Traditional Tibetan doctor, teacher, writer, yogi, nomad
Promoting Sowa Rigpa གསོ་བ་རིག་པ།
The Science of Health and Happiness
About Dr. Nida
Dr. Nida Chenagtsang is a traditional Tibetan physician and lineage holder of the Yuthok Nyingthig, the unique spiritual healing tradition of Tibetan Medicine. Born in Amdo, in North Eastern Tibet, he began his early medical studies at the local Tibetan Medicine hospital. Later he was awarded scholarship to enter the Lhasa Tibetan Medical University, where he completed his medical education in 1996 with practical training at the Tibetan Medicine hospitals in Lhasa and Lhoka.
Alongside his medical education, Dr. Nida trained in Vajrayana with teachers from every school of Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Longchen Nyingthig of the Nyingma school from his root teacher Ani Ngawang Gyaltsen and in the Dudjom Tersar lineage from Chönyid Rinpoche and Sremo Dechen Yudron. He received complete teachings in the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage, the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, from his teachers Khenpo Tsultrim Gyaltsen and Khenchen Troru Tsenam, and was requested to continue the lineage by Jamyang Rinpoche of the Rebkong ngakpa/ma (non-monastic yogi and yogini) tradition.
A well-known poet in his youth, Dr. Nida later published many articles and books on Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) and the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition both in the Tibetan and English languages which have been translated into several languages. He has extensively researched ancient Tibetan healing methods, and has gained high acclaim in the East and West for his revival of little known traditional Tibetan external healing therapies.
Dr. Nida is the Medical Director and principal teacher of Sorig Khang International and the Sowa Rigpa Institute: School of Traditional Tibetan Medicine; Co-Founder of the International Ngakmang Institute, established to preserve and maintain the Rebkong ngakpa non-monastic yogi/ini culture within modern Tibetan society; and Co-Founder of Pure Land Farms: Center for Tibetan Medicine, Meditation and Rejuvenation in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to his work as a physician, he trains students in Sowa Rigpa and the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition in over forty countries around the world.
“ May the teachings of Sowa Rigpa spread near and far like the infinite light of the sun, And bring benefit as vast as space to countless beings!”
An ancient lineage of healing that effectively addresses modern suffering, Sowa Rigpa—the traditional medical system of Tibet—offers a path to health and happiness through the cultivation of balance and harmony. Rooted in thousands of years of tradition yet a living and evolving practice, Sowa Rigpa recognizes that our natural state is a state of health. This healthy state is maintained through keeping our body, energy, and mind in dynamic yet stable equilibrium, in rhythm with the seasons and in harmonious interdependence with the world around us. As a holistic system of medicine, Sowa Rigpa uses sophisticated yet accessible diagnostic techniques and treatment methods—including diet and lifestyle modifications, herbal medications, manual therapies, and spiritual healing – to prevent and cure disease, extend longevity, and cultivate happiness.
For centuries, Sowa Rigpa has preserved its authentic teachings through unbroken lineage transmission. One of the most important textbooks of lineage-based Sowa Rigpa instructions is the Gyü Zhi or ‘Four Medical Tantras’, compiled by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo the Younger (1126-1202). In Foundations of Sowa Rigpa, experienced Tibetan physician and teacher Dr Nida Chenagtsang offers a comprehensive commentary on the first volume or Root Tantra of the Gyü Zhi which provides an essential distillation and roadmap of Sowa Rigpa theory and practice. With characteristic humor, clarity, and openness, and motivated by a deep love for medicine and his patients, Dr. Nida invites us on an inner journey, guiding us through the core principles of Sowa Rigpa and revealing how they can enrich our lives today.
