modern yoga - Yoga Research

Yellow light in the form of a cakra is displayed on a chest with hands in a mudrā.

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.

Embodied Reception: South Asian Spiritualities in Contemporary Contexts Read More »

Silhouette of a man at sunset with arms raised above his head in prayer position.

“Flexible India: Yoga’s Cultural and Political Tensions” by Shameem Black

Reflections / Agi Wittich

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.

“Flexible India: Yoga’s Cultural and Political Tensions” by Shameem Black Read More »

People in a western-style yoga class doing a side stretch.

Fortunate Failures and Postural Yoga in North America

Reflections / author

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.

Fortunate Failures and Postural Yoga in North America Read More »

Swami Vivekananda (centre right) at the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893.

“Guru to the World: The Life of Swami Vivekananda” by Ruth Harris

Reflections / Suzanne Newcombe

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.

“Guru to the World: The Life of Swami Vivekananda” by Ruth Harris Read More »

3rd International YDYS Conference

Reflections / Samantha Griggs

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.

3rd International YDYS Conference Read More »

Bridging Disciplines: Integrating Social Sciences and Humanities to Advance Yoga Studies | An interview with Prof. Smriti Srinivas

Reflections / Agi Wittich

Smriti Srinivas offers a unique perspective on the academic study of yoga, drawing from her background in anthropology and lived experiences across diverse cultures.

Bridging Disciplines: Integrating Social Sciences and Humanities to Advance Yoga Studies | An interview with Prof. Smriti Srinivas Read More »

“Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation” by Christopher Jain Miller (Routledge 2024)

Reflections / Agi Wittich

Agi Wittich shares her view on the book by Christopher Jain Miller, Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation.

“Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation” by Christopher Jain Miller (Routledge 2024) Read More »