Presentation title
Tibetan Medicine and Acupuncture – Two Traditions, One Vision of Balance
Scheduled
Day 2, 11:00
Presentation summary
Tibetan medicine (Sowa Rigpa) and acupuncture share a holistic understanding of health as a dynamicbalance of internal energies.
This presentation introduces the core principles of Tibetan medicine—particularly the three energies : Lung (wind), Tripa (bile), and Beken (phlegm)—and explores their parallels with Chinese concepts such as Qi and Yin/Yang.
Using selected examples, the talk highlights how Tibetan diagnostic and therapeutic methods—such as pulseand urine diagnosis, constitutional analysis, dietetics, herbal medicine, warming therapies (e.g., moxibustionand Hormé), and treatments supporting emotional and mental well-being—can complement acupuncture practice in addressing both physical and psychological imbalances.
The aim is to open a dialogue on how these two systems can enrich one another within integrative clinical settings.
Keywords
Tibetan medicine, acupuncture, Sowa Rigpa, Lung, energy balance, holistic therapies, mental health, integrative healthcare
Conflict of interest
No
info@ostwestmedizin.de
Sonja Maric is an Anthropologist, independent scholar and practitioner specializing in Tibetan Medicine and Buddhist psychology.
She is director of the Institut für Ost-West Medizin, Germany, implementing the firsteducation program in Tibetan medicine for Medical doctors and other health professionals in Europe since 30 years.
She is lecturing Tibetan medicine internationally and has a Tibetan medicine private practice.
Since1995 she has had the continuing honor of intensive personal study in Tibetan Medicine, and personally assisting with an international renown Tibetan doctor.
She initiated the 1st Symposium Comparative AsianMedicine – Topic : MindBody, University Medicine Mainz.
She is involved in concept work for the integration of Tibetan Medicine into Western medical practice and the EU Public Health system.
One of her main interests is to develop strategies to tackle an integration of Tibetan medicine into medical practice without losing its authentic approach, by analyzing the integrative processes and cooperative initiatives within the CAM field and especially within various paradigms of Asian medicine in Europe.