Asian Traditions of Health, Medicine, and the Body

Catalog description

This course provides an introduction to historical and contemporary traditions of health, medicine, and the body from various parts of Asia. Potentially including such diverse topics as Ayurveda, yoga, acupuncture, taiji, qigong, Tibetan medicine, and other systems of practice, the course emphasizes comparative and multi-disciplinary frameworks. The semester finishes with sections on the modernization and globalization of Asian traditions, including their practice in the US. Throughout, the class will approach all Asian ideas and practices on their own terms, encouraging comparison among the various traditions as well as with contemporary American ideas about health and wellness.