WHO ARE WE?
SKẎ is short for ‘Sorig Khang International’. It was formed as legal nonprofit foundation based in Germany on October 25, 2016 with the mission to preserve and promote Sowa Rigpa.
In the lunar calendar the foundation’s birthdate translates into the Dakini Day (25th) of the Fire Pig month (8th) in the Guru Rinpoche or Fire Monkey year (2143).
The name ‘Sorig Khang’ is constituted of ‘Sorig’, short for 'Sowa Rigpa’, and ‘Khang’, which means ‘center’ or ‘academy’.
Sowa Rigpa is the native name for Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) or Himalayan Medicine - as we prefer to call it to avoid any cultural or political arguments.
Following the tree model as it is widely used in Sowa Rigpa, our foundation forms the roots of our organization.
’HOT’, as we affectionally call our Head Office Team, acts as the trunk that supports our activities worldwide, which are organized into the branches of
- medical education
- treatment
- research and
- cultural and spiritual promotion.
From these grows our network of centers. Like breathing leaves they stay in constant communication with our audience of thousands of students and interested Sorig friends around the world.
In the 8th century the physician and spiritual practitioner Yuthok the Older wrote the first version of the Four Medical Tantras.
He predicted that the accomplished physician Yuthok the Younger would rewrite his work in the future.
400 years later a young doctor called Yuthok Yonten Gonpo from a village of
Goshi Rethang, Western Tibet, edited the Four Tantras based on his collected knowledge and experience.
This version would be known as the ‘Bible of Tibetan Medicine’, and Yuthok the Older would be called its ‘Father’...
WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED
- Through the Sowa Rigpa International College, a joint project of SKẎ and the Lumbini University, we offer the first accredited Sowa Rigpa degree outside of China, Bhutan, and Russia. It is also the first Bachelor degree to be taught in English thus opening the door for international students around the world.
- In April 2018 the 6th Sorig Congress took place in Pisa; it has been organized by our foundation as first and only continuous yearly congress on Tibetan Medicine globally.
- Starting from 2019 the FH Campus Vienna, University of Applied Sciences, offers the Master of Science degree "Holistic Therapy and Salutogenesis" as 2 years continuing education program for doctors and health care professionals. In cooperation with SKẎ Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) has been included as integral part of this master degree.
- Our publishing house SKY Press has published more than 10 books translated into 10 language since 2011, one of which is “Sowa Rigpa Points”, the first text book including TTM’s system of points and channels in modern anatomically correct depiction.
- The Certificate of Advanced Studies in Tibetan Medicine and External Therapies (CAS TibMET) includes 318 hours of theoretical and practical modules over the span of 2.5 years; it can be continued as Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS TibMET) with an additional 180 hours over the span of 1.5 years - in 2018 this program starts in 15-20 of our centers with batches of 15 students and repeating in a yearly cycle.
- The Sowa Rigpa Journal is a unique publication that brings ancient natural medical knowledge into modern societies. As first continuous journal in English language on Sowa Rigpa it was brought to life in 2007. It is available in a digital, and also printed form.