Yoga Bodies, Yoga Minds: How Indian Anatomies Form the Foundation of Yoga for Healing

Abstract

This paper discusses the importation of Yoga into the West, in the context of Yoga as a healing modality. It is important to distinguish between adapting a system of knowledge, like Yoga, to specific contexts, and altering the system to fit it into another quite different system of knowledge, such as conventional Western medicine. To illustrate this difference, the paper demonstrates how three ancient Indian anatomies (the pañcamaya model, the prâna vâyus model, and the subtle anatomy model) are foundational to the practical application of Yoga for healing. The practice of Yoga as a healing modality is based on theory and principles, and not only on methods and techniques.