What Is Tuuwa? Part 1: Hopi Origins
“Tuuwa” means “Earth” in the Native American language of Hopi.
Native American healing traditions are one of the most inspiring pillars of our products, utilizing the best ingredients for our natural, high-quality Tuuwa Tension Relief Oil and Tuuwa Tension Relief Lotion for Him and for Her.
“Hopi" is a shortened form of the original term Hopituh-Shi-nu-mu, for which the most common meaning given is "peaceful people.” The Hopi reservation, almost 2.5 million acres in size and located in northeastern Arizona, just east of the Grand Canyon, is surrounded completely by the Navajo reservation.
The Hopis are ancient, having lived continuously in the same place for a thousand years. They are also a deeply religious people, whose customs and yearlong calendar of ritual ceremonialism guide virtually every aspect of their lives. Although some concessions to modern convenience have been made, the
Hopis have guarded their cultural traditions. This degree of cultural preservation is a remarkable achievement, facilitated by isolation, secrecy, and a community that remains essentially closed to outsiders.
The Hopis are quite knowledgeable about the various medicinal properties of certain plants and herbs. Native Americans practice herbal medicine as a way of life and to keep them in harmony with nature, purifying their spirit and bringing balance into their lives and their surroundings. The tribal Medicine Man who practiced Native American herbal medicine was considered almost immortal a hundred years ago.
Nobody knows how exactly the Native Americans sorted out which plants have medicinal properties although trial and error was probably one possible approach. Experts maintain that they observed sick animals around them eating certain plants, and concluded that those plants must have a certain healing property. Many scientific studies have verified the medicinal values of these plants. In fact, the common aspirin has been derived from salicin, a substance found in the inner bark of willow trees, used in ancient times for reducing fever and pain.
Gentiana is a herbaceous perennial plant, found mainly in the Eastern United States. It is used medicinally by Native American tribes to treat wounds and arthritic inflammation. Gentiana is a featured ingredient in our Tuuwa Relief Lotion for Him and Tuuwa Relief Lotion for Her.
In Part 2, we'll discuss Ayurveda. In Part 3, we'll dig into Traditional Chinese Medicine!