A founding figure of Sowa Rigpa studies and practices in Estonia; midwifery, therapist.
Anu Rootalu-Wachsmann
About
I completed a basic education in midwifery from Tartu University, but since the late 1990s, my journey with Sowa Rigpa studies began and I have been practicing Tibetan Medicine since 2002. I have learned from a few teachers and my main master is Dr Nida Chenagtsang. I have been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner since 1984 and a teacher of Sowa Rigpa in the early 2000s. I have also studied and practiced also Western astrology, Tibetan astrology, and Chinese Traditional medicine. I am originally from Tallinn, but for the last ten years, I have been living in a remote place in the countryside, treating patients and growing medical herbs. I aim to be in harmony with nature and have peace of mind.

Presentation
Healing with water and heat

According to the Root Medical Tantra text, we can read that to the West of the medicine city - Tanadug - there is a mountain called Malaya where among other things are five types of mineral springs and five types of hot springs that pacify all diseases. In Sowa Rigpa, we have mild external therapy called LUM, and this practice is rooted in hot springs. Tibet is very rich in natural springs, another important Tibetan medical text <<Shel Gong Shel Phreng>> lists 101 springs, each with its own special minerals, smell, taste, color, effect, and disease that each can treat.


During Yuthok`s time, hot springs were widely used for healing.

Modern scientific research says that natural springs regulate nervous function, protein metabolism, the metabolism of water and ions, the immune system, histamine level, etc. In LUM treatments, heat, water, and medical herbs are used. The body relaxes and the body also relaxes the mind. What about places where hot springs do not exist? What methods were developed and used for example ancient people in Estonia for the same purposes? Finno-ugric people have had since very old times, one holy place for cleaning and curing the sick called sauna. In the sauna also heat, water, and medical herbs are used. And the body relaxes the mind. In this presentation, I try to compare the ancient traditions of healing through elements in Tibet and Estonia. Both Tibetan LUM therapy and Estonian smoke sauna are on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.