Healing Secrets From The Himalayas
Written by Pema Dechen
“Lifestyle can be simply understood as the actions of our mind, body and speech.
We can achieve a balanced lifestyle by engaging in virtuous actions and avoiding vicious actions. ”
All of us aspire to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life.
Yet, very rarely do our surroundings and decisions lead to either health or happiness.
Our modern lifestyles demand convenience and speed.
This puts us in a vicious circle of making poor decisions and looking for immediate fixes for the consequences.
Our lifestyles have become the source of our illnesses.
Modern medicine and healthcare have made great strides in alleviating human suffering.
The approach, though, still remains focusing on physical symptoms to diagnose an illness.
Effective treatments, more often than not, require harmful medications and procedures.
Even in mental healthcare and services, there is an over reliance on drugs rather than meaningful therapy.
Modern research has established that stress can harm our immune systems.
Our mind and body are more connected than we may think.
Yet we do not have an appreciation for this fact in our lifestyle or modern healthcare.
Traditional Tibetan Medicine (or Sowa Rigpa གསོ་བ་རིག་པ་) is an ancient healing system that can provide us with an alternate and holistic approach to well being.
Tibetan Medicine accepts the basic buddhist principle that all suffering, ergo all illnesses, rise out of the three delusions: Ignorance, Attachment and Aversion.
A mistaken view of reality i.e ignorance binds us in a circle of attachment and aversion.
It compels us to grasp at the self/ego and phenomena.
This is the root cause of all our sufferings; physical and mental.
This medical system draws on ancient Indian texts and the indigenous Tibetan’s knowledge of herbs and plants.
It is an unbroken lineage of transmission and practice.
Its practice and medicines are all natural and do not produce unwanted side effects.
One of the salient features of the system is its recommendation of behaviour and dietary modification.
Small but sustained changes in diet and behaviour can have a positive impact on our well-being.
We will discuss some of these changes that we can implement in our daily lives.
Good health is achieved when the balance between the body’s three principles of function or humors is maintained.
The three humors are Wind/Loong, Tripa/Bile or Digestive Heat and Bad-kan/Phlegm.
In our fast-paced lifestyle, when we forego the quality, timing and nutritional aspects of our meals, the Digestive Heat suffers.
Digestive Heat is the foundation of all digestive processes.
It includes the functional heat connected to the principle energy, body constituents and waste products.
Most importantly, it facilitates the conversion of food into energy/physical strength.
It also enhances the heat of the other bodily constituents.
As such, Digestive Heat promotes health, lifespan, diligence and radiance of complexion.
Since a weak digestive system is unable to process the meal properly, the undigested food is passed loosely.
Indigestion harms the synthesis of nutritional essence and the development of bodily constituents.
Food is categorised on the basis of lightness and heaviness.
Light food can be consumed until one’s stomach is full.
Heavy food should be consumed until one is half-full.
To facilitate easy digestion, it is advised that one half of the stomach should be filled with solid food; one quarter with water and the last quarter should be kept empty for accommodating loong.
Loong/Wind can be simply defined as the source that enables the body to circulate physical substances, energy and the non-physical.
Following these instructions can help sustain and generate Digestive Heat.
Quality and comfort in sleep during the night is very important.
Lack thereof causes the body to develop rough qualities.
Engaging in physical exercise can help the body burn fat and stimulate the digestive system.
Regular oil massages are advised to help with loong/Wind disorders, weariness and ageing.
Other than the obvious benefits, bathing can offset lethargy and increase sexual potency.
Adherence to a proper diet and leading a balanced lifestyle is important to ensure health and longevity.
Lifestyle can be simply understood as the actions of our mind, body and speech.
We can achieve a balanced lifestyle by engaging in virtuous actions and avoiding vicious actions.
We must also guard against indulging in extremities.
A frantic life with sensory overload, but little physical activity is an example of inadequate engagement of lifestyle.
An excessive lifestyle consists of engaging continuously with an activity.
Basically we should not overuse, underuse or misuse the sensory organs.
We should live practically by avoiding the extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence.
To achieve a balanced lifestyle, it is important to develop a spiritual understanding of life.
We should practice empathy and sympathy with those who are less fortunate than us.
Have compassion for our enemies.
Learn to value every form of life, even the tiniest of insects.
Live generously and without deceit.
In the end, we are all the same in desiring happiness and not wanting suffering. ◼︎
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pema Dechen is a Tibetan refugee born in India and a Research Doctor at Men-Tse-Khang, Chauntra in Himachal Pradesh.
She has studied at Tibetan Science of Medicine at Men-Tsee-Khang (MTK) College, the premier institute of ancient Tibetan healing science, in pursuit of her childhood aspiration to become a doctor.