Entry of 29th Jan, 2025

Daily Observations

I figured out that in order to get started with Pomodoros, I had to include my existing mental backlog into the Pomodoros, just to get into the habit of doing all things using Pomodoro. Or else, I’d just drag this forever, like how I had to stop doing Pomodoros when I was sick and started philosophy, and I couldn’t get back into a structured routine, because I had so many ideas popping up for me to break them into tasks.

But anyways, as I’m about to get back to my Pomodoro routine, I realized that if I add my current mental backlog to it, I’m also tempted to add more and more ideas to it. Then that would still cause my Pomodoro task list to be endlessly expanding. So, I realized that alongside adding ideas in, I have to prioritize my ideas. But further, I also have to strike the right balance between doing my prioritized ideas and the other ideas.

So, I have to learn to:

1. Prioritize Tasks 2. Balance between Prioritized and Unprioritized Tasks

What I know is that I can do both.

Tags:routine

Topics

I started with trying to see what Raaja Yoga was, as part of my study of the types of Yogas (practices) in Indian Idealism (speaking of which, I discovered that “idealism” was the right word, just now).

• Raaja Yoga (Covered in a later note)
• Types of Yoga
  • Kundalini Yoga
    • Chakras
• Chakras in Western Theosophy
• Homeopathy - bad alternative medicine, but with a placebo effect
• Allopathy - derogatory label used by homeopaths to describe Heroic Medicine, the precursor of Modern Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Heroic Medicine
    • Based on the Humoural theory or Humorism
      • Four Humours (juices / sap) (Similar to Doshas)
        • Phlegm, Blood, Yellow Bile, Black Bile
      • Four Humours theory was proposed by Hippocrates and Galen
      • Hippocrates believed the four humours were linked to the four temperaments
      • Four Temperaments (personality types)
        • Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic
      • Both Temperament and Humour may have had their roots in Egyptian medicine and Mesopotamia, but was developed by Hippocrates and Galen.
      • Just like the Doshas in Ayurveda, they too often linked it to the four elements
      • Empedocles made the connection to the four elements
      • Galen maintained the idea of the Platonic tripartite soul
      • Platonic Tripartite Soul
        • Thumos, Epithumos, Sophia
      • It was replaced by the Germ theory in the 1850s
    • It was based on bloodletting, purging and sweating to fix what was seen as a humoural imbalance.
    • This fell out of favour with the coming of gentler palliative care, and modern medicine
  • Modern Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)
  • In the US:
    • Used to contrast modern medicine (allopathy) with Osteopathic Medicine (originated from osteopathy)
  • In India:
    • Used to contrast modern medicine (allopathy) with Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, homeopathy, Unani (Perso-Arabic medicine, Yunani meaning “Greek”, based on four humours, used by Muslims), etc.
    • They are regulated by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
    • Siddhars were recognized by the Supreme Court and Indian Medical Association as “fake”
    • Siddhars are referred to in Tamil as “Vaidyars”
    • Ayurveda
      • Three Doshas of Ayurveda
        • Vaata, Pitta, Kapha
        • The three doshas derive their values from the 5 elements
      • Characteristic
        • Prana, Tejas, Ojas
      • Roga (Disease)
      • Dhatus (Seven Principles of the Body + Ojas (8th Dhatu))
        • Lymph, Blood, Muscles, Fat, Bone, Bone Marrow, Semen
      • Ayurveda has been called quackery by Herriet Hall, likening it to Horoscope
      • Even Ayurvedic scholars have expressed reservations about the tridosha theory, and argued that it should be viewed as a useful framework rather than a definitive, universally acceptable concept.
    • Siddha Medicine
      • Sage Agasthyar
      • Herbal Agents
        • Thavaram (Herbal Product), Thadu (Inorganic Substances), Jangamam (Animal Products)
        • Thadu
          • Uppu
          • Pashanam
          • Uparasam
          • Loham
          • Rasam
          • Ghandhagam
• Osteopathy - Physical manipulation of body’s muscle tissue and bones
  • What I got for my cervical spine: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) / Electropathy
• Energy Medicine
  • Reiki - based on qi/chi (life force) / hand based
  • Qigong - based on qi/chi (life force) / martial arts based