Magic Writers International

Birds are not the only vertebrates that can fly. Some reptiles too are capable of flying or gliding without wings. Flying reptiles include:

1. The paradise tree snake – These snakes don’t have wings but can fly for as much as 100 meters at a time. They belong to the Chrysopelea family and inhabit Thailand, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Paradise tree snakes normally stretch their bodies sideways and open their ribs to make their bellies concave in shape.
2. Flying geckos – Snakes are not the only reptiles that can fly. Some geckos known as flying geckos have the ability to glide through the air by means of flaps on their limbs, body, tail, and head that catches the air and enables them to glide. They include the ptychozoon flying geckos, the lupersaurus flying geckos, thecadactylus flying geckos, and the cosymbotus flying gecko.
3. Gliding lacertids – Lacertids too can fly. They have fringed toes and tail sides and have the ability to flatten their bodies in order to glide and parachute. The two species of lacertids that can fly are found in West Africa.
4. Draco lizards – They are found in India, Sri Lanka and other parts of South East Asia. They live in trees and feed on ants. They are known to glide for up to 60 meters by means of a gliding membrane attached onto their unusually elongated ribs.

What is Triphala?

If you were to go to a distant planet and you were allowed only one medicine to take with you, you would do well to stock up on Triphala. Triphala (literally, three fruits; tri-three, phala-fruits) is a great rejuvenator and is a synergistic combination of three fruits or herbs, namely Harada (haritaki–Terminalia chebula), Amla (Indian gooseberry–Emblica officinalis) and Behada (bibhitaki–Terminalia belerica).

To appreciate how Triphala functions in our body, we must understand one of the basic tenets of Ayurveda: the tridosha theory.

The Tridoshas (similar to the 'humour' of ancient Western physiology)

All matter is considered to have been composed of panchabhootas or five elements (ether, air, fire, water, air) but only living matter has the three doshas or tridosha - the three forces which govern all biological processes. The names of the three doshas are vata, pitta, and kapha. Diseases are said to arise when these forces are out of balance. The doshas are the three primary energetic principles which regulate all physiological and psychological process in the living organism. From the most rudimentary cellular process to the most complex aspects of biological functionality, the doshas regulate everything that occurs, changes and decays.

In all, the three doshas govern all the strategic activities of our lives:
    •    Catatabolism (vata)
    •    Metabolism (pitta)
    •    Anabolism (kapha)