Mind and Body

During these stressful times, Tibetan Medicine may offer us some tools for bringing our body and mind into balance. Our sangha member and Dakini Doctor, Dr. Tawni Tidwell presented a video program at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC in conjunction with the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in April 2020.Tawni shares very simple and practical practices that we can immediately implement into our daily routines. In these short videos, she gives us tools that are easy to follow and help us refresh our bodies and mind.

Anxiety arises for almost all sentient beings in certain situations.  And there are times when worry can be useful or productive. A little stress can make us sharper, or enhance our performance at times. Yet humans, and particularly modern humans, now often seem to experience constant or chronic low-level anxiety.

Tawni Tidwell shares some wisdom from the Tibetan Medicine tradition in cultivating balance during the winter months.

Tibetan medicine calls for specific seasonal behavior.  The seasons can be divided either by equinox and solstice, the four seasons as we do in the West or into six seasons: Early Winter (November & December), Late Winter (January & February), Spring (March & April), Early Summer (May & June), Late Summer (Monsoon in some places) (July & August), and Autumn (September & October).  The seasons are then described according to what is happening in the climate and the environment. Certain behaviors are recommended for each of the seasons.

Correct meditation posture helps our minds to settle and our breath to flow naturally. In traditional Buddhist texts, we read that we should cross our legs and keep our spines erect. Correct meditation posture helps our minds to settle and our breath to flow naturally. In traditional Buddhist texts, we read that we should cross our legs and keep our spines erect.

Tawni Tidwell talks about how we can balance rlüng imbalances in our bodies.

Neil Roberts shares an ancient breathing technique to reduce stress and blood pressure.

Diana Carey explores the similarities between Tibetan medicine and Aryuveda.

Healing practices perform an important function for practitioners. Physical health situations can make our lives more stressful and difficult to manage. 

Practicing meditation is a key point of applying Buddhist Dharma. And many other traditions also feature meditation.  Phakchok Rinpoche suggests that we need to approach practice gradually because most of us have a number of bad habits. First of all, we tend to get easily distracted. Isn’t that true? Do you find yourself losing track of your mind?