Meru Chikitsā and the Yoga Sūtras: the convergence of a contemporary spinal touch practice with classical yogic theory for self-regulation and wellbeing

Abstract

Objectives: Meru Chikitsā is a light touch spinal practice taught by Sri Sri Wellbeing within the Art of Living tradition, with practitioners certified under the Competency Enhancement Programme of the Healthcare Sector Skill Council of India. It has two published clinical reports and no written theoretical framework. This review describes the practice as transmitted and proposes a framework by showing convergence between the practice's own account and the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali.

Methods: A hermeneutic review using two source sets. Practice sources were the recorded introductory talk by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the article by Dr James Stone and Shruti Chaudhary, the Sri Sri Wellbeing curriculum and treatment pages, the certification pathway, and nine recorded practitioner testimonials. The classical source was the Yoga Sūtras in two scholarly editions. Statements on aims, mechanism, instruments and outcomes were extracted and mapped to sūtra clusters. Outcome claims in testimonials and the author's own clinical observations were excluded.

Results: Five convergences were found. The aim of relaxing into one's deepest nature converges with the seer abiding in its own nature (I.2 to I.4). Assessment of pain, low mood, spinal unsteadiness and disturbed breathing converges with the accompaniments of obstacles (I.30 to I.32). Touch creating prāṇic flow converges with the regulation of prāṇa as the route to a clear mind (I.34, II.49 to II.53). The supported effortless posture of the client converges with āsana (II.46 to II.48). Staged transmission converges with the graded application of saṃyama (III.1 to III.6). The four elements of the practice, client, practitioner, table and technique, each have a place in the framework.

Conclusions: Meru Chikitsā can be understood as a distinct yogic practice with a coherent classical foundation rather than as a form of manual therapy. The framework gives a basis for practice standards and future research.