This article approaches mental health of postcolonial bodies through the lens of colonial gender politics. Using postcolonial feminist writings on Hindu mythology as a starting point, I discuss how trauma has been imbibed into women’s bodies through concepts such as pativrata. This problematises our contemporary, uncritical understandings of the mind/body dichotomy posited by popular discourses on yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness techniques. Then, moving on to feminist writings on Indian indentured labour history and Bahujan communities, this article asserts that these traumas have continued throughout history, imbibing a mind/ body dichotomy textured by various forms of violence. I argue that these histories can neither be ignored nor completely overcome, and for a deeper engagement in mental health that is contextualised within these histories.

中文翻译：

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物质性、后殖民性和心理健康现象学

本文通过殖民性别政治的视角探讨后殖民身体的心理健康。以关于印度神话的后殖民女权主义著作为起点，我讨论了创伤如何通过诸如 pativrata 之类的概念被吸收到女性的身体中。这对我们当代对瑜伽、冥想和其他正念技巧的流行话语所提出的身心二分法的不加批判的理解提出了质疑。然后，转向关于印度契约劳工历史和 Bahujan 社区的女权主义著作，本文断言这些创伤在整个历史中持续存在，吸收了由各种形式的暴力构成的身心二分法。我认为这些历史既不能被忽视也不能完全克服，