With the aim of promoting health and well-being, preventing non-communicable diseases and improving work performance, civil servants are being trained in Sorig Zhiney and Luejong. Sorig Zhiney and Luejong are mindfulness and yoga practices rooted in Bhutanese traditional medicine. The second cohort of civil servants wrapped up the four-day training in the capital today, with the third cohort scheduled to begin training next week.
As the trainer gently plays a singing bowl, its soft tones fill the room while the participants close their eyes and focus on their breathing in mindful meditation.
Deeply rooted in Bhutanese traditional medicine, these practices help promote calmness, physical vitality and overall well-being without any equipment.
Trainers say that it can be practised anywhere, including workplaces, even in under 15 minutes.
Along with wellness, the goal is also to prevent non-communicable diseases, the leading cause of death among Bhutanese, responsible for almost 70 per cent of all deaths in the country.
“As per the annual health survey 2023, the number of people suffering from mental health conditions is about 28,000. Then we have about 40,000 people suffering from diabetes and more than 200,000 people suffering from hypertension. So, we are conducting this Sorig Zhiney and Luejong training mainly to prevent these diseases among the civil servants,” said Kencho Wangdi, Offtg. Head, National Centre for Traditional Medicine Services, MoH.
The Sorig Preventive Health and Wellbeing Division under the ministry has customised and simplified the training to suit everyone and not just medical professionals. Â The health ministry is organizing the training with support from the Bhutan Foundation.
Initiated in 2016, trainers say they have been receiving positive feedback from the participants.
“As a trainer, the changes that I notice at the end of the training is the participants say their body becomes very light, their mind becomes clear. So, which means that our Sorig Zhiney and Luejong is not only focused on physical wellbeing, but also cultivates inner peace, balance and awareness,” said Deki Choden, Invasive Therapy Specialist/ Zhiney Trainer, National Traditional Medicine Hospital.
“I have done yoga before, but through videos online. So, my knowledge regarding yoga was limited to body pressure. But this workshop broadens my perspective on yoga. On the surface, it only seems like a sequence of body movements, but what makes it really meaningful is the attention that it requires, how you take your breath, how your body holds attention, and how your mind reacts to it, to the stillness. And what fascinated me more was seeing yoga through the lens of Buddhist thoughts, awareness and mindfulness being central to it,” said Tenzin Dema, Attorney, Office of the Attorney General.
The training is being conducted for three cohorts of civil servants. After completing the programme, participants are expected to return to their respective workplaces and train their colleagues.
In the last decade, the ministry trained over 1,000 diverse participants, including de-suups, teachers and those in rehabilitation centres.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Phub Gyem
