Dr. Copeland studied directly with Sri T. Krishnamacharya and taught and published on yoga in the 70’s-80’s. He has been a contributor and patron donor to the international Association for Yoga Therapy until recently when his views evolved regarding the appropriateness of calling yoga a therapy. Below is his current view on Yoga as a therapy. My journey to the conclusion IT IS PREMATURE AND INAPPROPRIATE TO CALL YOGA A THERAPY All practices of yoga are based on several spiritual and philosophical assumptions. Yoga is first and foremost a spiritual discipline with its goal to lead the devoted practitioner to a state of mind where personal suffering is experienced in context of those assumptions, and along the way, personal delusions, are dispelled. As I sift through my thinking, the separation of my knowledge of yoga from its physical practices is not a healthy practice. They go hand in hand For me to respect anyones teaching of yoga it must be taught as a spiritual discipline with these assumptions left intact with the practices. If yoga is practiced in such a divorced state, the essence of yoga is completely missed and it is therefore not yoga that is being performed, simply physical practices without knowing the proper context. About recognition as a healing discipline on a parity with modern medicine, psychology, mental health therapies, etc. At this time, teaching yoga without acceptance and understanding of its basic spiritual and religious assumptions is missing the essential point of all practices leading to a state of yoga. Viewing yoga as a healing art in and of itself without understanding or teaching its spiritual assumptions seems deceitful to me, or at least ignorant, and worst case, cloaking yoga as purely a physical practice when its true message is far from this. It could be viewed as intellectual deceit and frank dishonesty among those trying to sell the product to parties such as third party payors, hospital systems, etc. Advocating for yoga based on “the science” and data is simply using science and the scientific method as a “selling point” for the product. This is not dissimilar from what drug companies do to get FDA to approve a drug so the profit may be realized from all the Rand D(research and development). The difference being a drug is a proven product and all known side effects are revealed to the patient in plain language. We really know very little about yoga and its effects. It is a classic example of the cart leading the horse. Science should lead us to conclusions, not simply reinforce a “transcendent” belief or “experience”. It has and should be a deeply personal practice taught by a teacher knowledgeable in all aspects of yoga, and practiced with the proper intent. Teaching yoga without simultaneously teaching its religious and spiritual assumptions amounts to giving a medication or doing a procedure which requires proper disclosure, without obtaining proper informed consent of the patient. I continue to be supportive of genuine scientific inquiry into the HEALING TRADITION OF YOGA. Again, the practice of the discipline leading to a state of yoga is a deeply personal journey, each very unique, leading to the state of yoga. I am ever practicing and plan ongoing evolution of my own thinking. I personally find yoga tremendousley useful for me and will go on advocating for its personal practice if people ask me. OM SHANTI. p