Freud and Yoga: Two Philosophies of Mind Compared

Lessons from a great yoga master and an eminent psychoanalyst that explore what psychotherapy and yoga philosophy have in common

Yoga philosophy and Freud's revolutionary approach to psychology could not have been developed in more different times, places, or cultural conditions. And yet these two profound and dynamic systems of understanding human behavior, emotions, perception, and what's essential in our existence have an astonishing amount to share. What we learn by comparing their similarities as well as their differences can enhance how we comprehend our lives and our potential for change.
In Freud and Yoga, the great yoga master T.K.V. Desikachar and the eminent psychoanalyst Hellfried Krusche examine forty classic sayings, or sutras, from the vantage point of their respective disciplines. Through clear, candid conversations that draw on long experience and are illustrated by case studies from the clinic and the shala, these two experts explain the concepts, terms, forces, and processes in their traditions.
Therapists and patients, yoga adepts and professionals, and readers interested in psychology and spirituality will find this unique investigation fascinating, enriching, and useful. In a time when Western and Eastern modalities have ever more to offer each other, Freud and Yoga is a watershed work--one that draws us closer to understanding our own nature and the deep workings of the human psyche.

T.K.V. Desikachar, the son and student of the legendary yoga teacher Krishnamacharya, is a world-renowned authority on the therapeutic uses of yoga. He has been teaching internationally since 1962, and in 1976 he founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, which functions as a training ground for teachers as well as a clinic for treatment. He is the author of several influential books, including, with R. H. Cravens, Health, Healing, and Beyond (NPP, 2011). Hellfried Krusche is a doctor of psychology, an analyst, and a member of the German Psychoanalytical Association. He has trained as a yoga instructor in Belgium and France and has sojourned on numerous occasions with Desikachar at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram.