Oral Presentation by Chhavi Kohli¹
¹ University of manchester, United Kingdom
TIME: Tuesday, 14 July, 10:30 – 12:00
Location: Room 4
Session: 4
Abstract
Aims: This paper critically examines the integration of Yoga within applied psychology, particularly counselling, focusing on how neoliberal capitalism and Eurocentric therapeutic frameworks shape its contemporary use. Rooted in the 5000 years old Hindu philosophy, as a spiritually and ethically grounded practice, Yoga is increasingly marketed, sold, and deployed as a commodified wellbeing intervention within counselling contexts. The paper aims to explore how this process decontextualises Yoga to fit capitalist imperatives of efficiency, self-regulation, and productivity, while obscuring its spiritual foundations. It further seeks to interrogate the epistemic injustices produced through this commodification and to consider how decolonial approaches may support culturally responsive and ethically informed counselling practice. Methods: The study undertakes a critical, theoretically informed analysis of existing literature related to Hindu philosophy, spirituality, and applied counselling psychology. A reflexive practitioner–researcher stance is adopted to examine how dominant counselling models and techniques used for mental and psychological wellbeing, appropriate and repackage Yoga within therapeutic settings. Literature from counselling psychology, cultural competence, and Yoga scholarship is analysed to identify underlying capitalist logics, power relations, and epistemological tensions shaping contemporary practice. Results: The analysis indicates that Yoga is frequently reframed in counselling settings as a culturally neutral, marketable wellbeing tool, prioritising stress reduction, emotional regulation, and performance enhancement. This reframing aligns Yoga with neoliberal values of individual responsibility and optimisation, enabling its sale as an intervention while marginalising its ethical, spiritual, and relational dimensions. Such practices contribute to epistemic injustice by erasing Yoga’s Hindu philosophical foundations and risk reinforcing colonial power dynamics within applied psychology. Discussion: The findings highlight the need for a decolonial reorientation of counselling psychology that moves beyond the superficial inclusion and commercialisation of culturally derived practices. The paper argues for epistemic humility, reflexivity, and structural accountability in therapist training and practice, advocating for approaches that honour Yoga as a spiritually situated tradition rather than a commodified technique