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!!!
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!!!
beautiful writing, my angel, and all of this stuff you're researching is MIND BLOWING. i love hearing about both the farm and the doctors, but the precious pills and tibetan medicine findings you have are truly fascinating. i'm so proud of all you're doing as well, despite the fact that it's a LOT of work. you make it look effortless.
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