Dr. Agi Wittich
Agi Wittich, Ph.D., is a scholar of religion and yoga studies whose work explores the intersections of gender, tradition, and innovation in modern yoga. She earned her doctorate in Comparative […]
modern yoga
From Tapas to Modern Yoga: Sādhus’ Understanding of Embodied Practices
The publication From Tapas to Modern Yoga presents an exploration of yogic practices within ascetic traditions, offering a unique perspective on yoga’s evolution and contemporary manifestations. This scholarly work stands out for its innovative methodological approach, combining extensive fieldwork with rigorous textual analysis.
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Embodied Reception: South Asian Spiritualities in Contemporary Contexts
Edited by Henriette Hanky, Knut A. Jacobsen, and István Keul, this comprehensive work brings together contributions from renowned scholars in yoga studies and related fields. The book’s innovative approach introduces the concept of embodied reception, offering a fresh perspective on how practitioners’ bodies engage with and shape spiritual practices as they traverse cultural boundaries.
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“Flexible India: Yoga’s Cultural and Political Tensions” by Shameem Black
In her latest scholarly work, Flexible Yoga, Shameem Black insightfully probes yoga’s intricate negotiations amidst cultural appropriation debates, Hindu nationalist agendas, and global labor exploitation through an interdisciplinary framework encompassing ethnography, discourse analysis, and textual study.
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Fortunate Failures and Postural Yoga in North America
In his latest book, Yogalands: In search of Practice on the Mat and in the World, Paul Bramadat used interviews, focus groups, site visits, class experiences, a survey, a teacher training program, theoretical inquiries, and auto-ethnography, to enter and take readers into the world of postural yoga.
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“Guru to the World: The Life of Swami Vivekananda” by Ruth Harris
In the biography Guru to the World: The Life of Swami Vivekananda, Ruth Harris provides a comprehensive and discerning account of Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu monk renowned for introducing yoga and Vedanta philosophy to the Western world during the late 19th century. Harris skillfully traces Vivekananda’s journey from his upbringing in Calcutta to his notable 1893 address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, followed by extensive tours across America and Europe.
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3rd International YDYS Conference
Samantha Griggs shares her reflections on this year’s Yoga Darśana, Yoga Sādhana Conference: ‘Introspection, Inspiration, Institutionalisation’ held at Universität Hamburg. Building on the success of previous conferences in 2016 and 2022 at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, this third iteration of YDYS brought together approximately 100 scholars in the field of yoga studies for three days of inspiring presentations, dynamic discussions, and critical examination of the field.
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Bridging Disciplines: Integrating Social Sciences and Humanities to Advance Yoga Studies | An interview with Prof. Smriti Srinivas
Smriti Srinivas offers a unique perspective on the academic study of yoga, drawing from her background in anthropology and lived experiences across diverse cultures.
“Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation” by Christopher Jain Miller (Routledge 2024)
Agi Wittich shares her view on the book by Christopher Jain Miller, Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation.