Welcome to the Five Nectars!
In this edition, we explore the juxtaposition of opposites: where East meets West and old becomes new, where science challenges tradition, and where tradition becomes the latest trend.
Our feature articles are colourful and diverse: where East meets West, Dr Jens Tonneman presents a collaborative model of medicine in psychiatry, in which distinctive traditions can show their strengths side by side, sharing their wisdom in order to enhance one another.
Where old becomes new, we are excited to discuss the traditional formulation of Se ‘Bru 5 in its new incarnation as Padma Digestin, a story of traditional empirical wisdom meeting modern regulatory challenges. Where tradition becomes trend, we look at the unique and extremely effective Five Nectars herbal bath therapy, which is making an important come-back in Tibetan traditional hospitals.
At the conjunction of life and death, in a profoundly insightful article, palliative care physician Dr Wolfgang Schweiger reflects on Tibetan medicine in the context of dying and end-of-life issues.
Where the grasslands meet the city, we have a fascinating travelogue narrated by two senior students recounting their first-hand experiences, from herbgathering in the grasslands to external therapies in the hospital setting, whilst on the TTM study tour to Amdo Tibet.
Where spiritual enlightenment touches daily life, we take a look at the captivating new book, ‘The Tibetan Art of Good Karma’ by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, which teaches us how to integrate spirituality into our healing practice and to approach life with an open and joyous heart.
We hope that you enjoy this edition, may it enhance your life and your practice and bring benefit to all beings.
Dr Maria Locsei
Managing Editor, TTM Journal
Format A4, full color, 43 pages
Table of Contents
Editorial
Interview with Dr Nida Chenagtsang – Lum Herbal Bath Therapy
Overcoming Regulatory Challenges by Dr Cecile Vennos
TTM Students go Nomad by Eréne Lejeune and Laura Nasca
Tibetan Medicinal Bath Therapy by Dr Maria Locsei
The Tree of Diagnosis by Dr Maria Locsei
In Memoriam – Lama Lobsang Tenzin Darjy
Palliative Care by Dr. Wolfgang Schweiger
The Five Nectars
Medicinal Herbs
Common Uses for Saffron
Contemporary Psychiatry in cooperation with TTM in the treatment of Depression by Dr Jens Tönnemann
Book Reviews by Dr Maria Locsei
Short facts about Traditional Tibetan Medicine
Tibetan Medicinal Bath Therapy
by Dr Maria Locsei
“Medicinal bathing (Tib. Lums) is commonly used in every-day life in Tibet for health preservation, rejuvenation, and disease prevention, as well as being a form of therapy for treating a wide variety of disorders from minor skin irritations and joint pains through to more serious pathology.
Broadly speaking, there are two major types of medicinal baths: natural mineral springs and herbal baths. It is thought that medicinal bathing in Tibet originated with the discovery of the therapeutic benefits of bathing in naturallyoccurring thermal mineral springs. Later, it was found that similar effects could be replicated through the use of herbal combinations. The best-known of these herbal remedies is The Five Nectars.
Natural Mineral Springs
Tibet, with its diverse geography and wealth of minerals, is very rich in natural thermal mineral springs. In the Four Tantras of Traditional Tibetan Medicine1, five main types of medicinal water2 and mineral springs3 are described according to the predominant mineral content and the conditions which these can cure. The most common mineral springs contain varying proportions of substances such as calcite, sulphur, mineral pitch, coal, glauberite (a sodium/calcium/sulphate complex), and alum.
In the south-western region of Yadong in Tibet, there is a place called the ‘Twelve Magic Springs’. This is a natural healing hot spring consisting of twelve interlinked springs, each with a specific therapeutic function, such as for healing skin diseases, another for arthritic disorders, and so on. According to legend, each hot spring arises from pure sacred earth that was hidden by Guru Padmasambhava in a previous age, and the springs are protected by twelve dakinis (goddesses). The ‘Twelve Magic Springs’ are reputed to be able to heal more than one hundred diseases.”
Excerpt From: Nida Chenagtsang, Wolfgang Schweiger, Cecile Vennos, Erene Lejeune, Laura Nasca, Maria Locsei, Anastazja Holecko, Jens Toennemann. “TTM Journal, 4th edition, 2012.” iBooks.
