A London-based institution dedicated to healing and traditional wisdom in a more-than-human world.
19/08/2024
Coming up this Thursday:
The System of the Sages: History and Historiography in Tibetan Medicine
"In this class, we will explore the historical development of the Four Ta**ras (rGyud bZhi), the foundational corpus of Traditional Tibetan Medicine composed by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo in the 12th century. Steeped in healing wisdom, ancient history, myth, and controversy, these seminal texts have been a hot topic of conversation for many centuries on the Tibetan plateau.
The Four Ta**ras have been described as a sūtra, ta**ra, commentarial śāstra, revealed treasure, and scientific masterpiece, making it one of the most enigmatic texts in the Tibetan corpus.
Drawing upon contemporary textual and historical analysis, we will explore both the charter myth of the Four Ta**ras as well as the leading alternate theories for this literature’s development, exploring some of the ways that cross-cultural medical knowledge helped to form Tibetan Medicine as we know it today.
We will investigate Tibet’s historical position not as a secluded and isolated sanctuary of secret materials, but as a cosmopolitan crossroads for the great scientific developments of the ancient world.
This presentation is perfect for Sowa Rigpa students and practitioners, but also for historians, Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine enthusiasts, Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, and anybody who is interested in learning more about the development of traditional medicine across the ancient world."
You can sign up now using the link below:
In this Shrīmālā Masterclass, we will explore the history and development of the Four Ta**ras, a seminal collection of Tibetan medical literature with a history that is every bit as fascinating as its contents.
This includes a few recent workshops/classes, as well as new enrolment options for our existing courses. More material coming soon!
Self-Paced Online Courses Taught by Erik Jampa Online Courses Current Offerings Into the Perilous Realm: Faërie and Fantasy on the Path to Recovery £139.00 One time £70.00 For 2 months An in-depth exploration of Tolkien's seminal essay 'On Fairy-stories', investigating the nature, origins, and pr...
A two-hour workshop exploring the role of religious deconstruction on the Buddhist path, and the construction of a no-nonsense approach to spirituality.
16/04/2024
For those that may be interested -
Exploring history, ecology, spirituality, stories, and what it means to be human in a more-than-human world, from the author of 'Unseen Beings.'. Click to read The Spirited and Storied Earth, by Erik Jampa Andersson, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.
15/11/2022
Yuthok Nyingthig Chöd: Online Course
Registration is now open for our brand new online course on the Yuthok Nyingthig Chöd (Lujin) practice!
This self-paced course includes over 10 hours of exclusive content, including a thorough explanation of the practice, instrument tutorials, historical context, video and audio downloads, study support, and regular webcast sessions, this is a wonderful opportunity to dive into this profound and pithy practice from the comfort of your own home.
While many Chöd teachings tend to focus on the 'psychological approach,' this course is quite unique in many ways. In it, we will explore the distinctly animistic context of the Chöd practice, and the many ways that Machig Labdrön, Yuthok Yönten Gönpo, and other Tibetan masters combined Buddhist wisdom with indigenous knowledge to foster more compassionate and dynamic engagement with the more-than-human world.
In commemoration of Lhabab Düchen, we're happy to offer a special discount for those who register before Saturday, November 19th. Just use the discount code MAYADEVI to receive £50 off the registration fee.
For more information and registration, please visit
Instructions on the Yuthok Nyingthig Lujin (Chöd) practice with Erik Jampa Andersson, with an overview of the history, philosophy, and ritual praxis of the Chöd tradition - over 10 hours of exclusive content!
07/11/2022
Registration is open for my next online retreat, Nurturing the Unseen: Buddhism and the More-than-Human World, hosted by Tara Mandala. This is my first *real* course to deal with the topics of my upcoming book, 'Unseen Beings,' which comes out in May.
In this class, we'll talk about non-human beings both within and outside of Buddhism, including spirit paradigms and approaches to animal/vegetal/microbial sentience. We'll also take a deep dive into the so-called Anthropocene, the 'Epoch of Humans,' and explore what Buddhist teachings might offer us in our dire planetary circumstances.
Click below for more details, and to register:
Explore the world of ‘unseen beings’ and cultivate a deeper awareness and appreciation for the many forms of life with whom we share our world.
05/04/2022
There's a few hours left to register for this evening's workshop on Zodiacal Aphesis (Zodiacal 'Releasing'), a time-lord technique from the Hellenistic astrological tradition, recorded by Vettius Valens in the 2nd century CE. This technique is considered by many to be the 'crowning jewel' of Hellenistic Astrology, though it largely fell out of practice for 1,500 years.
As a natural skeptic, I was never terribly interested in 'western' astrology. I wasn't even that interested in Tibetan Astrology, but as it was a required supplementary course in my Tibetan Medicine school I didn't have much of a choice. I certainly never would have thought that I'd end up practicing astrology professionally.
Things began to change during astrology intensive at my Tibetan Medicine school in Massachusetts, when a classmate decided to book me an appointment with his Hellenistic Astrologer, Chris Brennan. I very reluctantly agreed, and sent him my birth data expecting a predictably generic reading. But my two-hour phone consultation with Chris was positively earth-shattering. The specificity and precision of his interpretations were shocking enough that I decided to put aside my reservations and study a bit of the Hellenistic tradition.
Over the past 8 years, I have done well over a hundred astrological consultations for clients, and the results continue to be shocking. Zodiacal Aphesis, in particular, is always the method that derives the most gasps and existential revelations. It is best described as a detailed personal study in causality, taking the dynamics of our natal chart and breaking them down into a chronological narrative journey. It is similar, in some ways, to the dasha system of Indian Astrology, and it's likely that both emerged from a common theoretical basis - though the Indian system was the only one to retain it over the centuries.
While I feel I am reaching the end of my astrological career, I have no choice but to respect the evident efficacy of Hellenistic methods like Zodiacal Aphesis. I think it's important that these methods are remembered and retained in the western tradition. I feel this is particularly important in the study of history, especially the history of science. For too many years, scholars have avoided learning 'too much' about astrology out of fear that they might be 'tainted with the pseudoscientific lunacy' of the system itself. But this is quite unhelpful if we want to better understand the evolution of science as a whole, in which astrology has long played a central role.
If you have any interest in astrology, I highly recommend joining this workshop. It is certainly not a beginner's class, but it's accessible enough to provide a glimpse of the depth of the Hellenistic system, and to learn some methods to better understand the trajectory of your own life. It will be recorded for later viewing for those who cannot attend in person.
- An overview of the Hellenistic Lots (the original "Arabic Parts").
- Calculation and interpretation of the Lots of Fortune and Spirit.
- The relationship between the lots and karmic causes/conditions.
- The history of Zodiacal Aphesis in the western tradition.
- The principal factors for interpretation in Zodiacal Aphesis.
- The identification of 'peak periods' of karmic fruition.
- Analysis of benefic and malefic influences on a native's experience.
- Loosing of the Bond as a plot-twist.
- Guided examples of the process and resources to cast your own Zodiacal Releasing chart.
A rare opportunity to learn Zodiacal Aphesis, a 2nd century time-lord recorded by Vettius Valens.
05/02/2022
Join Erik Jampa and others this afternoon for this fascinating panel discussion on "Buddhism and Q***rness through the Ages," exploring the interconnections between Q***r identity, Buddhism, and environmental justice - as well as the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people within traditional Tibetan communities.
Join us online to explore the intersections of Buddhist and LGBTQ+ identities. This dialogue will navigate topics as diverse as gender and sexuality in Tibetan medicine, the links between Q***r…
Events and Workshops Feb 5 Q***rness and Buddhism through the Ages: Online Panel Discussion @ Jamyang Buddhist Centre Saturday, 5 February 2022 16:00 17:30 Jamyang Buddhist Centre - Online (map) Google Calendar ICS Join Erik Jampa, Rhonwen Sayer, Ven. Tashi Choedup, and Kunsang Kelden for this excit...
24/08/2021
Just a few days left to register for this exciting program at Tara Mandala.
I've been working on the syllabus, and this is going to be a jam-packed week of a lot of diverse material. Whether you're brand new to traditional medicine and spirituality or a seasoned veteran of Sowa Rigpa studies, I guarantee that you will be able to get a lot out of this course.
I'm particularly excited introduce folks to some of the fascinating historical research taking place on the ancient transmission of medicine along the Silk Roads - and the many ways that Tibetan Medicine ties into the broader Eurasian matrix of healing science.
I'll also be sharing some of the topics that I'll be covering in my upcoming book, which I've been chipping away at over the past couple of months. This program will be one of my last public workshops for 2021, so that I can dedicate ample time to writing and research (in addition to grad school!), so I hope to see some of you there!
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04/08/2021
See you tomorrow, Facebook! I'll be popping onto Tara Mandala Retreat Center's page for a live Q&A regarding my upcoming retreat, "Sowa Rigpa Revolution" - which Tara Mandala will be hosting from August 27th-31st.
I could not be more excited for this retreat and hope to see some familiar faces there. We'll be exploring two immensely important texts - the Root Ta**ra of Tibetan Medicine and the Yuthok Nyingthig Ngöndro. We'll take a deep dive into the historical development of these works and their associated traditions, as well as the remarkable genius of Yuthok Yönten Gönpo (the father of Tibetan Medicine).
While it's certainly appropriate for those with no prior training in Tibetan Medicine, this is very much not your average "introductory" course. Those who have been studying and practicing for years will still find a wealth of exciting tidbits to support and inspire you on your path. Tibetan Medicine and the teachings of the Yuthok Nyingthig are infinitely vast, and their significance in the broader frame of human scientific and spiritual development cannot be overstated.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow (3pm British time) and send in your questions! See you soon!
Please join us this Thursday, August 5, for a Facebook Live Q&A with Tibetan Medicine practitioner and teacher Erik Jampa Andersson (Shrīmālā Healing Arts) talking about Sowa Rigpa (གསོ་བ་རིག་པ་), commonly known as Traditional Tibetan Medicine. He will also talk about the Virtual Retreat he will be leading “Sowa Rigpa Revolution: Immersion into Tibetan Medicine and the Yuthok Nyingthig Cycle,” on August 27 - 31. During this livestream, there will also be time for Q&A with Erik.
Please note the early time of this event (8am Mountain Time)*
Event Details:
• Date: Thursday, August 5
• Time: 8am Mountain Time
• Location: The Tara Mandala Facebook Live Page. Visit the page on the day and time of the event, by clicking this link -> https://www.facebook.com/taramandala.org/live
My new Patreon page is launched and ready, with a steady stream of content starting this week. Plans start at just £3/month, with additional tiers available for those who want guided group or individual study opportunities. As much as I love Facebook (please note the intended irony), I think a slightly more closed and intimate container is far superior for having the kinds of conversations that we *need* to be having.
Patrons of all levels will receive exclusive content on a wide variety of topics including Tibetan Medicine, Buddhism and other world religions, alchemy, astrology, western herbalism, the history of medicine, animism, linguistics, and even some rants about Tolkien for good measure. Whether you're looking for some additional support for your medical studies, spiritual inspiration, or simply want to get a taste of what it is that I "do" - I promise you'll be able to whet your appetite with this Patreon program.
I loathe self-promotion, so please spread the word with interested folks if you find it useful, and I hope to see you over on Patreon!
Become a patron of Erik Jampa Andersson today: Get access to exclusive content and experiences on the world’s largest membership platform for artists and creators.
09/07/2021
It’s been a busy Summer so far, with a few exciting developments underway that I want to share with you.
First, I’ve been offered a contract for my first book! It’s set to be released in September of next year, and will be focused on topics relating to ecology, animism, health, and our highly complex relationships with other-than-human lifeforms. I even get to talk about Tolkien’s mythology, which is horribly thrilling. I’m thrilled and daunted and can’t wait to share it with you all.
In other news, I’m going to be returning to university this autumn! I’m finally taking the plunge at Goldsmiths University (20 minutes from my home here in London) for an MA in History, working with one of my veeeery favorite medical historians who specializes in the transmission of medical knowledge across the Silk Roads, and early Tibetan medicine. It’s been a long-held aspiration of mine to return to academia, but when I left my undergraduate program to study Tibetan Medicine I was concerned that I’d never find my way back. 10 years later, I couldn’t be more grateful or excited for this opportunity.
This will naturally force me to shift some of my ways of working, which leads me to my final announcement - I’m launching a Patreon! I’ve toyed with membership schemes before, but have never had the time and bandwidth to organize it effectively. But Patreon offers a super clean and user-friendly platform to be able to share content in a more dedicated and interactive way. I always feel super bashful posting videos, etc. on social media, and feel that workshops (virtual or physical) can get a bit overwhelming and expensive for participants. A monthly subscription through Patreon offers a great deal more continuity, flexibility, and community, and a better container for thoughtful engagement.
There will be three membership tiers, starting at just £3/month, which gives you access to a wide range of ever-growing resources relating to traditional medicine, Buddhist philosophy, history, ritual arts, herbalism, incense-crafting, plant alchemy, comparative mythology, classical astrology, Tibetan language, and even a bit of metalsmithing for good measure. For those that want a more intensive and interactive experience, a study group tier and mentorship program will also be available.
Hope to see you there! Coming July 26th.
02/07/2021
"We search for riches deep within the bowels of the earth where the spirits of the dead have their abode, as though the part we walk upon is not sufficiently bountiful and productive. And in doing this our least important goal is the discovery of remedies for diseases. Indeed, how many men dig for medicinal purposes? Yet Earth provides us with medicines on her surface, just as she provides corn (grain) - generous and unstinting indeed with all things that help us.
But what she has hidden and kept underground - those things that cannot be found immediately - destroy us and drive us to the depths. As a result the mind boggles at the thought of the long-term effect of draining the earth's resources and the full impact of greed. How innocent, how happy, indeed how comfortable, life might be if it coveted nothing ... except what is immediately available!"
- From the Naturalis Historia, libro ###III, written by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century CE. Translated by John F. Healy
01/06/2021
We have some new items up on our web store, including carefully-curated Nepali handicrafts, Himalayan incense, and ritual gear. https://www.shrimala.com/shop/handicrafts
Shrīmālā HandicraftsRitual Implements | Art | JewelleryShrīmālā offers an array of products to support spiritual practice and dynamic embodiment through traditional crafts. All jewellery is handmade by Erik Jampa in London, and ritual implements are carefully sourced from traditional Himalayan...
22/05/2021
Subjectification of the natural world.
"An alternative worldview is called for, one that reanimates the living world. This mindshift, in turn, will require no less than the subjectification of nature. Of course, the notion of nature-as-subjects is not new. Indigenous peoples around the globe tend to view themselves as embedded in animate landscapes replete with relatives; we have much to learn from this ancient wisdom.
To subjectify is to interiorize, such that the exterior world interpenetrates our interior world. Whereas the relationships we share with subjects often tap into our hearts, objects are dead to our emotions. Finding ourselves in relationship, the boundaries of self can become permeable and blurred. Many of us have experienced such transcendent feelings during interactions with nonhuman nature, from pets to forests.
..
Imagine if the bulk of science education took place outdoors, in direct, multisensory contact with the natural world. Imagine if students were encouraged to develop a meaningful sense of place through an understanding of the deep history and ecological workings of that place. And imagine if mentors and educators emphasized not only the identification and functioning of parts (say, of flowers or insects), but the notion of organisms as sensate beings in intimate relationship with each other (and us). What if students were asked to spend more time learning about how a particular plant or animal experiences its world?
In this way, science (and biology in particular) could help bridge the chasm between humans and nature. Ultimately, science education, in concert with other areas of learning, could go a long way toward achieving the "Great Work" described by cultural historian Thomas Berry—transforming the perceived world "from a collection of objects to a communion of subjects."
To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.
18/03/2021
We are happy to announce that enrollment is now open for upcoming Tibetan Astrology Immersion with Erik Jampa through the Sowa Rigpa Institute of Traditional Tibetan Medicine
For thousands of years, astrology has been prized as an indispensable sister-science to traditional medicine, offering practitioners a valuable glimpse at underlying energetic and elemental forces that might otherwise be hidden from view. Tibetan Medicine is one of the few traditional medical systems to still maintain a close connection between these two sciences, united under a cohesive cosmological framework established by Buddhist masters of the past.
In this course, Tibetan Medicine practitioner and classical astrologer Erik Jampa Andersson will introduce the foundational principles, calculations, and analytical techniques of Jung-Tsi, or “Elemental Mathematics.” This ancient astrological tradition is rooted not in the outer movements of the planets, but on the cyclic transformations of the five elements here on earth. Participants will learn a number of essential calculations and techniques, including the following:
Calculation and interpretation of the Five Elements and their interrelations
12 Animals of the Zodiac
Vital Force (Sog)
Health Force (Lü)
Power Force (Wang Thang)
Luck Force (Loong Ta)
Soul Force (La)
The Nine Magic Squares (Me Wa), revealing past life and future life dynamics, hidden character traits, deity associations, etc.
Trigram (Par Kha) calculation according to Tibetan tradition, essential for prescriptive geomancy and detecting hidden energetic influences
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Shrīmālā Healing Arts, a subsidiary of Shrīmālā Ltd, was founded in 2017 by Erik Jampa Andersson as a holistic health resource for those seeking traditional Tibetan medical support and education. Based in London, UK (with a satellite clinic in Los Angeles, USA), we offer Tibetan Medicine consultations, wellness coaching, meditation training, classical astrology services, and public workshops. But our mission is nothing short of global revolution.
The Tibetan Science of Healing (Sowa Rigpa) is unique for many reasons. Despite what many may think upon initially hearing the term, Sowa Rigpa isn’t a magical system centered around singing bowls and energetic “cleansing.” It’s a bonafide internal medical system based on a sophisticated understanding of the human body and mind, drawing upon millennia of indigenous dietary, behavioral, herbal, and manual therapeutic knowledge. But unlike many common healing modalities found today, it is not founded on materialism and reductive approaches to health.
Wellness requires more than physiological balance, and indeed more than psychological balance. The societal, ecological, and energetic components of health all need to be taken into account when addressing individual wellness, founded upon a deep understanding of our basic interdependence. Without these components, no healing system deserves the monicker of “holistic” wellness. Tibetan Medicine, however, addresses all of the above.
Humans are facing a moment of reckoning. We are only one step past the threshold of a dawning Technological Revolution, which threatens to upend our entire conception of what it means to be human. The existential angst that many people feel today is a major factor in our global dis-ease, and requires its own antidote if we are to truly achieve a state of balance. Tibetan Medicine relies on the philosophy of its sister-science, the Science of Inner Meaning (Nang-dön Rigpa), in order to provide context and dimension to its study of psycho-physiological health. This is also known as Buddhadharma. While healing and other outer sciences provide amazing techniques for working with our material experience, Inner Science provides the elusive “why” to our quest for health and wellness, providing humans with a foundational raison d’etre and motivation for making the most of our human life. Without this understanding, healing becomes no more than a trade or vocational activity, and the moral imperative of helping others easily gets lost in the mire of capitalistic consumption.
If the concept of “wellness” leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, you’re not alone. The global “wellness industry” had a total estimated value of $4.3 trillion in 2018, according to The Global Wellness Institute. Yet it doesn’t seem that humans as a whole are that much better off for it. Of the top ten causes of death globally, most are strongly linked to unhealthy diet, lifestyle, and environmental pollution, with additional causes (i.e. su***de) linked to a profound lack of social and psychological “wellness.” Fad diets, experimental therapies, and promised “miracle cures” leave countless individuals sick, broke, and disillusioned, because most of these arise from a push for easy fixes in a broken system based on greed.
At Shrīmālā, we have a different approach. We focus on three major modalities for supporting health: Sowa Rigpa for attaining optimum physiological health, Tsi Rigpa (Elemental Calculations/Astrology) for uprooting engrained psychological patterns, and Nang-dön Rigpa for uncovering and harmonizing with the essential meaning of life. With this profound combination of interdisciplinary studies, we are able to effectively address the fundamental challenges to human well-being. We enable our clients to not only better manage and ameliorate common health issues, but indeed to see the world through new eyes, revitalizing their sense of purpose and responsibility in an ever-changing world.
Our most essential goal is to make healing services altogether unnecessary, by providing individuals with the education and guidance to activate their own innate healing wisdom. A consultation with Shrīmālā is not just a treatment - it is a learning opportunity and activation of a primordial human birthright. Sowa Rigpa is a way of life, and a profound entryway into a deeper and more meaningful experience of existence. As our traditions continue to evolve into the 21st century, it seems clear that the Tibetan sciences are uniquely capable of effectively integrating cutting-edge scientific discoveries with a holistic approach to interdependent embodiment.
Our offerings include the following:
Tibetan Medical Consultations - Appointments are available for individualized analysis and guidance relating to personal health. Clients receive dietary, behavioral, and herbal guidance for managing their healing process, as well as effective manual therapies for a wide range of conditions.
Astrological Services - Based on the Tibetan Elemental Sciences and Classical Hellenistic Astrology, our “Astrological” services go far beyond horoscopes and star signs. Astrology is a profound system of investigating outer conditions to ascertain information about the inner state of an individual. It can be used in conjunction with traditional medicine to uncover energetic or karmic roots of disease, or as a psychological investigation into the archetypal patterns that carry us through our lives.
Meditation Training - More than 2,500 years ago, the historical Buddha taught that the fundamental ailment of all sentient life is the experience of suffering (dukkha). Acting as a spiritual physician for all beings, he carefully taught the etiology of this existential illness, as well as a prognosis and complete treatment method for resolving our fundamental disease. This is the path to Enlightenment. Liberation from suffering is accomplished through depth understanding and integration with our true nature, made possible through the careful training of our mind through investigation and meditation. We teach a wide range of meditation and yoga techniques for a wide range of temperaments and dispositions. Whether you’re a seasoned meditator or convinced that you “simply can’t meditate,” Shrīmālā can help.
Wellness Coaching - For those who seek quick results or ongoing guidance, our Wellness Coaching services are perfectly designed to carry the client through their health & wellness journey, addressing the multivalent causes and conditions for dis-ease while providing an essential education in self-care. Wellness Coaching draws upon all three sciences of Medicine, Astrology, and Inner Knowledge to provide a truly complete wellness system.
Education - Our most important activity is undoubtedly education. For both patients and healers, education is a vital component for ensuring our individual and societal health. Whether through practical workshops teaching vital wellness principals to patients, or through training courses for aspiring and practicing healers, we seek to ultimately eradicate the need for “wellness coaches” altogether. The knowledge of healing used to be passed down from generation to generation as a birthright - we seek to re-create and revolutionize that tradition for a new generation in a new world.
Please visit www.shrimala.com for more information and to get involved with our health revolution.
