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Space,
the landscape is filled with air and space. Gray-brown
mountains flow like marbled Italian paper. Nestled into
this moonlike landscape are ripening green fields of
barley and trees of poplar and willow, the only bright
colors save for the azure sky. The many monasteries
are ancient and elaborately painted, the people handsome
and strong.
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Ladakh,
situated between the Karakoram and the Himalaya
in the far north of India, is one of the highest
and most remote regions in India. The name is
derived from Ladags, which means 'the land of
high passes'. This term does not do justice to
the inherent beauty of its chaotic ridges, twisted
and exposed geological strata, saw-toothed peaks,
dark gorges and wide valleys, relieved by the
vibrant green oases of the |
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villages. Closed for six months a year due to
harsh weather, Ladakh is also one of the few remaining
areas where the Tibetan system of medicine remains
undisturbed. |
"Even if you know,
it's better to ask another."
-Ladakhi saying
The journey begins in New Delhi. After an overnight
stop in India's capital city, we drive to Manali, situated
at 6730 ft, in Himachal Pradesh. We meet Amchi Tsewang
Smanla and will be given an introduction to Tibetan
medicine. On the fourth day we continue our excursion--a
spectacular 485 km highway journey takes us over four
major passes to Leh, the capital of Ladakh.
Nestled among low hills on the north side of the Indus
Valley, this town has long been a place where travelers
have rested before continuing over the mountains along
ancient trade routes. We spend a few days here-learning
basic Ladakhi and the rudiments of Tibetan medicine,
exploring the impact of development on the people and
ecology of this delicate region, and visiting the renowned
monasteries of Ladakh: Shey, Thikse, Hemis, Stok and
Matho.
"Illness is caused
by lack of understanding."
-Ladakh Amchi
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We
will drive to Amchi's home village. On the way,
we will visit Likir, an impressive monastery dating
back to the twelfth century. We will stay overnight
at the Amchi Health Worker Training Center in
Nurla village preparing for the medicinal tour.
The following day we begin the six-day hike, identifying
and collecting some of the most interesting and
widely used medicinal plants of the region. Amchi-la
will explain the use and effect of these plants.
The excursion culminates with a visit to Lamayuru,
one of the most striking monasteries in Ladakh. |
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"May the crops grow
so heavy that it lies down in the furrow!
May it grow so thick that even a hundred young men cannot
cut it!
So heavy that a hundred young maidens cannot carry it
away!"
- Ladakhi sowing song
As we approach the homestay village, fields of barley
and buckwheat appear, fringed with wild flowers and
apricot trees. Houses gleam white, and prayer flags
flutter on the rooftops. Here we will apprentice with
Amchi-la in the mornings. We will learn to dry, grind
and mix some of the plants we collect on the herbal
tour. Amchi-la will explain the intricacies of reading
the pulse.
During this week, we will be living with Ladakhi families.
In Ladakh the rhythm of life is dictated by the seasons.
This is harvest time. Whole families work in the fields--some
cutting, some stacking, others winnowing. Living and
eating with other people always entails giving up some
independence and privacy, but the benefits of temporarily
adjusting your lifestyle can be enormous. By adapting
to the lifestyle of a family, you will be able to see
and to experience the essential nature of Ladakhi life.
"Above all do not lose
your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a
state of wellbeing and walk away from every illness.
I have walked myself into my best thoughts and know
of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away
from it."
-The Buddha
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The
program will culminate in a 12-day trek visiting
remote Ladakhi villages and searching out traditional
sources of medicines in the high Himalaya. Trekking
in Ladakh is different from hiking in the West.
The trails are the lifeline between villages and
you will share these trails with monks on their
way to remote monasteries and shepherds going
to high pasture. The landscape is magnificent
and dramatic. After the trek we will return to
Leh for a final dinner celebration. We then fly
together to New Delhi for a last day before we
head to our respective homes. |
Tibetan
medicine is a holistic method of curing mental and physical
diseases. It is a comprehensive art of healing with
its own philosophy, method of diagnosis and treatment.
The basis for this psycho-physical medical tradition
is formed by Tibetan culture and the Buddhist belief
system, fundamental to the socio-ecology of Ladakh.
Amchi medicine is an indigenous version of Tibetan medicine.
Traditionally Ladakhi doctors traveled to Tibet for
training and obtained medicinal plants through trade
with Tibet. Since the closure of Ladakh's borders with
Tibet, such links have been severed. But because of
the strong hereditary lineages of traditional doctors
as well as the abundance of medicinal plants in the
high altitude valleys, amchi medicine is still actively
practiced in Ladakh. |
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