I was born at the end oft he 1950s in a small village nearby Hanover. Already as a young child, I had made my first out-of-body experience. I was used to become a victim of domestic violence. The pain caused by this, was so intense that I left my body time and again and so could watch the whole scene from above under the ceiling. I guess, that was the only way to cope with this barbaric pain without losing my mind. A few time later, something very weird happened: sometimes, I could see colored stripes around persons. I had no clue, what was going on and told my mother about it. She explained to me that it was due to my wanton imagination and would settle down soon. Well, it didn´t vanish and I had to struggle a lot, as there was no one I could talk to about it. In the course of the years, I had begun to learn how to handle this gift. I became capable of switching it on and off whenever I liked. At the age of about 12 or 13, I realized that the colors, I was seeing, were related to the mental and/or physical condition of the person, I was looking at. Of course, I could only grasp a vague idea, since I had neither any knowledge of anatomy, nor of physiology or pathology. As child work was more rule than exception in those times, I certainly had to help in the field. When I was twelve years old, the lifting of a full potato sack ended up with a lumbago, which bounded me to the bed for a couple of days. Several doctors had tried to help me, but every attempt remained unsuccessful after all. Thus, I was sent to a masseur. This man put me on a treatment bed and set my sacrum back into the right position. I was released from the pain right away and could hardly believe my luck. This experience made me wanting to become a masseur, too. Despite my family wasn´t happy about this – not only, that such an apprenticeship brings no return, but costs even money- I got my own way. I was burning the midnight oil in a paper factory and jobbed as a disc jockey in order to raise my meager wages. Although my education would have allowed me to study, I kept up with my plan and stayed on my way. After successfully graduating from college, I started my practical training. I was only twenty years old, when I took on the responsibility of the physical department of a Kneipp-sanatorium. There I met Prof. Dr. Franke, who had a professorship for physical therapy at the University of Göttingen. This man tutored me, whenever his time permitted. Although I was afraid of being made fun of, I told him about my aura-mystique. Much to my surprise, he didn´t laugh, but even encouraged me in it. It would be a shame, to waste such a talent. In those days, I started to occupy myself with East-Asian healing methods, since my knowledge of traditional medicine often proved to be insufficient, so that it never took long until I reached the limits of my own abilities. I bought books about acupressure and applied this method with great success in my patients. At the age of 22, I took over the position of a representative head of a large physiology practice in a big north German city. Many of my patients were working as actresses or dancers in the theater of the city. Soon it became obvious that most of them were lesbian. Since having had absolutely no idea of the lesbians´ lifestyle before, I was taken under their wings and explained patiently everything I wanted to know. Besides, they introduced me to some transsexuals. Since I always had a sympathetic ear for the problems of others and found out quickly that many physical disorders are being caused by a mental issue – lesbians and transsexuals are still, despite the fact that it´s a matter of innate inclinations, being discriminated and partly badly afflicted by that – I was searching for appropriate literature. However, I soon came to the conclusion that both, Fromm and Freud appeared way too abstract to me. I sought for something more pragmatic, but didn´t find anything suitable. Thus it remained at conversations, which sometimes even resulted in little miracles. My boss at that time disliked “my bustling with the perverts“ and after realizing that my list of regular patients had actually been longer than his one, he fired me. Afterwards, I helped out here and there in various practices, but soon became aware of the fact that this couldn´t be my purpose in life. At the age of 24, I opened my first own practice. From then on, I was able to do as I pleased and attracted plenty of patients with my extraordinary methods. As I definitely was not fully satisfied with the depth of my knowledge, I looked out for further treatment alternatives. One day, my attention was caught by a doctor, who was linking traditional healing methods with modern techniques. I attended a lot of his seminars and got amazed about the fast help, I was enabled to provide to my patients. In contrast to that, what I had achieved until then, this meant to be a giant step forwards. I graduated my apprenticeship. Well, it turned out that many of those methods had no sustaining effect. It occurred frequently that patients consulted me again after a few days, because the pain had returned. I brooded over it for so long until I had finally developed a method, which allowed me to correct defective joint positions in a gentle way. I´ve been calling it “impulse extension”, as I had found a way to correct defective joint positions in a fast and painless way by means of a slight impulse combined with an extension at the same time. Now, I just needed a kind of massage, which would prove to be adequate for the release of even the most stubborn muscle agglutinations. A travel report on t.v. included among others as well the brief introduction of the traditional Korean massage technique. I was immediately hooked, however it should have taken me a couple of month, to get in contact with the masseurs in South Korea. Though I was told, that this method wasn´t suitable for Europeans, I didn´t give in and could finally persuade one of the masseurs to make an exemption. Without any previous knowledge in the country and its inhabitants, I flew over to Seoul. There I was taught the Korean massage within four weeks. As this technique is carried out by means of the feet of petite and lightweight women and it´s obviously impossible to climb onto a patient´s back with my weight of more than 90 kilogram, I had to find a solution for this problem, which came to my mind during the flight home. After a few days, I had changed all foot moves to hand moves and was completely flabbergasted by the successes, I could achieve in doing so. In the course of time, I was told by many women about the painful stress of giving birth in a hospital. One day, I heard of a method, which should ease the childbearing to a considerable extent. In order to learn this method, it would be however necessary to travel to South Africa, as midwives with experience in that method, could only be found there. Again, the journey was accompanied by many troubles. But finally I could take a seat in the plane, which should fly me straight to Johannesburg. From there, my way led me to the border region of Namibia, where I actually met a midwife, who both wanted and could provide me help. Back in Germany, I told about my recently acquired knowledge. Unfortunately, it were only a few women, who were interested in taking advantage of my knowledge, as the method was considered being too exotic by them. Those women, who did however give it a try, were very happy with it. Since I still hadn´t found an appropriate psycho-therapy, I continued my search. One day, I heard of an Indian, who would be currently in Germany and alleged to have been experienced in Ayur Veda. I have already heard of it, but had no clear concept of it. Spontaneously, I decided to visit him in his hotel, located hundreds of kilometers away and lived to see a little miracle. He gave me a cordial welcome and pressed some mussel shells into my hand. He asked me to roll them as if they were dices. After that, he counted the mussel shells, took a bundle of cardboard stripes, left it through and read to me from one of the palm leaves. I was totally aghast, as he was reading things of my life to me, which he couldn´t know. He explained to me that the cardboard stripes would actually not only be cardboard strips, but in fact ayurvedic palm leaves, being the witness of a several thousand year old knowledge, which would have been written down on these leaves. The world´s most ancient medicine, namely that one, which would treat both, physical and mental disorders in an equal way, might be learned by means of those palm leaves. On the spur of a moment, he invited me to India and I spontaneously agreed. I became pretty curious and wanted to reveal the secret of these palm leaves. Due to my disbelief in faith healings, esoteric, and sanctuary-related fuss, I was very skeptical, when setting my foot on Indian ground for the first time. What should I, the pain therapist, learn from these poor and ragged people? My both instructors, who took me under their wings with a knowing smile made me look poor very fast. Lakshmi, aged around 85 and Shakti, aged around 79 quickly showed the arrogant van Herste, who´s been the boss. The miraculous healings, taking place in front of my eyes, exceeded my knowledge in many cases. One of my first thoughts was the immediate departure from India, since I was convinced they were intended to fool me. However, very soon I had to find out that the original Ayur Veda really helped. My initial objection blew over and made room for a total enthusiasm. Thus, I flew many times to India in the course of ten years. Let´s go the whole hog; I thought and passed through the entire apprenticeship. There were times, I was close to desperation but I kept a stiff upper lip and was rewarded with the highest honor, an Ayur Veda pupil may achieve. I was handed over an original ayurvedic palm leaf. I was so happy about that, as I never expected to be able to hold a candle to these two women. The palm leaf was analyzed and estimated to be 800 years old. Today, I´m working almost exclusively according the original Ayur Veda, however I combine it with other methods from time to time, which include the acupressure, electro acupuncture, the Korean massage, as well as the impulse extension, conceived by me. The book “Ayur Veda“ tells my story from the farmer´s son to the Ayur Veda healer and provides tips for the self-analysis and self-help. I´ve stated some of the most frequently occurring disease patterns and described on which causes they might base according to the Ayur Veda. Because a constant healing or relieve will only take place, if the real cause is being investigated.

By committing himself to relieve pain and mental agony, the graduated pain therapist of the German Society for Naturopathy and Energetic Pain Therapy, ayurvedic life coach and author, Hans Georg van Herste travelled through half Europe, South Africa and East Asia. In South Korea, he asked to be instructed in the Korean massage, which may release even the most severe muscle agglutinations. In South Africa, he ran the opportunity to look over a midwife´s shoulder, who taught him how to conduct the birth preparation of the two trees. Over the course of many years, he traveled to India in order to experience and learn the original Ayur Veda. Lakshmi and Shakti, two old-established healers, chose him as their student, drove him through his own, frequently turning out to be painful self-awareness, allowed him to have a look behind the curtains, explained to him the world by means of the ayurvedic point of view, taught him amazing and amazingly simple healing methods and finally rewarded him with a many century-old palm leaf. This honor is only reserved to very few people and made him to one of the happiest people on Earth. With this book, Hans Georg van Herste reveals his knowledge and invites the reader to take part in his adventures and experiences. The curious reader will find out much more, than the price of a pack of coffee. Whether as instructive inner examination or just as interesting reading – this book opens gates and conjures up the spirit of ancient knowledge and makes it appear in a new life.

Exciting and helpful book and a man who traveled through the world to help sick persons by means of extraordinarily cure methods. Also a pleasant way of life.