Herbal Medicine

 

Tibetan Medicine

Tibetan medicine (Sowa Rigpa, meaning “the science of healing”) is a traditional medical system that developed in Tibet over more than a thousand years. It blends Tibetan indigenous knowledge with influences from Ayurveda (India), Traditional Chinese Medicine, Persian, and Greco-Arab medicine. Today Tibetan medicine is widely practicing in Tibet, Himalayan regions, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of India & Nepal. 

 

Key principles

Health is based on balance between three energies (nyepa):

§  Lung (wind) – linked to movement, breath, nervous system, mental activity

§  Tripa (bile) – digestion, metabolism, body heat

§  Beken (phlegm) – stability, structure, lubrication

Illness happens when these energies fall out of balance due to diet, lifestyle, emotions, environment, or karma (in traditional belief).

Diagnosis methods

Pulse reading

Urine analysis (color, steam, bubbles)

Observation and questioning about habits, emotions, and symptoms

Treatments

·       Herbal formulas made from plants, minerals, sometimes animal products

·       Diet and lifestyle advice

·       External therapies: moxibustion, massage, hot stone therapy, herbal baths

·       Spiritual practices: meditation, mantras (depending on practitioner)