New Tibetan Kunye Massage Certification Program!!

Are you looking for a career in the holistic health field?

Explore the tradition of Tibetan Kunye Massage Therapy!!

Our new 750-hour Tibetan Kunye Massage Program prepares you for a rewarding career in Massage therapy. This two semester program is currently the most advanced training in traditional Tibetan Massage offered anywhere in the US or abroad.  It was designed to meet the new curriculum guidelines established by the Massachuetts Board of Registration of Massage Therapy, and prepares students for professional licensure in Massachusetts and other states.

 

The program features foundational study in the core principles and theory of traditional Tibetan Medicine, as well as extensive training in Kunye Massage and gentle point-based therapies such as hot and cold compresses, application and formulation of heated medicinal oils, and gemstone therapy. The training provides traditional healing knowledge to observe and harmonize imbalances in the elements of the body.

Courses start in September, 2010, so APPLY NOW!! 

 

For more information on our Tibetan Kunye Massage Therapy Program click here, or read below.

To register for the program click here.

Or contact us at:

Shang Shung Institute - USA

P: (+1) 413-369-4928

F: (+1) 413-369-4473

www.shangshung.org

secretary@shangshung.org

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What is Kunye Therapy?

Kunye Therapy is the system of massage and gentle external therapies taught in the ancient lineage of traditional Tibetan Medicine.  Kunye Massage includes techniques such as applying herbal-infused oils to the body, manual tissue manipulation, deep tissue work, identifying & acting on specific points, mobilizing the joints, and warming the body.   Kunye also includes gentle external therapies such as hot and cold compresses, herbal poultices, application of heated oils, and gemstone therapy.  

 

The therapeutic treatments of Kunye can be applied to the entire body, utilizing proper draping and positioning of the client.  Kunye is performed on a raised massage table, or seated on a massage chair, depending on the comfort and condition of the client. 

 

Kunye Therapy has been employed by Tibetan physicians and yogins for many centuries.  It is one of the most ancient systems of massage in the world, and an important component of traditional Tibetan Medicine.

 

What Are the Benefits?

The function of Kunye Therapy is to help balance the five elements of the body, relax tensions, and revitalize the energy.  For many centuries, Kunye Therapy has been applied to relieve muscular and joint pain, mobilize the joints, reduce stiffness, balance the neurological system, rejuvenate course and dry skin, alleviate the symptoms of mental and physical stress, anxiety, depression, grief, insomnia, constipation, and support the healthy function of digestion.  Kunye is especially indicated for any imbalance of the wind element (rlung), including elderly clients, and those suffering from mental tensions or physical exhaustion.

 

About the Program

The Shang Shung Institute regularly offers public seminars in traditional Kunye Therapy around the world.  Kunye is also incorporated into the curriculum of the Four-year Program in Tibetan Medicine. In response to growing interest in the benefits of Kunye Therapy and enthusiasm for our public courses, the Shang Shung Institute now offers the 750-hour Comprehensive Training and Certification Program designed to train students in the ancient healing science of Kunye, and prepare them to practice in the modern professional workplace.

 

The curriculum consists of 750-hours over two semesters. Upon completion of the program, graduates may apply to the Board of Registration of Massage Therapy for licensure as massage therapists in the state of Massachusetts or other states.

 

The program will focus on the following topics of theoretical study and practical application:

·       Learn the principles & theory of Kunye Therapy, based on the traditional texts.

·       Obtain a broad understanding of the basis of traditional Tibetan Medicine.

·       Learn Kunye Massage techniques, including the identification and application of muscle release points and specific points of balancing the five elements of the body.

·       Learn the external therapies employed in Kunye, including hot and cold compresses, herbal poultices, application of heated oils to specific points, and gemstone therapy.

·       Engage in extensive hands-on practical training under instructors' guidance.

·       Study the anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology of the human body.

·       Study the etiology, pathology, and diagnosis of illness that pertains to the practice of Kunye Massage.

·       Learn the characteristics, benefits, formulation, and application of various herbs and therapeutic oils used in Kunye practice. 

·       Learn the traditional code of ethics and conduct of the Tibetan Kunye therapist.

·       Learn ethics and professionalism to apply in the modern workplace.

·       Learn skills of business development and management of massage therapy practice.

Click Here for More Information

REGISTER HERE 

YouTube video of the School of Tibetan Medicine

Please take a moment to check out and share this new YouTube video of the School of Tibetan Medicine!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNrO3MvOVBI

Earthquake in Tibet - options to help give your support

Hello all the supporters of Tibetan Medicine.
I am using this venue to share some options for supporting those affected by the earthquake:

My root teachers monastery in Kham has been completely destroyed, now for the second time.

This is so hard to hear as this has been the 2nd rebuilt since the Chinese invasion. Many many monks, 25 as of yesterday have been killed and many injured, many were in 3 year retreat and over 50 are seriously injured.

To give help- see link below

www.rinpoche.com

www.thranguemergency.org

THRANGU RINPOCHE TRUST


Other options are through a friends NGO: Tibetan Village Project Here is the up-date as of today when he landed in Beijing to go assist on the ground, he is from Kham and so this hits really close to his heart.

Yushu Earthquake Response (YER) We are very sad to report that more than 600 people have died and an estimated 10,000 as result of powerful earthquake in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the early morning of April 14. More than 85 percent of the houses in Jiegu, a town of 100,000 people nearest the epicenter, were destroyed. Tibetan Village Project has now arrived on the ground in nearby Xining and began to join efforts of other aid agencies and volunteers. From Chengdu: TVP volunteers in Chengdu have begin to collect supplies and equipment. First group of volunteers (10 Tibetan men) left Chengdu this evening (April 15th) with a truck full of supplies for Yushu. Volunteers also being sent to main hospitals in Chengdu where injured Yushu residents have been airlifted to. They have no family of friends in Chengdu so much support is needed. More volunteers are needed to translate and assist as many of the injured were Tibetans from Yushu area that do not speak Chinese. From Xining: Tamdin Wangdu and Chris Jones arrived in Xining today and they are helping to coordinate local NGO’s response and relief efforts led by Snowland Service’s Group (SSG) a Yushu Based NGO. The group decided to form a coalition of NGOs named Yushu Earthquake Response to coordinate a centralized volunteer effort. A new website will be created soon to offer information about what and how people can help. A group of volunteers led by Rinchen Dawa of SSG will leave Xining on April 16th for Yushu with supplies to setup a relief center in Yushu and to establish immediate need.

What you can do to help? At this point, cash donation is the quickest and the best way to help. It will help covering cost of medical supplies, tents, blankets, food, and water and trucks to deliver them by to Yushu. Please visit www.Tibetanvillageproject.org to contribute. In meantime TVP is encouraging others to recruit local Tibetan and Chinese doctors to send into Yushu area. At this point, it is unclear whether or not foreign volunteers are permitted to travel.

Donation by Mail Tibetan Village Project 10542 Kipling Place Westminster, CO 80021 Tibetan Village Project P.O. Box 417 Black Rock, 3193 Victoria, Australia.

These are my friends, teachers and as a doctor it is my duty to try and help relieve suffering. If this brings one person inspiration to donate help for those in need that is enough to make me post here.

Thanks! Amchi Nashalla

Seasonal health tips in Tibetan Medicine: Early spring diet and behavior

Here in the Northeast, when spring comes it feels amazing. That’s because we have a very cold winter.  As soon as it starts to warm up, the senses open, the energy lifts and everyone feels great! According to Tibetan Medicine, that cold and heavy nature of winter has accumulated throughout the winter in our bodies and because of that in early spring there are specific imbalances that can arise. In the Four Tantras of Tibetan Medicine (rgyud bzhi), there are some specific preventative measures that can be taken to balance the accumulated elements of winter. The text divides the seasons into six. The season around the months of March and April are called Dpyid. Here is what the text says about Dpyid:

dgun dus bad kan khog tu gsog pa te
dpyid du nyi ‘od pas me drod nyams
bad kan ldang zing tha ma’i ro gsum bsten

nas rnying skam sa’i sha dang sbrang rtshi dang

chu khol sga thang bsten zhing rtsub pa bsten

dri zhim skyes tshal gyi nyi grib ‘dug

Based on my teachers explanations of this stanza: in the winter bad kan(earth and water) accumulates. In the early spring the light of the sun damages the metabolic heat.  Bad kan arises so one should rely on the last three tastes (hot, bitter and astringent), aged barley, meat of animals from dry terrain, honey, boiled hot water, ginger tea and rough nature foods. Diligently exercise, use bean powder on the body and sit in the shade of a nice smelling garden.

It is important to understand Bad kan to properly apply this advice. Bad kan is all of the solid and wet aspects of our body. When bad kan is in its balanced state in the body it helps us sleep, provides all of the fluid in our body, gives confidence, patience and physical endurance. When it is in excess, such as the time after winter, it makes us lazy, can cause lethargic state and causes digestive problems, which are considered the root of all chronic illnesses.

All of the advice given in this section are meant to reduce bad kan so that these kinds of problems can be avoided. When referring to the last three tastes: hot, bitter and astringent, this includes spicy foods and bitter greens. Rough nature foods include buckwheat and lentils. All of the specific foods mentioned also reduce bad kan. They are predominately warm and light in nature. 

Diligent exercise reduces bad kan, although it should be noted that in other parts of the Four Tantras, it advises to only exercise until you sweat. Applying bean flour, specifically that of garbanzos, absorbs oily fats from the skin that are associated with bad kan. My teacher explained the reasoning of the most interesting of them all, sitting in the shade of a nice smelling garden, as a method to open up the respiratory tract which is blocked by the excess bad kan.  I must say, I really like that idea, as the most gratifying part of early spring for me is being able to take nice deep breaths of refreshing air.

Using Hot Stones for Immediate Pain Relief

The use of hot stones in Tibetan Medicine falls under the topic dug or compresses.  As a new Tibetan doctor, I have found that hot stones are one of the easiest to use methods to bring very quick relief to people experiencing chronic pain. In some cases, I have found that they cure chronic pain almost immediately, especially when combined with massage. They are especially useful for treating symptoms of pain associated with trauma to nerves.

These days it is very common to see the practice of hot stones in spas, however the way they are used in Tibetan Medicine is quite different. In spas they are generally only heated to the point where one can actually hold the stone and massage the client with it. In Tibetan Medicine, we actually heat the stones for a very long time. We then place them on top of a towel over the intended place of treatment.  Sometimes they can be even too hot with only one towel between the stone and the body.

In general when placing the stones we place them directly on the place of pain. We also use smaller stones on points that are used in moxibustion , many of which correspond with internal organs.  This we do when there is a cold nature illness affecting the organ.

Webcast Intensive on the History of Tibetan Medicine with Menpa (Dr.) Yang Ga

History of Tibetan Medicine
Instructor: Menpa Yang Ga

Friday, May 7 - Sunday, May 9, 2010
9am-12pm, 2pm-6pm
$125 to attend by password-protected webcast. 

Click here for more info and to SIGN UP!

The Tibetan science of healing contains knowledge compiled and disseminated since antiquity by the Tibetan people. One of the oldest continuously applied healing systems on the planet, Tibetan Medicine remains a vital and living tradition.

Evolving over many centuries, Tibetan healers gradually created new techniques for protecting life, which increased the productive work and happiness of individuals, and treated illness. Students will be introduced to the historical origin and developments of the Tibetan medical tradition, with an emphasis on how the key topics evolved to their present stage.

Menpa (Dr.) Yang Ga

At the age of 20 Menpa Yang Ga enrolled in the Department of Tibetan Medicine at the Tibet University in Lhasa, where he studied Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan Medicine, Astrology, Grammar, Poetry, and History, as well as Sanskrit. He studied with the late Khenpo Tsenam, the late Khenpo Tsultrim Gyaltsen, Professor Champa Triles, Professor Gojo Wangdu, and the late professor Samten. In 1991 he graduated from Tibet University. Upon graduation, Khenpo Tsenam, the vice president, appointed him as a teacher of Tibetan medicine at the college. In September, 1999 he became one of the first students to begin a Masters Degree in Tibetan medicine. Under Khenpo Tsenam’s supervision in 2002 he finished his thesis and received his Masters. In September, 2003, he enrolled in Harvard University, and presently he is completing the final stages of a PhD program in the department of Inner Asian and Altaic Studies under Professor Janet Gyatso’s supervision.

Become a Tibetan Doctor!!!!

The American branch of the International Shang Shung Institute is now accepting applicants for the Fall, 2010 class of our four-year School of Tibetan Medicine.

With a history going back over 2,500 years, traditional Tibetan medicine is one of the oldest continuously practiced healing systems on Earth. Regarded as science, art and philosophy, it is an ancient form of holistic heath care indigenous to the Tibetan people that integrates the core Buddhist principles of altruism, karma and ethics. Over thousands of years, Traditional Tibetan medicine evolved from accumulated empirical knowledge from China, Persia, India, and Greece. It has been practiced continuously in Tibet and is still practiced today wherever Tibetans live in exile.

In the Fall of 2005, the American branch of the Shang Shung Institute initiated the four-year program in Tibetan Medicine under the direction of Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo. This program closely parallels the training of a traditional Tibetan physician culminating in a supervised internship and final exams.

Each semester of the four-year curriculum combines a tripartite approach to the study of the Tibetan medical tradition that includes foundation core studies based on the topics of the Four Tantras, complimentary studies in Tibetan language and culture, and clinical practicum. Students in the Shang Shung Institute School of Tibetan medicine can expect to receive training that thoroughly covers all the traditional topics, presented in English. For those students who complete the first eight semesters onsite, an optional internship at the Northeast Traditional Tibetan Hospital in Qinghai, China will be available at the conclusion of their studies.

The Shang Shung program offers eight consecutive semesters, each consisting of 300 total hours. Each week, students will participate in 20 hours of classes. Among these 20 hours per week; 16 hours are used for lecture, 2 hours for Tibetan language and culture studies, and 2 hours for a clinical practicum. There are no electives or part/time study options in the Tibetan Medicine four-year program and students are expected to participate in all aspects covering each semester’s topics.  Classes meet for 2.5 consecutive days a week. This way, students have time during the week for study, work, and time for other obligations. 

More details, and an online application are available on our website at www.shangshung.org. The secretary of the American branch of the Shang Shung Institute can also be contacted at secretary@shangshung.org or by phone at +1 (413) 369-4928.