“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping themselves”

ralph waldo emerson

Oriental Medicine | Aboriginal Medicine | Tibetan Medicine
Ayurveda | Comparative Studies

“Traditional medicine includes diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs, incorporating plant or mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness.“

In addition to the Oriental Medicine Diploma Programs, ITM offers its students the opportunity to explore other forms and techniques of healing. This holistic approach to education places our students at an advantageous position, allowing them to develop the skills and abilities to offer their clients the most comprehensive consultations and treatments possible, and making them an indispensable resource for the medical and governmental organizations within their communities. These courses are offered as Elective Choices in the OM Diploma Programs. For those students who are interested in deepening their studies in another form of medicine, ITM is affiliated with a number of training facilities in Toronto, North America and abroad, who accept Credit Transfers from courses completed at ITM in Ayurveda, Tibetan, and Aboriginal Medicine, and Nutrition. Please see the Registrar for a complete list of Schools and possible Credit Transfers.

The Traditional Medicine Courses are open to anyone who has a sincere interest in exploring and learning more about traditional medicine in general. Courses, seminars and specialty workshops are offered throughout the year are led by highly experienced practitioners in traditional medicine.

Oriental Medicine

Oriental Medicine (OM) has been practiced for over 3000 years and over one quarter of the world's population now uses one or more of its component therapies. OM combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and the use of therapeutic exercises such as Tai Chi/Qi Gong. It has proven to be effective in the treatment of many chronic diseases including cancer, allergies, and heart disease. OM also focuses on the individual, and looks for and corrects the underlying causes of imbalance and patterns of disharmony.

*See Course Descriptions for further information on individual courses in the Oriental Medicine Department.

Aboriginal Medicine

In First Nation communities, health means balance and harmony within, and among the four aspects of human nature (physical, mental, emotional spiritual). Over-focusing on any one aspect upsets the balance of the four. Aboriginal concepts of health and wellness involve not only the physical but also the mental, spiritual and emotional aspects of health. This holistic approach to health is widely accepted and practiced in Aboriginal communities, through traditional medicine and healing practices such as sweat lodges, sweet grass ceremonies, smudges, talking circles and teachings from Elders. Traditional Aboriginal healers include herbalists and medicine men or medicine women. “The Medicine Person is a physician, psychiatrist/psychologist, family counsellor and spiritual advisor all in one. S/he is concerned with the balanced relationship between the body, mind and spirit. In treating sick people, s/he helps to restore the individual’s balance.”

ABL 1501 – Introduction to Aboriginal Medicine
ABL 1502 - Introduction to Aboriginal Herbal Medicine
ABL 1503 - Introduction to Aboriginal Healing Techniques

*These courses take place both at ITM as well as on Six Nations Reserve. Students have the opportunity to participate in traditional healing ceremonies of Canada’s First Nations Peoples.

Tibetan Medicine

By synthesizing knowledge from various medical systems, Tibetans created a approach to medical science drawn from thousands of years of accumulated empirical knowledge and intuition about the nature of health and illness. Centuries ago, before Buddhism entered Tibet, Tibetans like all ancient people had a significant degree of medical knowledge. According to traditional sources, in the beginning of the 4th century many new ideas regarding medicine began to enter the country. At first influences came from India in the form of what is now called Ayurvedic medicine, as well as more spiritual and psychologically based systems from Buddhist and other sources. Around the 7th-8th centuries the Tibetan government began sponsoring conferences where doctors skilled in the medical systems of China, Persia, India and Greece presented and debated their ideas regarding health and the treatment of illness. Those with superior abilities in the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of illness were invited to stay and contribute to the country's medical knowledge base. In the 11th century, this knowledge was codified into a unique system containing a synthesis of the principals of physical and psychological medicine imbued with a Buddhist spiritual understanding. This understanding formed a foundation for Tibetan medicine and benefited patients and doctors alike. It acknowledged how health and illness resulted both from the relationship between the mind and the body and people's connectedness to the natural world and sense of spirituality.

TIB 1401 - Introduction to Tibetan Medicine
TIB 1402 - Introduction to Tibetan Diagnosis
TIB 1403 – Buddhist Philosophy and Meditative Techniques

Ayurveda

Ayurveda has been practiced in India for the past five thousand years and has recently undergone a renaissance in the West. Ayurvedic medicine is a comprehensive system that places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit and uses a highly personalized approach to return an individual to a state where he or she is again in harmony with their environment. This system uses diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, and herbs to treat illness and rebalance the whole person. To many, it is considered the “Mother” of all medicine.

AYU 1301 – Introduction to Ayurvedic Medicine
AYU 1302 - Introduction to Ayurvedic Dietary Therapy
AYU 1303 – Introduction to Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine
AYU 1304 – Introduction to Hatha Yoga
AYU 1305 – Introduction to Vedic Scriptures on Healing
AYU 1306 – The Power of Sound – Chanting and Mantra                      Medicine

Comparative Studies

ITM offers a number of courses within the fields of health and spirituality, taught by local and international practitioners and wisdom keepers.

COM 1601 – Esoteric Anatomy
COM 1602 – Rhythmic Medicine: The Power of Dance, Music &                       Drum
COM 1603 - Western Herbal Medicine
COM 1604 – Meditation for Healing
COM 1605 – Soo Ji Chim: Korean Hand Therapy
COM 1606 – Introduction to Shiatsu Massage
COM 1607 – Ba Gua
COM 1608 - Tao Yin
COM 1609 – Introduction to Martial Arts (External/Internal)
COM 1610 – Environmental Medicine
COM 1611 – Medical Qi Gong
COM 1612 – Anmo – Japanese Massage

For full list of Electives, contact the Director.

All Traditional Medicine Elective Courses are Subject to change, and are dependent on availability.