Page 574 - Total War on PTSD

all of which pacify rLung. Lobsang’s case involves the heart channels, so Dr. Jamling emphasizes the use of angelica root in stews, salads, and rice. Sunflower seeds and peanuts are easy snacks if he feels a panic attack building. A simple tea recipe of asafetida, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger would also calm his mind. It can be made into a tea that he drinks throughout the day. Mint tea also is allowed, as well as chamomile tea.
She explains to us that there are certain foods he should avoid, including bitter foods, such as eggplant, mustard greens, arugula, and spinach. Black tea and coffee are forbidden. Chocolate is to be avoided. He should not eat any cheese, but especially not goat cheese, which is considered “Rough and Light.” Instead, Lobsang needs to eat nutritious foods, such as certain meats, stews, and food that are easy to digest. Rough food is food that is hard to digest. Light food can be thought of as any stimulant that will affect and speed up the mind. This type of food is usually not very nutritious. The Tibetan concept of Rough and Light foods may be difficult to understand. Moxibustion — Every time Lobsang visits the clinic, Dr. Jamling and I perform moxibustion on him, burning the herb Artemisia vulgaris on the front and back points of the body.
Aromatherapy — Dr. Jamling gives Lobsang a special rLung incense stick for him to burn at dawn and in the evening — the times of heightened rLung energy and anxiety. She shows him how to breathe it in. The theory behind incense aromatherapy is that the breath is intimately linked with the mind. By deeply breathing in the incense, the mind calms down. The special ingredients in the incense bring soothing herbs in
574 of 1042