Untangling the traditions of yoga, Ayurveda and alchemy
Historically, yoga, Ayurveda and alchemy have been viewed as distinct disciplinary fields. However, there is strong evidence suggesting otherwise. “These fields are often viewed as being ‘sister’ disciplines,” says Dagmar Wujastyk, a researcher at the University of Vienna. “However, Indian history and culture suggests that their relationship is much deeper, with complex interactions and significant overlap between the three disciplines.” The EU-funded AYURYOG project aimed to unravel this mystery. Led by Wujastyk, the project worked on revealing the historical entanglements of these three fields of knowledge and practice. In doing so, they hoped to trace the trajectories of their evolution as components of today’s global healthcare and personal development industries.
Past encounters and cross-fertilisations
Using primary historical sources of each respective discipline, as well as fieldwork data, project researchers explored their shared terminology, practical applications and discourses. “We wanted to see if this connection could be traced to the roots of these three Indic disciplines,” explains Wujastyk, who’s project was supported by the European Research Council. “To do this, we examined textual traditions as a means of tracing their interaction over time.” What they discovered is that past encounters and cross-fertilisations have greatly informed and shaped all three fields. “We were able to establish a very clear connection between the medical and alchemical traditions, with medicine first providing a structure for alchemy,” adds Wujastyk. “Alchemical procedures then influenced medical pharmaceutical production – an influence that continues today.” As for the yoga traditions, researchers found that medicine initially played a subsidiary role for yoga practitioners, who only later integrated more medical elements into their practice. “However, the idea of yoga being a practice mainly directed at good health seems to be a development of the 20th century,” remarks Wujastyk. Wujastyk adds that their research suggests that the Ayurvedic tradition did not incorporate yogic practice into its methods for treating illness. “Our work shows how, historically, yoga was not about health or well-being, having been reinterpreted in the last century to incorporate this aspect,” notes Wujastyk. “Furthermore, our research demonstrates that Indian alchemy should be viewed as the basis for much of modern Ayurvedic pharmaceutical production.”
Anything but easy
The project succeeded in providing a clearer understanding of the history of each discipline and how that history affects modern practices. However, reaching this conclusion was anything but easy. “Accessing some of the primary materials was a real challenge as Indian archives tend to be reluctant to give non-Indian researchers access to their materials – let alone digital copies of manuscripts,” says Wujastyk. That being said, researchers persevered, producing a number of useful tools, publications and documentaries. For example, the project created an interactive timeline that showcases the historic trajectory of how yoga and Ayurveda overlap. The tool is now being used in yoga teacher training all over the world. The project is currently adding the finishing touches to a volume of translations of Indian government reports on the practice of medicine in India and a sourcebook on Indian alchemy. Wujastyk is also in the early stages of launching a new project dedicated to the iatrochemical aspects of Indian alchemy.
Keywords
AYURYOG, yoga, Ayurveda, alchemy, healthcare, Indic, medicine
