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Dagmar Wujastyk
Image by Andrew Mason (neterapublishing)

The terms used for the alchemical procedures sometimes evoke the language of ayurvedic therapy. Svedana, the "steaming" of the first alchemical procedure, has a correlate in ayurvedic treatment. There, svedana is the application of heat to the patient's body, which results in the patient sweating (the translation for svedana here).

Dagmar Wujastyk

Perhaps you noticed at the end of the first AyurYog film on reconstructing alchemical procedures that the filmmaker thanks Dr Jinal Thakkar and Dr Parth Kale. These are the rasashastra experts with formal university training in India that Andrew Mason has consulted with.

Dagmar Wujastyk
Patricia Sauthoff

On March 25, UK news broadcaster Sky News reported that at least three billion people — nearly half of the world’s population — are under restriction due to the COVID19 coronavirus outbreak.

Dagmar Wujastyk

The Rasahṛdayatantra, the earliest of the Sanskrit alchemical works transmitted to us, is characterised by its concise style. With few flourishes, it succintly describes alchemical operations in a structured way, providing a quick overview of procedures. However, the brevity of its descriptions also means that it can be difficult to fully understand the described procedures. 

Dagmar Wujastyk
part of image from https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/rasashala-ancient-indian-alchemical-lab/KwJCaP1RF0y-KQ

Yogis, adepts, experts: Who were the alchemists?

 

Suzanne Newcombe

An important theme of Ayuryog research has been the complexity of entanglements. In the past few years we have been able to shine a spotlight on a few areas of intersection between yoga, ayurveda and rasaśāstra (Indian alchemy).

Patricia Sauthoff

On the fifth floor Science and Technology Heritage gallery of the National Science Center, Delhi, a small diorama shows some of the instruments used by South Asian alchemists. This diorama shows a cluttered space, full of yantras (apparatuses) and ovens.

Suzanne Newcombe

Drawing on some her Ayuryog research, Suzanne Newcombe has created a short reflection with the Open University on how to think about what happens after death - and the practices which may be associated with life extension or immortality. See the short, free OpenLearn page here.

Suzanne Newcombe

To mark a new Open University BA (Hons) qualification in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (R45), Suzanne Newcombe and Carolyn Price have made an audio recording in which they discuss how researchers in Religious Studies and Philosophy investigate immortality and some of the ethical implications of the subject.

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