A Guide To Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM)

We recently sat down with Mubaris Ahamed.T, a Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM) specialist at Zulal Wellness Resort to find out more about Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM).

As a Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM) practitioner at Zulal Wellness Resort, help us better understand what it is?

At Zulal we base our wellness philosophy on Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM), the lifestyle philosophy from our area of the world that follows a holistic path to achieve health and spiritual wellbeing. We are unique in bringing this ancient approach into a context that is relevant for today, combining traditional healing practices with nutrition, mind-body therapies, physical movement, herbal medicine, rest and connection with nature. TAIM, which focusses on the importance of natural healing processes, has its roots in The Canon of Medicine, a medical encyclopaedia that was documented in 1025 by philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina), a polymath from the Islamic Golden Age.

At its core, TAIM, which shares elements with Greek, Persian, Indian, Unani and Traditional Chinese Medicine, understands that each person has a unique body constitution based in the natural ‘humours’ of ‘wet’, ‘dry’, ‘hot’ and ‘cold’. These must be in balance for efficient metabolism; when they are out of balance disease can set in. Our TAIM specialists assess the imbalances in each individual and work with all our guests on a personal level to prescribe a holistic road map that sets you on your path to balanced wellbeing.

Please can you share with us some examples of TAIM treatments that you can try at Zulal Wellness Resort

Hijama

Hijama, or cupping, is an ancient healing tradition that involves the application of suction cups on the body to draw out stagnant, congested blood and heat, stimulating a localised healing response in the body’s tissue and enhancing the cleansing and removal of toxins from the body.

Massage Al-Batin

This soothing and therapeutic internal organ massage, followed by a warm Jade stone massage, focusing on the abdomen where stress and negative emotions are held and releasing energetic tension to promote long-lasting health and vitality.

Massage Al-Ra's

Acupressure points are gently pressed to release tension along the meridian channels of the face, head and shoulders, followed by a gentle massage of the temples using Zulal’s locally-made essential oil for promoting deep relaxation and balance of mind, body and spirit.

Traditional Qatari Hamiz

A deeply relaxing massage therapy that focuses on the whole body, using circular massage strokes with special blend of essential oil, locally-inspired with indigenous Qatari and Arabic medicinal herbs, in combination with hot stones to re-energise the body and stimulate circulation and energy flow.

As a TAIM practitioner, what are common health issues you see, and how can a retreat at Zulal Wellness Resort help individuals address these issues? 

Three very common health issues that surface are high blood pressure, obesity and constipation.

Blood pressure

The TAIM system attributes two instances that contribute to a spike in an individual’s blood pressure:  

• The increased amount of blood in the vessels, which is caused by a hot, moist temperament or the sanguineous type.
• The dryness of the vessels (caused by narrowing) increases blood pressure, leading to the dry, cold melancholic type.

At Zulal Wellness Resort we recommend a diet rich in herbs like garlic, pepper, ginger, celery, lemon, hibiscus tea, olive leaf extract and saffron to naturally manage an individual’s blood pressure.

Obesity

Ibne Sina writings featured  the taqleel ghiza (decreasing food intake) as an important tool for weight management. At Zulal Wellness Resort we would share recommendations not immediately eating after a bath but rather wait and take a short nap instead. Also for example, consuming fenugreek seeds and black seeds on an empty stomach with warm water can help reduce obesity. These gems of wisdom will be shared with our guests to follow during their stay and beyond.

Constipation

To alleviate the symptoms of constipation, we would advise our guests to try aloe vera, pomegranate, figs, dates etc.