Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
An interview with Prof. Dagmar Wujastyk, Principal Investigator of AYURYOG.
UNTANGLING TRADITIONS | Yoga, Ayurveda and Alchemy.
An online conference by the AyurYog Project.
Yoga, ayurveda and alchemy have historically been considered different disciplinary fields. However, evidence also demonstrates complex interactions and areas of significant overlap. The AyurYog project’s goal has been to reveal the historical entanglements of these fields of knowledge and practice, and to trace the trajectories of their evolution as components of today's global healthcare and personal development industries.
Drawing upon the primary historical sources of each respective discipline as well as on fieldwork data, the research team have explored their shared terminology, practical applications and discourses. The research reveals how past encounters and cross-fertilizations have informed and shaped these bodies of knowledge over time.
These presentations introduce some of the project results and outputs and showcase collaborations with other research projects, scholars and practitioners.
First up in the programme is an introductory interview with Prof. Dagmar Wujastyk, Principal Investigator of AyurYog project. We will be asking Prof. Wujastyk:
What does she consider the most important findings of the entangled histories of Yoga, Āyurveda, and Alchemy?
We'll be discussing:
Did yogins in the medieval period practise medicine?
Did they formulate their own ways of treating ailments?
Were the medicines of Rasaśāstra (alchemy) radically different to those of classical Āyurveda or did they depend upon ayurvedic principles?
We'll also touch on how she hopes to build upon the research completed and what will be the next stage of research in this field.
Below are references mentioned during the interview:
AyurYog Timeline of Yoga and Ayurveda
ayuryog.org/timeline
Birch, Jason. 2018. "Premodern Yoga Traditions and Ayurveda". History of Science in South Asia, 6, 1-83. doi.org/10.18732/hssa.v6i0.25
Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia
History of Science in South Asia, Vol 5 No 2 (2017): Special Issue
Guest editors: Dagmar Wujastyk, Suzanne Newcombe, and Christèle Barois
journals.library.ualberta.ca/hssa/index.php/hssa/issue/view/6
This project was made possible through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation program under grant agreement No.639363.
An interview with Prof. Dagmar Wujastyk, Principal Investigator of AYURYOG.
UNTANGLING TRADITIONS | Yoga, Ayurveda and Alchemy.
An online conference by the AyurYog Project.
Yoga, ayurveda and alchemy have historically been considered different disciplinary fields. However, evidence also demonstrates complex interactions and areas of significant overlap. The AyurYog project’s goal has been to reveal the historical entanglements of these fields of knowledge and practice, and to trace the trajectories of their evolution as components of today's global healthcare and personal development industries.
Drawing upon the primary historical sources of each respective discipline as well as on fieldwork data, the research team have explored their shared terminology, practical applications and discourses. The research reveals how past encounters and cross-fertilizations have informed and shaped these bodies of knowledge over time.
These presentations introduce some of the project results and outputs and showcase collaborations with other research projects, scholars and practitioners.
First up in the programme is an introductory interview with Prof. Dagmar Wujastyk, Principal Investigator of AyurYog project. We will be asking Prof. Wujastyk:
What does she consider the most important findings of the entangled histories of Yoga, Āyurveda, and Alchemy?
We'll be discussing:
Did yogins in the medieval period practise medicine?
Did they formulate their own ways of treating ailments?
Were the medicines of Rasaśāstra (alchemy) radically different to those of classical Āyurveda or did they depend upon ayurvedic principles?
We'll also touch on how she hopes to build upon the research completed and what will be the next stage of research in this field.
Below are references mentioned during the interview:
AyurYog Timeline of Yoga and Ayurveda
ayuryog.org/timeline
Birch, Jason. 2018. "Premodern Yoga Traditions and Ayurveda". History of Science in South Asia, 6, 1-83. doi.org/10.18732/hssa.v6i0.25
Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia
History of Science in South Asia, Vol 5 No 2 (2017): Special Issue
Guest editors: Dagmar Wujastyk, Suzanne Newcombe, and Christèle Barois
journals.library.ualberta.ca/hssa/index.php/hssa/issue/view/6
This project was made possible through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation program under grant agreement No.639363.
