Upcoming Intensive Courses in America

Moxibustion
with Dr. Tanzin Dargye

June 7th – 9th, 2008
Fee:  $225

Weekend after Tsegyalgar retreat with Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.  Dr. Dargye, Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo’s brother, joins us from Tibet for this course in moxibustion. Meets daily Saturday, Sunday and Monday: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 – 5:00 pm

In Tibetan moxibustion is called Me bRtsa, Me meaning fire and bRtsa meaning to burn. Thus moxibustion is the method of curing disease by applying heat to specific points on the body to cure disease. In Tibetan Medicine the use of moxibustion is one of the most important treatments. There are various materials used to apply heat including edelweiss, mugwort, warm oil, nutmeg and instruments made of materials such as metal. Depending on the disease various degrees of heat are applied mainly classified as warming, cooking and burning.  In the root text of Tibetan Medicine there are 72 points which it can be applied to and in various commentaries there are hundreds more. Moxibusiton is applied for a wide range of diseases including indigestion, cancer and tumors, nerve problems, lymphatic problems, depression, amnesia, and many more primarily belonging to Tibetan Medicine’s classification of cold natured diseases. This workshop will be an introduction to the practice of moxibustion by a very knowledgeable doctor of Tibetan Medicine who studied, worked and taught in Tibet. REGISTER HERE»

Mental Illness: Health of Body, Mind, & Spirit in Tibetan Medicine
with Dr. Kunchog Gyaltsen

June 17 – 19th, 2008
Fee:  $225

Dr. Gyaltsen will be staying in the area after the Tibetan Medicine Symposium to give this three day course on mental illness as seen in Tibetan Medicine.This course will explore the interdependent relationship between the physical human body and the human mind and the many factors that contribute to a person’s health or infirmity. We will examine the nature and function of both the body and the mind, based on the combined wisdom traditions of Tibetan Medicine and Tibetan Buddhism.  While focusing on the human physical elements –e.g. the three humors of the body, the body’s usefulness and its functions— we will also look through the broader lens of Tibetan Buddhist cosmology with its fundamental notion of samsara, to view human beings as part of a greater inter-connective universe.

A discussion of the ‘concept of illnesses’ for diseases affecting both the physical body and the mind, as well as the characteristics of these illnesses, will lead students to a new appreciation of the nature of health problems.  This course will introduce the Tibetan holistic view of health and illnesses in relation to other beings, spiritual and otherwise.  We shall sample a variety of mental disorders, both self-determined and other-determined— for example, by negative spirits and nagas; and identify the traditional Tibetan methods and treatments for dealing with these physical and mental disorders. REGISTER HERE»

Tibetan Kunye Massage Level I
with Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo

June 25th – 29th, 2008 
Fee: $380

Starts Wednesday Evening and meets all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Fee:  $380

36 PDA credits from the NCCAOM are available for this course.

Kunye, a massage that is taught in the Tibetan Medical tradition, is unique to that tradition. Mentioned in some of the ancient texts of the Bon and Buddhist religions, Kunye has been practiced for centuries in the Himalayan regions by Tibetan peoples. The term kunye is the combination of two words: “ku” and “nye.” “Ku” means to anoint the body of a sick or healthy person with oils which are appropriate to that person’s specific illness or constitution. “Nye” means to externally rub or massage crucial points such as nerves and tendons. The combination of ku and nye is a method to cure internal imbalances and disease. The Conclusive Tantra, the last of the four medical tantras, states that the mild therapies consist of compresses, medicinal baths and massage." Kunye massage is considered a mild therapy.

The practice of massage is very beneficial and does not have negative effects; moreover, it can be done by anyone, regardless of whether they are doctors, yogis, or not. For this reason, this therapeutic modality has always been practiced throughout the centuries by the Tibetan people and continues to be practiced today.

The study of Tibetan massage is structured on three levels. Each of the three levels comprises a total of 36 hours.

The first level consists of:
• A brief history of Tibetan medicine
• The principle of the five elements as taught in the Tibetan medical texts
• The principle of the three humors
• The humoral characteristics of different types of people
• The diagnostic procedure of pulse-taking
• The diagnostic procedure of urine observation
• A review of cases in which massage is appropriate or contraindicated
• Finding massage points
• Measurement for finding massage points
• How to perform the actual kunye massage
• Benefits of kunye massage
REGISTER HERE»

Tibetan Kunye Massage Level II
with Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo 

July 17th – 20th, 2008
Fee: $380

Starts Thursday evening and meets all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
Fee:  $380
36 PDA credits from the NCCAOM are available for this course

 Kunye Level second consists of:
• How to massage the points
• How to apply the oils
• Kunye massage indicated for healthy people
• Kunye massage indicated for sick people
• Kunye massage for neurological disorders
• Kunye massage for muscular problems
• Kunye massage for people with mental disorders
• How to massage points related to internal organs
• The medical properties of the application of hot and cold compresses and stones, their use and benefits
REGISTER HERE»

Additional Courses Offered:

Wound Healing
with Dr. Yang Ga

August 1st – 15th, 2008

This course is being offered exclusively for the Shang Shung Institute’s Tibetan Medicine Class of 2009 Students. 

Advanced Astrology
with Dr. Chimed Rabten & Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo

August 22nd – 27th, 2008

Prerequisite of Astrology I necessary to attend this course. 
Offered for SSI Medicine Program Class of 2009 & 2011 & previous astrology course attendees.