It may come as no surprise that Tibetan medical practices are based on the Buddhist philosophy that everything in existence derives from the human mind and five basic elements: Earth, fire, water, wind and space (or void). Practitioners of traditional Tibetan medicine believe that these elements combine and manifest in the body in three basic ‘humours’: rLung (wind), mKhris-pa (bile) and Bad-kan (phlegm). In common with other eastern systems, Tibetan medicine teaches that these forces must be in balance, or illness will result. One fascinating aspect of Tibetan practice is that the mind not only plays an essential role in physical wellness, but also continues from life to life through reincarnation. This means physical illness may derive from one of the three ‘mental poisons’ – attachment, hatred and closed-mindedness – not only in your current life but from karma resulting from previous lives.
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