Bathed in Tibetan tradition: Many say therapy cures what ails them

Saving the legacy

An element of traditional holistic Tibetan medicine known as the Sowa Rigpa, the bathing therapy in modern times is now on the radar for cultural preservation. Only a handful of people have inherited the required skills, and proponents want to ensure that those survive in an age of analytical Western science.

Earlier this month, more than 100 experts and scholars from Tibetan communities in four provinces and Tibet discussed the future of the tradition at an academic conference hosted by the region's health commission and the Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology.

Drolma, 50, director of the institute's lum bathing department, said the herbal baths are popular with Tibetan minorities around the country because of the unique approach to disease prevention and overall support of health.

"We know from thousands of years ago that the ancestors had a high awareness of disease prevention and healthcare," she said.

Various efforts have been made in the region over the last three decades to protect and promote the tradition for the benefit of younger generations. With support from the central and regional governments, those efforts seem to be working.

"In 1983, when the bathing therapy was first added to our hospital, we had only 12 beds. In 2005, we received financial support from the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for expansion, and now the department has 69 beds for lum bathing patients," Drolma said.