Tibetan Medicine

Do you want a boy, girl, or neither? Well, for 40 rupees I can tell ya... okay, maybe I can't but the Tibetan doctor can. I have recharged my enthusiasm with observing at the Men-Tsee-Khang, the Tibetan Medicine Clinic. A couple weeks ago I started volunteering there so I could better understand how medicine is administered, how doctors interact with patients, how to receive care, and how much it costs. As I have read my book, asked and observed I have become more and more interested. I have researched online that Tibetan medicine is very beneficial for chronic diseases, particularly arthritis, and the doctors, Rinpoche, and workers on the ORTC farm have confirmed that. Patients at the clinic enthusiastically share their experiences and how it has benefited them. On one particular instance an intern was treating sore muscles by using the cupping method. I wasn't sure exactly how it worked but I quickly learned. The intern started messaging the tense portion of the sore muscle and then dampened it with water. Following this the intern lighted a quarter size sheet of paper on fire and after it was burned sufficiently it was thrown into a copper cup.

Next, the intern firmly pressed it against the patients back until the cup suctioned and allowed it to sit there for ten to fifteen minutes. This is said to loosen the muscles and relieve the pain. This procedure is very common especially among the elderly and middle aged Tibetans.

In the time that I have been there I have been able to learn a lot about medicinal plants. One day I was able to sit down with an intern and ask what plants are commonly used. I was able to hear stories about how they are collected, which parts are commonly used and which ones are more costly. I found out that the students in Dharamsala visit Manali every August to pick medicinal plants in the area. They pitch their tents up in the Himalayas and spend 20 days searching for the plants. This helps the students identify and become more familiar with the medicinal plants. Most medicines used by the Tibetans contain 26 or more medicinal plants. A few of the common plants include wild strawberry, garlic,turmeric, pomegranate, blackberry, Solomon's seal, and safflower. As I have worked on the farm and observed in the clinic I have become more and more of a believer of Tibetan medicine. I have been curious as to whether it would help relieve my restless legs and celiac disease.

Today (August 21) when I was at the clinic I observed as she worked on the patients and also worked on a few journalings. When she got a break she talked with me and asked why I was so tired. I explained that I worked on the farm the other day and spent all of it tying up bitter gourd. I didn't realize till the end of the day that my back was extremely sore. She asked me if I would like therapy. I was psyched! You bet I wanted to try it out. She showed me what it was even though I had seen it previously (It is the same as cupping as I explained above). When we went back in the room I immediately pulled my shirt right up and let the cupping begin. It felt amazing. The soreness in the area immediately felt relieved and I am sure the benefits will continue.

As I waited the 15 minutes she just grabbed my wrists and started reading my pulse. I was so excited. She had two questions for me, "How is your sleep?" and "How is your digestion?". I told her they were both bad. I explained my restless legs to her and how it prevents me from sleeping very well and how the gluten in bread and noodles makes me very tired because I don't digest it well. I believe in Tibetan doctors!!!!! I now have a couple different medicines I am going to try. We will see if they work. I trust they will. One of the other pills I also got is something called a precious pill. Rinpoche told us a little bit about them but I never thought I would be using one. The one the lady doctor prescribed is to help with adjusting to the food and climate involved with traveling we will be doing in a couple of weeks. In order to take the pill and have it actually work requires a good diet including refraining from meat, fruits, fresh vegetables, eggs, etc.. Also you should restrain from strenuous exercise, lack of sleep, sexual intercourse etc... To prepare the pill you must heat water before bed and crush the pill into the water and cover overnight away from the light. In the early morning when the sun rises all the liquid must be drunk. Normally, the precious pill should be taken on an auspicious day like a full moon or new moon. The doctor instructed me to take it 10 to 15 days before our trip and every 10 days after that. I hope it works so that I don't have to deal with the problems that come with traveling.

Now lets go back a week to the 14th through the 18th when our group went on our mid-semester retreat to Hampi. It was the most beautiful and historic place I have ever seen. Most of the architecture came from the 13th, 14th and 15th century. It was off season so most of the ruins were nearly empty except for a few bats and us. Many of the temples were also still functioning so sometimes we would see people chanting or praying at the temple.

One our first day we were worn out and tired from our full night's journey but the day was young (11 am) so we went to the office of our water park, yurt, private resort. The man in the office suggested that we first visit the places on the side of the river we were already on (across the river, on the Anegondi side) and then starting the next day we could go to the other side. It was certainly a good suggestion. The first day we visited 6 sites alone. The first was by far my favorite and most shocking. It was a white, active temple located just off the river. You could see clothes drying in the temple and incense burning. I never imagined walking all over an ancient temple without any restrictions.

My favorite quote of the day came from this very place. We were all standing on a rock looking over the short white brick fence when a monkey (the first monkey we had seen) hopped up on it and started darting towards us. Beau yelled, "MONKEYS ARE MEAN!!!". I whipped out my camera and said, "Let me get a picture!!!". Barnes and Landrum followed Beau and beckoned me to come. Well, the story ends, I got my picture!!!!

The excitement only continued from there. We ended up seeing dozens of ancient sites all over Hampi and we didn't even see them all in our 5 days there. Check it out!!!

Serendipity

Serendipity, do you know that movie?! If you like John Cusack then it is definitely one to see. Surprisingly, my husband introduced me to the movie and I fell in love with it. It might be kinda cheesy and slightly unrealistic but after today I don't know if I believe it to be so unrealistic. As the movies starts out John Cusack meets a women whom he is more than attracted to. She is also attracted to him but as she gives him her number it flies off into the wind. She decides that it is not the right time for them to be together (I promise I will relate this to my story soon...) Last week I went to the Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medicine Clinic) to see if I could get permission to observe the doctors. It took me much too long to make this approach but I wanted to finish a couple of books before I even asked. Guess what?! I haven't finished them so I decided I should just go. I had previously talked to a doctor at the Karuna Home that was from the clinic and she had specifically directed me to Dr. Pasang. To my dismay Dr. Pasang's door was closed so they told me to go to door #3. It was the same lady I had spoken to at the Karuna Home. She explained that Dr. Pasang, the senior doctor, will be out for a week and I can only speak to him about doing the observations. As I have participated and observed in the community I continue to see how important seeking approval from the most senior in age or profession is to being respectful. No one wants to step on each other's toes. Everyone has a job and they don't go beyond their boundaries - they are not afraid to say, "I can't help you but I will find out who can." Well, as of today it had been a week so I decided to go back. As I approached the clinic again I walked up and saw patients lined up to see the doctors, to receive their meds, and to pay the bill. I knew it wasn't the right time because it was too busy so I just asked one of the medicine dispensing ladies when a better time would be. She exclaimed that she did not know but that I could call his cell and she jotted it down for me. I was so happy. Getting numbers around here is quite difficult. Most places don't have work phones and, if they do, it is difficult to find it because it's not online. Phonebooks are not very popular here and if there is a number in it it's not always accurate.Everyone has a cell phone and numbers are constantly changing. It almost always works out that you have to know somebody who knows somebody and then you might get the right number. So, as you can imagine I was thrilled to get his cell number. After I left the clinic I decided it was best if I just go home to work on school work. As I sat in the rickshaw I thought about how I might ask if I can observe, the doctor's possible response, and a patient's response to having a white person in the room. Just about half way home I experienced my "serendipity" moment. The number wiggled itself right out from between my book and my stomach and launched itself through the wind into oblivion. Okay,maybe it wasn't that epic but I had no idea where it went. It actually took me a second to even process what had just happened. To my chagrin I paid for a 40 rupee rickshaw ride just to walk half the ride back to find the paper. I searched and searched but the wind was strong and I figured there was no way I was going to find it after an hour of looking. I had a small thought in me say that it just isn't the plan for me....but what else would I do. I decided to just laugh it off, tell Beau my epic movie quality adventure, and ask him to go ask for the number again since the SOS school is right next door. I hope the number doesn't get lost this time. I am anxious to get the number and finally get in contact with the Men-Tsee-Khang.

Sometimes I feel like I am falling behind in my project but then I realize that part of working at the Organic Research and Training Center contributes to the Tibetan Medicine part of my project. On the farm is an experimental herbs and medicinal plants section. For my Cultural History of Medicinal Plants class I have to find out about 20 medicinal plants in the community. I think the farm contains about 10 to 15, a few of these include: Brahmin, Ginseng, Stevia, Insulin, Turmeric, Lemongrass, Bitter Leaf, Vanilla, Ginger and Hibiscus. I have had the chance to take many pictures of these plants which will be very beneficial for my project. 

Currently, on the farm it has been time to take up sewing. This season the monsoons have come very late. Normally it begins the end of May or June but it is already July and the rain is just enough to begin sustaining the crops. Most of the farmers and laborers have been out in the horticulture fields which I was able to see for the first time a couple weeks ago. They just planted 300 silver oaks, dry paddy, basil (this is very important to the Indians), lemongrass, and millet. I have not been out in the large fields working but mostly in the nursery. Last week I was able to propagate Basmati flavored leaf. It is a plant that you can add to your rice to give it the flavor of Basmati rice. I must say it works pretty well. The day I did the propagation was quite interesting. I arrived to the farm but Damdul was not there. Dolma, the accountant, helped me by giving him a call so that I could figure out something to do for the day. She told me I was to make seedlings of the Basmati Leaf. I didn't know how to do it. I knew what the plant looked like but I had no idea if I was supposed to uproot a whole plant, pull off parts of it and even then I didn't know what parts. I told Dolma I wasn't sure how so she went out there with me to show me. It only took her a second of looking at the plant before she was mind boggled too. She called up Sangay to ask him how to do it. From what she understood you just pull off a leaf from as far down as you can and plant halfway down in the bags. It seemed odd but I started as she had instructed. It was had only been 10 minutes when one of the farmers headed towards me to laugh at what we had been doing and show us the correct way. I couldn't help but laugh too. When making seedlings of the Basmati Leaf there must be a root. It is like chives, if the root is there then it will grow but if it is not it will probably die. Sometimes I feel like I lack the knowledge to carry out these "common" processes but that is okay. I never have been trained to do these things but the learning is simple. I really enjoy being taught in such a real way. I don't have to sit in a classroom and read books all the time. I am really there and get to experience and learn hands on.

 I am told that practically everyone experiences some kind of culture shock while in the field. When I read about it and tried to understand it I thought it was associated with some kind of frustration or anger. After being in field for almost two months I have realized that it is not always like that, at least not for me. I have felt more of a missing feeling. I miss hot water, bathtubs,painting and cooking. Over the years I have connected relaxation with sitting in a hot bathtub, with painting, and with cooking. When I need to relax my body I bathe, when I need to rest my mind I paint or when I am just frustrated with myself I cook for my husband. I realize now that culture shock doesn't have to be anything big it is just understanding it and finding ways to cope. I have done this by watching an American movie here and there. At home it isn't uncommon for Beau and I to watch a Hindi movie instead but here I feel the need for American movies because it is how I relax and cope with being here. The biggest culture shock experience has been dealing with eating gluten. If you don't already know I have a gluten sensitivity. I thought I would have difficulty dealing with it so I just decided I would eat it. Well, it is taking it's toll. I have had a very difficult time digesting and so I like to sleep for 9 to 10 hours a night at least. I love gluten so it is difficult to choose not to eat it. This has been a physical wear on my body that I had not planned on effecting my consciousness. The food is so good though! I have come to realize through this experience that culture shock is certainly not always effected by your emotions or attachments, sometimes, it is a literal shock to your body like with my gluten sensitivity. Culture shock is a term that can be taken so broadly. Some individuals will experience it as frustration but in my experience it just gives me excitement to hop in a hot bath when I get home.