External Therapies | Arura Healing Centre

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Tibetan Medicine and more.
Healing for the whole person.

Sowa Rigpa External Therapies

Traditional healing beyond medicine

Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan system of healing, offers a rich array of external therapies, hands-on, sensory, and deeply rooted in both physical and energetic traditions. These treatments are not just supportive, they are central to the holistic healing process.

Over many years of study and practice, I’ve trained in, and offera full range of these traditional therapies, including:

Ku Nye – Tibetan therapeutic massage using warm oils and specific pressure points
Hor Me – soothing oil poultices for wind imbalances and nervous system support
Yuk Cho – rhythmic stick therapy to release pain and unblock energy channels
Tibetan Cupping – detoxifying therapy using hand-crafted copper cups
Moxibustion (Me btsa) – herbal heat therapy to restore warmth and vitality

Each of these methods has been passed down through generations and carries both clinical benefit and spiritual significance. They work in harmony with diet, lifestyle and herbal medicine, and are carefully tailored to your individual constitution (nyepa) and health condition.

Whether used on their own or integrated into a broader healing plan, these therapies are powerful tools for restoring balance and supporting the body’s natural intelligence.

Hor Me (Mongolian Moxibustion)

Hor Me is a traditional healing method with ancient roots in Mongolian and Tibetan medicine. First mentioned in Tibetan medical texts over 1,000 years ago, it is most clearly described in the Bum Zhi, the foundational text of Tibetan Medicine, and further expanded in the Gyud Shi, where it's noted as one of the most effective therapies for rlung (wind) disorders.

This gentle yet potent treatment uses warmth and herbal-infused oils to bring comfort, balance, and relief. Unlike other forms of moxibustion, Hor Me involves small cloth pouches filled with a specific mixture of warming herbs, commonly including nutmeg, ginger, garlic, and aniseed, selected according to the client’s condition. These pouches are soaked in warm oil and applied to particular points on the body, using acupressure to activate the healing effect.

Hor Me is especially beneficial for calming the nervous system and easing symptoms such as:
Stress and anxiety
Sleeplessness
Headaches and migraines
Coldness or poor circulation
Muscle tension and fatigue

As a treatment, Hor Me can be offered on its own or as a calming complement to Ku Nye massage. Many people find it to be deeply relaxing, restorative, and a beautiful way to reconnect with their body’s own rhythm and warmth. Regular sessions can support both physical wellbeing and emotional resilience, particularly during times of high stress or seasonal change.

Yuk Cho Stick Therapy

A unique healing art from the yogic tradition of Tibet.

Yuk Cho is a rare and powerful treatment within the Tibetan Medicine system, and one of the more esoteric external therapies. It involves rhythmic tapping on the body using specially crafted wooden sticks, each with a distinct shape, texture, and healing purpose.

What makes Yuk Cho particularly special is its dual origin, it comes from the yogic practices of the Ngakpa lineage, the spiritual yogis of Tibet, and may also have evolved from practical methods of pain relief using fists or elbows. Once kept as a secret practice, used by yogis during solitary retreats, Yuk Cho has only recently begun to re-emerge thanks to the efforts of my teacher, Dr Nida Chenagtsang. It is now being carefully revived and passed on. I feel honoured to be one of the few practitioners using it in the West, and I’ve even had the privilege of teaching it to young medical students in Tibet.

How it works

Specific points on the body, relating to the internal organs, the three nyepa (humours), or localised areas of pain, are gently tapped 100 to 300 times while a traditional mantra is softly recited. This tapping creates a deep percussive vibration that relaxes the muscles, clears stagnation, and helps to unblock energy channels.

Some of the sticks have small pouches at the ends filled with warming herbs or mustard seeds, while others are egg-shaped or carved to work along muscles and tendons. Each stick is chosen intuitively, based on the condition being treated and the individual constitution (nyepa) of the person receiving the therapy.

What can it help with?

Yuk Cho is especially effective for:

Stress and nervous system imbalances
Muscular pain and rigidity
Energy blockages and stagnation
Excess rLung (wind element)
Digestive issues
Excess heat or inflammation
Paralysis and nerve conditions

A rare experience

Yuk Cho is grounding, vibrational, and deeply calming. It can be booked as a standalone treatment or added to a Ku Nye massage for a more integrated healing session.

Tibetan Cupping Therapy

Traditional detoxification and revitalisation using copper cups

Cupping therapy is used in many traditional healing systems, but in Tibetan Medicine, it takes on a distinctive character, deeply rooted in the principles of Sowa Rigpa, and using handcrafted copper cups.

This form of external therapy works by drawing out stagnation, cold, wind, or toxins that have become lodged in the body’s deeper tissues or energy channels. It’s particularly effective for releasing trapped rLung (wind) and relieving pain, tightness, and inflammation.

Why copper?

Copper has long been regarded in Tibetan and other ancient traditions as a cleansing, balancing metal. It conducts heat efficiently and has subtle energetic qualities that enhance the detoxifying effect of the treatment. When warmed and applied to the skin, copper cups help stimulate circulation, clear blockages, and promote the flow of life-force energy (la).

How it’s done

A light oil is first applied to the skin, often infused with herbs. The cups are then gently heated and applied using the fire cupping method. As the air inside cools, a gentle suction is created that pulls the skin slightly into the cup. This suction draws stagnant blood, wind, and toxins toward the surface, allowing the body to naturally clear them.

Depending on your constitution and condition, cups may be left in place or gently glided along meridians and energy pathways. The treatment is always adapted to the individual and performed with great care and sensitivity.

Benefits of Tibetan Cupping

Relieves muscle tension and stiffness
Eases rLung imbalances (anxiety, restlessness, insomnia)
Helps remove cold, damp, and wind from the body
Stimulates circulation and lymphatic flow
Supports the immune system
Aids detoxification and cleansing

What to expect

You may feel a warming sensation and a sense of lightness or release afterwards. Temporary marks may appear where cups were placed, this is part of the body’s natural response and usually fades within a few days.

Tibetan cupping is both therapeutic and preventative, offering a deep sense of renewal and energetic balance. It can be offered as a standalone treatment or included within a Ku Nye massage or personalised healing session.

Tibetan Moxibustion

A traditional method for restoring warmth, circulation, and balance

Moxibustion (in Tibetan, me btsa) is one of the ancient external therapies of Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan medical system. It involves the application of heat to specific points on the body, using various forms of medicinal herbs, most commonly dried mugwort (Artemisia).

In Tibetan healing, moxibustion is primarily used to treat conditions associated with coldness, stagnation, and rlung (wind) imbalance. It’s particularly beneficial for chronic pain, fatigue, poor digestion, and issues where the body feels cold or depleted.

How it works

Small moxa cones are placed on specific points (similar to acupuncture points), and carefully lit to smoulder gently, creating a steady warmth that penetrates deeply into the tissue and energy channels (tsa). The heat, combined with the medicinal qualities of the herbs, works to unblock, invigorate and restore flow to areas of stagnation or weakness.

Depending on your individual constitution and condition, moxa can be applied:

Directly on the skin (often with a protective herbal barrier)
On top of a slice of ginger or garlic
On acupuncture needles or specific tools
Indirectly, with herbal moxa sticks or warming devices

Moxa may also be combined with oils, resins, or powdered herbs to support particular conditions.

Common uses for Tibetan Moxibustion:

Chronic pain and joint issues
Poor circulation and cold limbs
Weak digestion and abdominal discomfort
Excess rLung (wind): anxiety, restlessness, fatigue
Prevention of colds and seasonal illnesses
Fatigue, burnout, and overall depletion
Warming the body after illness or emotional shock

A deeply supportive therapy

Tibetan moxibustion is not just about applying heat, it’s a subtle and holistic treatment that connects the physical body with the energetic system. When applied by a trained practitioner, it can feel deeply comforting, and often brings a sensation of warmth, lightness, and reconnection to one’s body.

This treatment can be offered on its own or combined with Ku Nye massage, as part of a personalised healing session.

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