami’s work till his last day. He will always be remembered with great love and respect by all those whose lives he touched.