Introduction
Tibetan Medicine is one of the oldest forms of healing in the world and has been in practice more than four thousand years in Tibet and the Himalayan region. The Tibetan words for this practice is "Sowa Rigpa". "Sowa" means to heal the imbalance and "Rigpa" means the knowledge or science of a subject. Tibetan Medicine is one of the five main studies of the Buddhist Doctrine along with the study of sounds, logic and philosophy.Tibetan Medicine is based on the Five Elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Space, Karma or "cause and effect" and the three Nyepas (humours), rlung (wind), tripa (bile), badken (phlegm). It is the Buddhist belief that all things are comprised of these five elements and our negative Karma, both past and present, causes imbalances in the elements and nyepas. This imbalance is the cause of diseases and other difficulties associated with health and mental well-being. The role of the treatment is to balance the five elements and nyepas to bring about a healthy body, speech and mind. This is done according the each individual's constitution and behavior.
