This is how it works.

In the field of Tibetan Medicine we consider that in most cases of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, a person’s energy system is uncoordinated. So what is this elusive energy system? Well, let’s face it right away, we are not talking about the type of energy associated with Reiki healing. When we talk about energy in Traditional Tibetan Medicine we are talking about ancient science and a profound theory of our anatomy based on the five elements that have developed in all oriental medical traditions for thousands of years.

Of the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, and space) the wind element is considered to be responsible for the function of the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems. Not only is it believed to be responsible for these systems, but the proper functioning of the mind is also highly dependent on the wind element. For this reason, if he is disturbed wind we can easily start having problems with our mental health.

High stress = disturbed wind
Most of us have gotten quite used to high stress in daily life. We take it more or less as the norm nowadays. The nature of the wind is light, rough, mobile, and cool. We can consider that stress by nature is rough. So any kind of stress disturbs the wind. Our lives are also filled with excessive movements of the body, voice, and mind. Our jobs, especially high-stress office jobs, involve constant mental activity. In some cases, our job involves talking constantly. And some of us push our exercise routines too hard for too long. If you add an excessively light diet, it’s a double whammy for the wind system. Some examples of rough, light, and cold foods include raw foods, lentils, toast and crackers, ice water, oil-free foods, caffeinated beverages, and in general insufficient nutrition.

Symptoms of excess wind include anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, mood swings, irritability, stiffness, memory loss, yawning, sighing and shaking, as well as moving pains, especially in the lower back, hips, and joints. Actually, the wind function of most people is somewhat disturbed in today’s society. We all generally experience a mild form of one or more of these symptoms. So what do we do to prevent disturbed wind?

How to deal with anxiety naturally: working with wind points is a simple remedy
Essentially, wind points provide a way to apply therapeutic treatments to help coordinate the wind element if it is disturbed. The fundamental theory of Tibetan Medicine says that the cause, nature, and cure of all diseases are the five elements. When an element is out of balance we have to use the opposite characteristics of the given element to bring it back into balance. Since the wind is rough, light, cool and mobile, it is necessary to apply to the smooth, heavy, warm, and stable wind points. The easiest way to do this is to apply oil and heat to the tips. The oil is smooth and heavy while the heat is hot and stabilizes with a direct application such as warm hands or a compress.

Types of oil to use
The best oils to use for wind are sesame oil (not toasted) and aged ghee. Another great balanced and neutral option is olive oil. If the wind is very strong you can infuse the oil with some nutmeg pods. Put a few pods of nutmeg in about a liter of oil and heat over very low heat for a few hours. You can leave the pods in the oil while bottling as they slowly release their essence over time.

Types of Treatment

HANDS: The best and easiest to use compress is warm hands. Rub your hands vigorously and voila, they’re hot! Apply warm hands to any of the wind points, first leaving some space for a few moments between the palm and the tip and then letting the entire surface of the hand flatten at the tip. This can be repeated several times. This is the main method I use when doing Kunye Tibetan massage and therapies and also when showing clients how to deal with anxiety attacks at home.

When I have more severe cases of wind disturbance I use a method called hormè. Here, use cumin seeds or nutmeg pods wrapped in cotton. Then heat some oil with the soaking compress, usually on a candle warmer or any other appropriate device. The tricky thing here is to make sure the oil is hot enough, but not hot enough to burn the skin. It is advisable to practice this method only after having learned the practice to be performed by a pressure practitioner.

Hormé, otherwise known as ‘Mongolian Moxibustion’, is one of the fundamental external therapies highlighted in the Four Medical Tantras, the root text of Tibetan Medicine. It is mainly used to address the mood imbalances of the wind (Tib. རླུང་ “loong”) by deeply relaxing, warming, and nourishing the body and mind. This simple and safe method involves soaking small compresses filled with wind-calming aromatic herbs in hot oil and applying them to specific points on the body. It can be used as a standalone therapy or combined with other healing modalities such as the Ku Nyè massage.