Yoga and Ayurveda–Are They Really Sister Sciences?

“Yoga & Ayurveda are sister sciences!”

This phrase gets thrown around often—but let’s take a closer look and see what rings true for you.

The common phrase “Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences” might be an overly simplified way of describing a profound set of healing technologies passed down by ancient scientists (rishis), shared in good faith, and with the intention of bettering the human condition.

While Yoga has now been popularised through bendy postures, the path of Yoga is profoundly inward confronting and nothing like a circus act. It asks brave seekers to contemplate the meaning of life and their living purpose.

What is Yoga?

Postural yoga, or asana,  might be part of the practice, but someone practising yoga only for reasons of outward presentation is not necessarily participating in the entirety of Yoga. At the same time, one’s devotional practice—through Ishta Bhakti (worshipping a form of deity), for example—may be a quiet and intimate approach to the path. The tools of Yoga can be accessed from many doors, and all point toward one aim: self-realisation through the purification and mastery of the mind. Broadly speaking, Yoga is the art of mind management for one’s self-realisation (or liberation, Moksha).

Yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodhah

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Yoga is defined as keeping the mind still by arresting modifications. 

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, on the other hand, is a holistic health system focused on preserving the body's immunity and vitality through suggested lifestyle implementations, and disease prevention with remedies such as herbal protocols, therapies, nutrition, mantras, colours, gemstones, and so much more. It aims to promote longevity and well-being, customised according to a person’s stage of life and living environment. That being said, Ayurveda isn’t a magic pill. The purpose of Ayurveda is to prolong one’s capacity for good health, for as long as holistic medical intervention can preserve. The difference here can be seen where Ayurveda clearly states its goal is health and longevity, not liberation (Moksha).

Sama dosa sama agnisca sama dhatu mala kriyah

Prasanna atma indriya manah svastha iti abhidhiyate

In the Sushruta Samhita, it is described when the doshas, agni, tissues, structures and other bodily functions are all in perfect balance, when the mind and senses are clear, calm and pleasant, that perfect state of health is called Svastha. This is the definition of a perfect state of health and well-being in Ayurveda. 

Who coined the term “sister sciences”?

I was unsuccessful in locating the source where the term “sister sciences” was first coined (though ChatGPT says it became popularised in the West). In my opinion, it could be a result of the widespread publication of Yoga and Ayurveda books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where people started learning from paraphrased texts rather than the traditional pathway of guru-shishya parampara, where the student (shishya) spends a significant amount of time with the teacher (guru), through an unbroken succession of knowledge transmission, orally from a teacher to a student.

Perhaps because Yoga and Ayurveda originate from a shared cultural ecosystem, language, and philosophical understanding, the overlap in teachings from various modern sources in our current times, could make Yoga and Ayurveda’s goals look similar, when not properly contextualised. Many Ayurvedic protocols can be found woven into Yogic practices, and both traditions aim to guide individuals toward a sattvic (balanced, pure, peaceful) state of being.

But should they be called sister sciences?

To call them “sister sciences” risks flattening their intentions. It can reduce Yoga—an inner spiritual journey—into merely another therapeutic modality. Yoga demands a lifelong commitment to personal transformation and self-inquiry. By bundling it with Ayurveda as though they are two branches of the same tree, we may dilute the profundity of each.

Also, the term may suggest that if one practices Yoga, they should naturally practice Ayurveda—and vice versa. This isn’t necessarily true. One may receive Ayurvedic treatments and never walk the path of seeking Yogic wisdom. Similarly, a committed Yoga seeker doesn’t need to study Ayurveda to feel “complete.” Calling them “sister sciences” can suggest a healing elitism when one implies that their chosen healing path (the Yoga and Ayurveda combination) is more advanced, more ancient, or more legitimate than others.

There’s an unspoken implication here that this pairing makes the practitioner “better than” those who benefited from other healing modalities. Personally, I don’t resonate with that idea, and never considered Ayurveda to be superior to other holistic systems. While it has a rich history and profound depth, we should understand that Ayurveda is a medical system after all. Other known medical systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine from ancient China, or Unani Medicine from Perso-Arabic tradition, just to name a few, consider the interconnectedness of the body's systems and the individual's overall well-being too.

Both Yoga and Ayurveda have helped millions of people across the globe understand the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit. They are powerful knowledge systems that share a deep reverence for nature, balance, and harmony. But appearing to go hand-in-hand doesn’t mean they must always be practiced as such. We should never claim to be a Yoga practitioner solely because of our knowledge in Ayurveda, and vice versa.

My journey with Yoga and Ayurveda

My journey began with a personal health challenge. I turned to Ayurveda to find a solution for my hormonal imbalance. As I immersed myself in the teachings, I reconnected with the sensitive and sensible parts of myself—the ones that see Nature as a direct mirror reflecting my inner world.

I eagerly dove into its wisdom, learning about therapeutic interventions, herbal protocols, and seasonal rhythms. I was fixated to complete a 600-hour Ayurvedic Health Counsellor online program in two years, yet two years passed and I did not progress far. 

A couple of years later, I began studying Yoga and completed my first Yoga teacher training. And I realised then—between these two knowledge systems—Ayurveda, while profound, wasn’t everything to me. I couldn’t possibly absorb the fullness of its teachings in this lifetime (neither would I absorb all Yogic scriptures if I sleep on stacks of them). However, clarifying the purpose of Ayurveda and Yoga, makes the path forward less pressurising.

As my desires for fleeting external fulfillment softened, I found contentment in simply being a lifelong student of Yoga, along with my continuous experiments with Ayurveda. I released myself from the guilt of not completing the 600-hour Ayurvedic Health Counsellor program, even though I had already reached the halfway mark. The decision wasn’t taken lightly, yet it became clear when I understood my personal approach towards Ayurveda—beyond what’s written in textbooks and the pressure from societal expectations.

As Ayurveda is an intricate and elaborate medical system, it is actually a dedicated path of six intense years of studies to be qualified as an Ayurvedic doctor. In comparison to a 600-hour program, I do not see myself providing much value by scraping the superficial layers of the knowledge, and could never imagine myself replacing the credibility of a doctor. A part of Ayurveda remains applicable and useful in my life and it ripples out to my work, which is offering therapeutic bodywork and lifestyle education. To be content with sharing just that much of information, was entirely Yoga’s credit for imparting the nectar of contentment and focusing on one’s personal duty (Svadharma).

In this sense, Ayurveda became a part of my life—not my whole path.

On a personal level, Ayurveda is a holistic system that I enjoy learning for my health and well-being. Ayurveda’s treatments and lifestyle integration are extremely helpful in preventing overload on our senses (the gateways through which we perceive and interact with the world). Its supportive measures anchor the body and mind for higher spiritual pursuits (Yoga).

The more I observe and commit to practices that support my physical and mental well-being, the calmer and quieter my mind becomes. That’s how it works for me—but that doesn’t mean it has to be the same for everyone.

To put it simply,

Ayurveda is a tool for lifestyle management and good health.

Yoga is the path toward self-realisation.

Are they sister sciences? It is for you to research, reflect, and reach your own conclusion :)