The term Sowa Rigpa has two meanings:
- The first is “science of healing,” since Sowa means “healing” and Rigpa “knowledge.” It can therefore be translated as “science of healing” or “knowledge of health .” It refers to a system of natural healing, whose aim is to prevent and cure disease.
Tibetan Medicine works fundamentally through diet, lifestyle, the use of herbs and treatments such as massage, stone therapy, Yukcho stick therapy, balneotherapy, etc. These methods are set out in SOWA RIGPA's fundamental work, "The Four Tantras of Medicine".
Today, traditional Tibetan medicine is well-known and constitutes one of the three
fundamental systems of Eastern medicine, along with Ayurvedic medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine.
Tibetan medicine, or Sowa Rigpa, follows a specific system of teachings originating from the Himalayan region, namely from countries such as Tibet, India, Bhutan, and Nepal, where this science has been practiced for a long time. Historically, Sowa Rigpa was used in Mongolia and Russia, and only in the last twenty to thirty years has it begun to develop in Western countries as well. Recently, Sowa Rigpa was officially incorporated into the Indian Ministry of Health and is therefore part of the Indian Medical System known as AYUSH (an acronym that encompasses the various ancient and complementary medical systems: AYURVEDA, YOGA, UNANI, SIDDHA, SOWARIGPA, and HOMEOPATHY).
The second meaning of Sowa Rigpa is more closely related to the spiritual aspect. Sowa Rigpa can be translated as "nourishment of awareness." Sowa means "NURSING" or "SUCKLING" (in the sense of growth), and Rigpa is the primordial state of our mind. In this sense, we work to understand our true nature. To do this, we must follow a spiritual tradition, which can be combined with our medical knowledge. For this, we must clearly understand the differences and similarities between the "purely medical" approach and that of spiritual practice.
