Traditional Tibetan Medicine

Traditional Tibetan Medicine

Traditional Tibetan Medicine is an Himalayan healing science which is more than 2000 years old. In the native language it is called Sowa Rigpa. It has preserved its authenticity integrally until today’s date through the pure lineage of transmission.

As one of the three big systems of cure of Asia, Tibetan Traditional Medicine develops a holistic approach to the suffering and to the disease while being compatible with any other oriental or western medical tradition. Sowa Rigpa can be studied by all and used for all.

As one of the three great healing systems of Asia, Tibetan medicine has a holistic approach to chronic diseases, while remaining compatible with all traditional and modern medicine practices.

The treatment of individuals for preventive, curative or alleviating aims is one of the fundamental principals in any medical tradition. In Sowa Rigpa, therapies of any kind are therefore categorized in the third division, the Root of Treatment Methods; the other being the Root of Health and Disease, and the Root of Diagnosis - both forming the basis for the following root.

The Root of Treatment Methods nourishes four trunks:

• Diet: According to Tibetan Medicine, individuals should be aware of their typology, in order to partake of a diet which helps to maintain balance. Diet can be adjusted for different types of imbalances according to whether the affliction is hot or cold in nature, or pathology according to the three nye pa (energy principle in TTM).

• Lifestyle: Tibetan Medicine considers a healthy lifestyle to consist of an awareness of every moment and all circumstances of our lives - waking, sleeping, eating, working, exercising,socializing. Attention is paid even to situations such as sneezing or crying.

• Medicine: In the Tibetan pharmacopeia, natural herbs, plants and wild flowers are employed for their therapeutic effect. A variety of mineral substances, and a small number of animal-derived substances are also used. Many of these substances can be found all over the world, however some specific and particularly powerful herbs and minerals are found only on the Tibetan high plateau. Due to the pristine nature of this environment, the ingredients of the Tibetan Materia Medica is particularly pure.

• External Therapies: Tibetan Medicine describes physical health as a balance between the three nye pa. Specific external therapies can be used to restore balance in each of these energies. This therapeutic wealth is used individually or as supportive means in combination with other types of treatment.

The Four Medical Tantras

The essence of Tibetan medical theory and practice is contained within the Four Medical
Tantras (Tib. རྒྱུད་བཞི་ “gyüd zhi”): the Root Tantra, the Explanatory Tantra, the Oral
Transmission Tantra, and the Final Tantra.

The Four Tantras were composed by Yuthok Yönten the Older (729-854 AD) and revised by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo the Younger (1126-1202).

Within these volumes are a detailed explanation of the basis of both health and disease; an extremely sophisticated understanding of anatomy (both physical and subtle), embryology, and pathology; a highly effective diagnostic system with emphasis on pulse and urine diagnosis; and a wide variety of treatment modalities including a regimen for diet and lifestyle, herbal medicines, and external therapies such as Ku Nye massage, acupuncture, bloodletting, moxibustion, hot and cold compresses.

In the description of these therapies, we present them to you such as they are practiced by the Himalayan healers. To respect French legislation, we limit ourselves to the learning and to the soft applications of these therapies.