Vision and Philosophy of Health in Auroville

For those who have chosen to work for healing the world and humanity, Auroville, dedicated to The Mother’s dream of a new consciousness expressing itself in the material world, is the place to be. 

“Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.” (From the Auroville Charter)

With residents from 59 nations, Auroville is rich with different approaches and perspectives on health, all empowered by the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the Community’s spiritual guides. In Auroville, each health practitioner and healer not only bring their own particular skill, from the country of their origin but also the wisdom and knowledge are drawn from their former home.

External aspects of health refer to the outer world, be it our immediate surroundings, our family, our work, our community, or be it affairs concerning a wider world. The internal aspects are basically formed by Integral Yoga as developed by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, matching the primary commitment each Aurovilian made by joining Auroville and fostering spiritual growth by and through works across various daily activities.

Through this very Integral Yoga, health acquires significant importance in one’s life, not only from a spiritual perspective, as well as from a practical point of view, by enabling us to live an active life in realizing the Yoga.

This opportunity is also offered to anyone who would like to come to Auroville, be it for a few weeks as a guest or a few months as a volunteer.

Health and wellbeing in Auroville encompass a wide range of practices, from spiritual psychology to naturopathy, from yoga to physical therapies, from energy healing to sound healing, not to forget allopathy and Ayurveda. Birth and “Passing away” are also approached with specific care and support. The human organism is assessed from a holistic perspective. Illness is considered a consequence of some already existing disorder on a more subtle plane. Therefore, in order to restore harmony from an integral point of view, the healing process is addressed from two different perspectives: first from a spiritual and integral side, and second from a mental, emotional and physical one.

According to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, there is a deep though the subtle connection between the inner environment on one hand, and possible future disorders and diseases on the other hand. From this point of view, one could foresee a kind of liability, between one’s own inner state and the general state of health one, is currently in. Once a disease is properly examined from an integral perspective, one may understand to never take it as an isolated occurrence, but as the consequence of a whole comprehensive process.

Addressing discomforts, troubles, and illnesses from a spiritual integral perspective leads practitioners and healers in Auroville to take into consideration the relationship one has with his soul or his inmost being. In Auroville, the 150+ practitioners provide various techniques that focus on specific characteristics of the ‘body-heart-mind-soul’ inner connection. For instance, addressing joy and mental comfort may lead to calming the emotional body, with beneficial consequences on the physical level. 

Furthermore, harmonizing these 3 aspects within one individual is contagious and benefits everyone in the person’s vicinity, nourishing compellingly the community in the same healthy process.

There are more than 20 health-related facilities in Auroville, which range from dedicated Health-Centers to venues that host several other activities, covering a broad spectrum of well-being options. Doctors and practitioners naturally adapt themselves eventually to what patients expect from them, such as visiting patients in their homes or working from their own houses. Some of them give online sessions, workshops and training events, and the reputation of some practitioners extends across India and further afield.

The health sector in Auroville attracts many doctors, scientists and alternative practitioners from around the world who come on a regular basis to share their knowledge and skills by means of conferences and workshops. They are usually keen to understand the interrelationship between health and spirituality, as described by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. So Auroville offers a unique dynamic experience in the health domain usually referred to as ‘well-being’. Auroville has an international reputation for such practices as Watsu which requires special facilities.

Promoting well-being regardless of the circumstances, and behaving joyfully and in a compassionate manner, not only to oneself but to one another, becomes one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle. Nurturing oneself consciously, not only with organic food that is evidently part of a healthier lifestyle but also with beauty, good sense and good energy, fostering peaceful thoughts, dedication to serving the world and the community at large, are all modalities that shape one’s daily routine, as encouraged by the health practitioners in Auroville. These practices not only foster in return a healthy environment for one’s soul but heal one’s physical body and keep it in good shape.

Health is covering many aspects of one’s life, even if, at first sight, this is not always obvious. Furthermore, since Auroville behaves also as a collective living being, these efforts to promote health and well-being also benefit the whole community.

Looking at it from many different perspectives, Auroville promotes Health as an essential component of the Divine Consciousness that is required to heal the world and humanity.