Lectures & Events
Friday, May 6th - 12pm EST
Wind Disorders in Tibetan Medicine: Symptoms, Causes, & Remedies
Abstract: Meditation-related mental health challenges are well understood in Tibetan Buddhist traditions, where narratives about Buddhist monks and nuns who have become unwell, or even ‘mad’, as a result of their meditation practices are not uncommon. This talk focuses on the role of ‘wind’ in the (dys)functioning of the mind-body, and how this relates to Tibetan Buddhist concepts of mind-body and meditation practices. Key to both Tibetan medical and Buddhist traditions, wind is understood to flow through thousands of channels in the body, and is closely related to the mind and consciousness. While Tibetan medical texts describe how excessive mental activities (such as intensive study or ruminating on worries) can disrupt the flow of wind in the body, leading to symptoms from mild nausea or dizziness to high anxiety or even ‘madness’, Tibetan Buddhist tantric texts delineate similar ‘maps’ of the body, with overlapping but not identical descriptions of the channels through which wind flows. This talk explores how these overlapping notions of wind can explain some of the ways in which meditation can ‘go wrong’ for practitioners, as well as some of the ways that Tibetan medicine and Buddhism approach remedy.
Use code: EBWIND by April 17th for 60% off Registration
Susannah Deane is an interdisciplinary researcher working across Buddhist studies, medical anthropology, and cross-cultural approaches to mind and mental health. She received her PhD from Cardiff University in 2015 with research focused on the multifaceted understandings of mental health, illness, and healing evident among Tibetan exiles living in Darjeeling, northeast India. Her postdoctoral research, predominantly focused on Tibetan communities in Amdo, northeast Tibet, explores Tibetan understandings of ‘madness’ in both historical and contemporary perspective, and the ways these are informed by longstanding Tibetan medical and religious notions of mind-body. Her second monograph, ‘Illness and Enlightenment: Exploring Tibetan Perspectives on Madness in Text and Everyday Life’, was published by Berghahn Books in 2025.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will gain a general understanding of the notion of ‘wind’ in the Tibetan medical tradition.
Participants will be able to identify some of the key symptoms and treatments of ‘wind illness’ from Tibetan medical perspective
Participants will understand how Tibetan medical notions of wind can be related to meditation practitioners’ experiences
This lecture has been approved for 1 APA CE credit
Cheetah House is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cheetah House maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Friday, May 22nd - 12pm EST
The Neuroscience of the Mind-Body Relationship in the Aftermath of Trauma: Implications for Treatment
Abstract: Trauma can significantly disrupt the connection between the mind, brain, and body, often leaving enduring effects on both the emotional/cognitive and somatic aspects of the self. Emerging findings in neuroscience are deepening our understanding of how somatic sensory processing—a core function that determines how the body experiences itself in space—plays a vital role in self-regulation and how we engage with the world around us.
In the wake of trauma, these systems are often severely compromised. Individuals may become disconnected from their bodies, feel a loss of agency, and struggle with a diminished sense of purpose. These disruptions can result in a fragmented sense of self and difficulty in daily functioning.
This workshop presents a comprehensive, neuroscience-informed approach to healing the traumatized self. Through integrative strategies, participants will learn how to rebuild the mind-body connection—whether that connection was disrupted or never fully developed. The goal is to support the restoration of an embodied, cohesive self that can feel fully alive after trauma.
Use code EBRUTH for 60% off registration through May 9th.
Ruth A. Lanius, M.D., Ph.D. is a Psychiatry Professor and Harris-Woodman Chair at Western University of Canada, where she is the director of the Clinical Research Program for PTSD. Ruth has over 25 years of clinical and research experience with trauma-related disorders. She established the Traumatic Stress Service at London Health Sciences Centre, a program that specializes in the treatment of psychological trauma. Ruth has received numerous research and teaching awards, including the Banting Award for Military Health Research. She has published over 150 research articles and book chapters focusing on brain adaptations to psychological trauma and novel adjunct treatments for PTSD. Ruth regularly lectures on the topic of psychological trauma both nationally and internationally. Ruth has co-authored four books: The Effects of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease: The Hidden Epidemic, Healing the Traumatized Self: Consciousness, Neuroscience, Treatment, and Finding Solid Ground. Ruth is a passionate clinician scientist who endeavours to understand the first-person experience of traumatized individuals throughout treatment and how it relates to brain functioning.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the impact of trauma on somatic sensory processing and its effects on self-regulation and embodiment.
Identify key signs of disconnection between the mind, brain, and body in individuals who have experienced trauma.
Apply integrative, neuroscience-informed strategies to help restore an embodied sense of self in trauma recovery work.
This lecture has been approved for 1 APA CE credit
Cheetah House is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cheetah House maintains responsibility for this program and its content.