Christopher Hansard is director of Clinical Affairs at the Eden Medical Center in London and the leading practitioner in the field of Tibetan medicine. He has studied this brand of holistic healing for over 23 years. It aims "to unite the mind, body, and inner spirit of an ill person and so restore a dynamic balance. It works to create patterns of health by helping people change their mental and behavioral attitudes, even if the problem is a physical injury such as a broken leg."
At the heart of the Tibetan art of living is emphasis upon vitality in the following areas: food and diet, behavior, work/career, inner world, spiritual needs and belief, generosity, compassion, mental discipline, happiness, sharing, giving and receiving. Imagine a practitioner of Western medicine telling you to be more generous (it is seen in this tradition as life-giving)or to become a better listener (it is seen in this tradition as a key to the body's lock).
Healing in Tibetan medicine involves staying vital and using your consciousness "to make matter relax, open and become pliable." Hansard describes illness as a decrease in energy and an obstruction of vitality. The body is thrown out of balance. According to an ancient Tibetan saying: "Use all of your loving energy to renew your mind and body." Throughout this fine resource, the author presents exercises and rejuvenation techniques to restore balance.
In a particularly valuable sections Hansard describes the five foundations of the soul that can be nourished on a regular basis by experiencing the knowing beyond your senses, practicing inner silence, learning to listen, understanding free will and the interconnection among all things, and accepting that consciousness is in everyone and everything. The Tibetans call this process "Activating Your Thunder." Try it and see what happens.
