DOCSLIB.ORG

Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 30 Yoga and God: Hindu and Christian Perspectives Article 4 2017 Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya Stephanie Corigliano Humboldt State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Corigliano, Stephanie (2017) "Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 30, Article 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1656 The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Corigliano: Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishn Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya Stephanie Corigliano Humboldt State University SA tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha- philosophical work and prose of bhūṃiḥ, Yogasūtra 1.14 states, “Practice becomes Krishnamacharya, yet it is set forth as part of a firmly established when it has been cultivated non-sectarian perspective. For example, one uninterruptedly and with devotion over a verse of his Yogāñjalisāram reads: prolonged period of time.”1 Your Lord or mine, it does not matter, As a student of the late Pattabhi Jois, I heard with a quiet mind, meditate with humility, this sūtra countless times during Jois’s afternoon the Lord, pleased, gives what you seek, conferences with his students. In the context of and happily will offer more. (śloka 13)2 practice in Mysore with Jois, I understood the The importance of devotion is also concept of discipline. However, the concept of demonstrated in the lives and in the written devotion, satkārā, was more ambiguous. works of his foremost students, yet it became Questions about God and devotion were usually less of a central point in their own teaching, met with a simple, “God is one.” which primarily focused on āsana or physical Jois was one of a few proponents of Yoga in practice. the modern era to have learned from Tirumalai In reference to Krishnamacharya’s work, his Krishnamacharya. As guru, or teacher, to BKS son Desikachar explains that devotion to God is Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and TKV Desikachar, the ideal way to focus the mind. He adds, Krishnamacharya is recognized as the founder But this devotion to God must not of many of the forms of Yoga that are popular remain just a desire. It must become a today. For example, American “Power Yoga,” regular practice, as this alone, when many forms of “Yoga therapy,” and all types of regularly done, can prevail upon the “Vinyasa/Flow Yoga” are derived from the past tendencies of the mind. The methods originally taught by Krishnamacharya. practice involves remembering God in Interestingly, the importance of a some form, in words, images, rituals, theistic/devotional stance is prominent in the offering flowers or visiting temples, Stephanie Corigliano is a lecturer at Humboldt State University. She specializes in Comparative Theology and Yoga studies. She has an essay in the (2017) book How to Do Comparative Theology (edited by Klaus von Stoch and Francis X. Clooney), "Theologizing for the Yoga Community? Commitment and Hybridity in Comparative Theology." She is currently working on a monograph that examines the teaching tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and Patañjali's Yogasūtras. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies 30 (2017): 21-32 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2017 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 30 [2017], Art. 4 22 Stephanie Corigliano taking great care that it does not communities. Still, as evidenced in the study of become mechanical…3 Krishnamacharya’s work, Yoga without a This highlights the functional role of specific religious commitment is appropriate devotion as a means for focusing the mind. The primarily for those in the beginning stages of habit of concentrating on an ideal image can practice. Advanced practice means making counteract other, less ideal habits. Yet, specific, devotional commitments. On the other Desikachar (drawing upon Krishnamacharya) hand, I contend that Christian Yoga may find a grounds this in a concrete practice that also common ground with contemporary Yoga points to a lived, religious commitment. movements, and a wider acceptance within Taking seriously both the importance of particular Church settings, by emphasizing the devotion and the refrain, “Your Lord or mine, it dialectical relationship between technique and does not matter,” this essay turns to look at the religious commitment that is prevalent in many phenomena of Christian Yoga as a transnational, Hindu approaches to Yoga. devotional approach to Yoga practice. Initially I This article is a work of comparative look at the question, ‘What is Yoga?’ for theology. Thus, I provide some history and proponents of Christian Yoga? How is it detail for both traditions and consider the ways practiced and what are its goals? And, what is in which attention to similarities and changed or lost with the use of a more differences can help practitioners, both specifically religious approach to Yoga practice? Christian and non-Christian, to deepen their Subsequently, I compare this specifically experience of Yoga, faith commitment, and religious approach to Yoga practice with the community. non-sectarian approach of Krishnamacharya. In Christian Yoga: A Brief Overview closing, I argue that Christian Yoga, though Christians have a long history of representative of an entirely distinct movement appreciating and appropriating Hindu practices. in its own right, might be viewed as a natural The earliest examples of this were attempts to result of the philosophical precepts set forth by evangelize the Hindu by learning Indian 20th century proponents of Yoga like languages and texts, even taking on Hindu garb Krishnamacharya. 4 and emulating aspects of Indian culture. The continuity between the Yoga tradition However, particularly since the early 1900’s, of Krishnamacharya and Christian Yoga may there has been a more active and reflective appear untenable to proponents of either form engagement of Christians with Hindu spiritual of Yoga practice, yet despite their more obvious 5 practices. The result, evidenced in the differences, they both share an emphasis on Christian ashram movement in India and in physical Yoga practice that is combined with select communities outside of India, is often devotion to God. In particular, practitioners of termed “Christian Yoga.” This spirituality Yoga in the tradition of Krishnamacharya may blends aspects of Yoga philosophy and practice resist the recommendation that Yoga is (ideally) with the ideals of Christianity, most distinctly, a devotional practice. The turn to Yoga is, for the belief in Christ and the hope for salvation. many contemporary practitioners, an explicit turn away from traditional religious https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol30/iss1/4 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1656 2 Corigliano: Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishn Devotion and Discipline: Christian Yoga and the Yoga of T. Krishnamacharya 23 There are at least three categories that trained in the Saiva Siddhanta school of Tamil differentiate the broad spectrum of what might Nadu. This involved a prolonged training in be termed “Christian Yoga.” The first are those meditation techniques that resulted in several who have combined aspects of Yoga philosophy vision experiences. He later studied with a and practice with Christianity with minimal teacher of Advaita Vedanta. concern for Christian orthodoxy or tradition Appasamy argues not only that Christians and who have instead promoted a new religious can and should do Yoga, but that the techniques community. This includes thinkers like A.K. of Yoga have been integral to Christian Mozumdar, an early proponent of New Thought contemplative practice all along. In particular, and author of The Life and the Way: Christian Yoga he points to various mystics and parts of the Metaphysics (1911). Bible where visions of God are central.7 He also The second category emerges from a Hindu goes on to identify prāṇa (or breath/life-force) religious worldview and includes works like with the Holy Spirit such that awareness of the Jesus Christ and Yoga, by Shyam Sundar Goswami, breath in prāṇāyāma (breath control) or and The Yoga of Jesus, based on talks given by meditation is a practice of bringing awareness to Paramahansa Yoganananda (2007). These texts the Holy Spirit. 8 However, in his experience, examine the life and teachings of Christ through practices aimed at a direct realization of God the lens of Yoga (and according to the Yogasūtras and/or vision of God have been neglected so of Patañjali). Thus, neither author is Christian, that Christians now have much that they can but rather they each sought to convey the learn from Yogic technique.9 richness of their own traditions and practices of Departing somewhat from this is the study Yoga in Christian terms. by B.C.M. Mascarenhas, Yoga and Christian The third category includes Christians who Thought (1973). Mascarenhas’ text is presented turn to Yoga in order to enrich and expand their as a response to what the author identifies as a own practice of Christian faith. In this latter “nuclear age,” or a period in world history that category, a significant early work is The Use of values science over spirituality and is Yoga in Prayer, by Dewan Bhahdur A.S. Appasamy experiencing a decline in world peace as a result. (1926). His focus, as indicated by the title of his Mascarenhas suggests that one remedy to this work, is upon the usefulness of Yoga for predicament is the study of other religions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Yoga Makaranda Yoga Saram Sri T. Krishnamacharya
    Yoga Makaranda or Yoga Saram (The Essence of Yoga) First Part Sri T. Krishnamacharya Mysore Samasthan Acharya (Written in Kannada) Tamil Translation by Sri C.M.V. Krishnamacharya (with the assistance of Sri S. Ranganathadesikacharya) Kannada Edition 1934 Madurai C.M.V. Press Tamil Edition 1938 Translators’ Note This is a translation of the Tamil Edition of Sri T. Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Makaranda. Every attempt has been made to correctly render the content and style of the original. Any errors detected should be attributed to the translators. A few formatting changes have been made in order to facilitate the ease of reading. A list of asanas and a partial glossary of terms left untranslated has been included at the end. We would like to thank our teacher Sri T. K. V. Desikachar who has had an inestimable influence upon our study of yoga. We are especially grateful to Roopa Hari and T.M. Mukundan for their assistance in the translation, their careful editing, and valuable suggestions. We would like to thank Saravanakumar (of ECOTONE) for his work reproducing and restoring the original pictures. Several other people contributed to this project and we are grateful for their efforts. There are no words sufficient to describe the greatness of Sri T. Krishna- macharya. We began this endeavour in order to better understand his teachings and feel blessed to have had this opportunity to study his words. We hope that whoever happens upon this book can find the same inspiration that we have drawn from it. Lakshmi Ranganathan Nandini Ranganathan October 15, 2006 iii Contents Preface and Bibliography vii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Why should Yogabhyasa be done .
    [Show full text]
  • University of California Riverside
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Choreographers and Yogis: Untwisting the Politics of Appropriation and Representation in U.S. Concert Dance A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Critical Dance Studies by Jennifer F Aubrecht September 2017 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Jacqueline Shea Murphy, Chairperson Dr. Anthea Kraut Dr. Amanda Lucia Copyright by Jennifer F Aubrecht 2017 The Dissertation of Jennifer F Aubrecht is approved: Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgements I extend my gratitude to many people and organizations for their support throughout this process. First of all, my thanks to my committee: Jacqueline Shea Murphy, Anthea Kraut, and Amanda Lucia. Without your guidance and support, this work would never have matured. I am also deeply indebted to the faculty of the Dance Department at UC Riverside, including Linda Tomko, Priya Srinivasan, Jens Richard Giersdorf, Wendy Rogers, Imani Kai Johnson, visiting professor Ann Carlson, Joel Smith, José Reynoso, Taisha Paggett, and Luis Lara Malvacías. Their teaching and research modeled for me what it means to be a scholar and human of rigorous integrity and generosity. I am also grateful to the professors at my undergraduate institution, who opened my eyes to the exciting world of critical dance studies: Ananya Chatterjea, Diyah Larasati, Carl Flink, Toni Pierce-Sands, Maija Brown, and rest of U of MN dance department, thank you. I thank the faculty (especially Susan Manning, Janice Ross, and Rebekah Kowal) and participants in the 2015 Mellon Summer Seminar Dance Studies in/and the Humanities, who helped me begin to feel at home in our academic community.
    [Show full text]
  • Yoga and Education (Grades K-12)
    Yoga and Education (Grades K-12) Compiled by: Trisha Lamb Last Revised: April 27, 2006 © International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) 2005 International Association of Yoga Therapists P.O. Box 2513 • Prescott • AZ 86302 • Phone: 928-541-0004 E-mail: [email protected] • URL: www.iayt.org The contents of this bibliography do not provide medical advice and should not be so interpreted. Before beginning any exercise program, see your physician for clearance. NOTE: For Yoga classes and other undergraduate and graduate Yoga-related studies in the university setting, s ee the “Undergraduate and Graduate Programs” bibliography. “The soul is the root. The mind is the trunk. The body constitutes the leaves. The leaves are no doubt important; they gather the sun’s rays for the entire tree. The trunk is equally important, perhaps more so. But if the root is not watered, neither will survive for long. “Education should start with the infant. Even the mother’s lullaby should be divine and soul elevating, infusing in the child fearlessness, joy, peace, selflessness and godliness. “Education is not the amassing of information and its purpose is not mere career hunting. It is a means of developing a fully integrated personality and enabling one to grow effectively into the likeness of the ideal that one has set before oneself. Education is a drawing out from within of the highest and best qualities inherent in the individual. It is training in the art of living.” —Swami Satyananda Saraswati Yoga, May 2001, p. 8 “Just getting into a school a few years ago was a big deal.
    [Show full text]
  • 1.3.1-YSH-456(Envi)
    MANGALORE UNIVERSITY Department of Human Consciousness and Yogic Sciences M.Sc. Yogic Science YSP456 PRACTICAL – IV: ASANAS. Learning Objectives: • Training of students in certain Asanas, classical references to the Asanas. • To make the students to understand the method of Asana practice. • To have references for the practices. Learning Outcome: After the completion of the course, the student will be able – • To perform the asanas systematically. • To describe and demonstrate the procedures of the Asanas. • To apply the asanas therapeutically according to the individual requirement. • To represent the practice in proper terms. • Understanding and improvement of health and concentration. I Asanas 24 Hrs 1) Surya namaskara – 12 vinyasa 2) Utkatasana, Natarajasana 3) Vatayanasana,Parighasana 4) Yogamudra, Garbhapindasana II Asanas 24 Hrs 1) Kraunchasana,Mayurasana 2) Laghuvajrasana,Kapotasana 3) Paschimottanasana – III,Nakrasana 4) Matsyendrasana, Vishwamitrasana III Asanas 24 Hrs 1) Gomukhasana, Parvatasana 2) Chakrasana, Garudasana 3) Ekapadashirshasana, Dwipadashirshasana 4) Yoganidrasana, Suptakonasana REFERENCE BOOKS 1. Swami Digambarji(1997), Hathayoga pradeepika, SMYM Samiti, Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala, Pune - 410403 2. Swami Digambarji(1997), Gheranda Samhita, SMYMSamiti, Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala - 410403. 3. Swami Omananda Teertha, Patanjala Yoga Pradeepa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur-273005 4. JoisPattabhi (2010), Yoga mala – Part I, North Point Press, A Division ofFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 18 west 18the street, New York 10011. 5. B.K.S.Iyangar (1966), Light on Yoga .Harper Collins publication, 77- 85Fulham Palace road, London W6 8JB. 6. B.K.S.Iyangar(1999), Light on Pranayama,HarperCollins,New Delhi,-201307 7. Swami SatyanandaSaraswati(1997), Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger-811201 8. Swami Geetananda, Bandhas & Mudras, Anandashrama, Pondicherry-605104 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Transnational Yoga: a History of Spiritual Commodification
    Sacred Heart University DigitalCommons@SHU Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses) Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies 8-2010 Modern Transnational Yoga: A History of Spiritual Commodification Jon A. Brammer Sacred Heart University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/rel_theses Part of the American Popular Culture Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Brammer, Jon A., "Modern Transnational Yoga: A History of Spiritual Commodification" (2010). Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses). 29. https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/rel_theses/29 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at DigitalCommons@SHU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@SHU. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Modern Transnational Yoga: A History of Spiritual Commodification Master's Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Religious Studies at Sacred Heart University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Religious Studies Jon A. Brammer August 2010 This thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Religious Studies Christel J. Manning, PhD., Professor of Religious Studies - ^ G l o Date Permission for reproducing this text, in whole or in part, for the purpose of individual scholarly consultation or other educational purposes is hereby granted by the author. This permission is not to be interpreted as granting publication rights for this work or otherwise placing it in the public domain.
    [Show full text]
  • Vinyasa Krama Yoga Newsletters 2011 from Srivatsa Ramaswami
    VINYASA KRAMA YOGA NEWSLETTERS VOLUME 01-12 / 2011 Vinyasa Krama Yoga Newsletters 2011 from Srivatsa Ramaswami Disclaimer: This document was compiled from Srivatsa Ramaswami’s Vinyasa Krama Yoga Newsletters and contains volume 1-12 from 2011 - http://www.vinyasakrama.com Index January 2011 Newsletter — Iswarapranidhana 2 February 2011 — Thus Spake Sri T Krishnamacharya 5 March 2011 Newsletter — Breath of Yoga 9 April 2011 Newsletter — Mantra Cover 12 May 2011 Newsletter — Advaita 19 June 2011 Newsletter — Statics and Dynamics of Asana 24 July 2011 Newsletter — Trivikrama 29 August 2011 Newsletter — Yoga TT Program, What I Learnt 32 September 2011 Newsletter - Spinal Exercise, the bottom of It 38 October 2011 Newsletter — AVVAIYAR 42 November 2011 Newsletter — Yoga Joint 46 December 2011 Newsletter — Chants 49 PAGE 1 OF 53 WWW.VINYASAKRAMA.COM VINYASA KRAMA YOGA NEWSLETTERS VOLUME 01-12 / 2011 January 2011 Newsletter — Iswarapranidhana Wish you a very happy and prosperous New year, a New Decade. December was India month. LMU had arranged a ten day retreat in New Delhi the modern capital of India and Rishikesh the holy city along the Ganga, About ten participants from the USA and six from India attended the program. We had almost six hours instruction everyday, three hours of asanas and pranayama and about three hours of Yoga Sutras and Yoga for Health. I thought the programs went well. What was remarkable was that despite some real difficulties and challenges, everyone stayed to the end. I am beholden to all participants for their interest, support and patience. Thank you Dr Chris Chapple and Alana Bray of LMU for affording the opportunity.
    [Show full text]
  • Josephine Rathbone and Corrective Physical Education
    Yoga Comes to American Physical Education: Josephine Rathbone and Corrective Physical Education P a t r ic ia V e r t in s k y 1 School of Kinesiology University o f British Columbia Around the turn-of-the-twentieth-century yoga took on an American mantle, developing into India’s first “global brand" of physical culture. Physical educa­ tors became implicated in this transnational exchange adopting aspects of yoga into their programs and activities, though there has been an insufficient attempt to piece together the sum and pattern of their intersecting influences. This paper explores how adopted Eastern cultural practices such as yoga gained traction on American shores and entered the fabric of everyday and institutional life, in­ cluding the curricula of higher education in the late nineteenth and early de­ cades of the twentieth century. It then describes how American physical educa­ tor Josephine L Rathbone came to draw inspiration and knowledge from Indian gurus about the yoga postures she would incorporate in the first and rather significant program o f corrective physical education at Teachers College, Colum­ bia University during the 1930s and 1940s. As an early pioneer of the evolu­ tion o f Ling's medical gymnastics into a therapeutic stream o f physical activity which formed an important branch o f physical education, Rathbone was in­ strumental in maintaining a critical link with physical therapy and medicine, 'Correspondence to [email protected]. facilitating transnational connections and networks while pushing open a ¿loor to mind-body practices from the east. Her project was a small but illuminating aspect o f the shifting spaces o f "bodies in contact” in cross-cultural encounters and complex imperial networks emerging from "modernities" in both East and West.
    [Show full text]
  • Yogasanagalu.Pdf
    Yogasanagalu (translation project) On this page an intro to the project with links _ The ongoing translation of the Yogasanagalu _ Some notes and comments that have come up from the blog posts _ A post with some suggestions on how to practice the sequences in the Yogasanagalu. Intro to the project Krishnamacharya wrote his book Yoga Makaranda in 1934 in the Kannada language, the Tamil edition was published in 1938. Krishnamacharya's Yogasanagalu was first published in the Kannada language in 1941, the 3rd edition was published in 1972 K. Pattabhi Jois wrote his book, Yoga Mālā, in Kannada in 1958, and it was published in 1962, but was not published in English until 1999 Yogasanagalu along with Krishnamacharya's other book Yoga Makaranda (downloadable HERE), was originally written in Mysore while Krishnamacharya was teaching at the Mysore Palace and while Sri K Pattabhi Jois was his student. YOGASANAGALU T. KRISHNAMACHARYA Introduction I did not attempt a detailed review of all ancient yoga treatises since it will make this book very long and perhaps cause boredom to the readers. Please forgive. This writing is mainly based on the following texts: Patanjalayogasutra Hathayogapradipika Rajayogaratnakara Yogakuranti Upanishads related to yoga Learning’s from my Guru and self-experience About the Second Edition This is the second edition. Added additional text to one section. I trust that by reading this, readers and practitioners will be able to overcome their doubts. With a strong conviction, I suggest and request that teachers will be able to teach the essence of yoga to their students.
    [Show full text]
  • Translating, Practicing and Commodifying Yoga in the Us
    TRANSLATING, PRACTICING AND COMMODIFYING YOGA IN THE U.S. By SHREENA NIKETA DIVYAKANT GANDHI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2009 1 © 2009 Shreena Niketa Divyakant Gandhi 2 To My Dad and Mom 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I am thankful for all the teachers that I have had over the years. Each member of my dissertation committee has been instrumental in how I have come to think about history and religion. Dr. Jon Sensbach (through Rebecca) has helped me think about the characters that create the history; that they are not merely pawns but agents that are emblematic of their times and contexts, which helped me realize that the various yogi characters in my dissertation are not only products but also producers of history. Dr. Manuel Vasquez introduced me to Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the fallacy of a Cartesian outlook especially when examining a bodily practice. Far beyond yoga, Dr. Vasudha Narayanan opened my eyes to the richness and variety of my own history, heritage and faith; her words have brought meaning and hope in times of extreme light and darkness over these past six years. Dr. David Hackett has patiently and meticulously worked with me on a variety of subjects; because of his dedicated teaching I have been able to think through and about the commodity and fetish, its place in culture, capitalism and American religious history. Without the guidance and teaching of Dr. Narayanan and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Mudra-S & Bandha-S
    MUDRA-S & BANDHA-S THE SUBTLE TOOLS OF YOGA with Dr. Kausthub Desikachar Yoga in the authentic tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar VINIYOGA by KRISHNAMACHARYA 04 - 06 MAY 2018 HEALING AND YOGA FOUNDA TION BAYFIELD, ONTARIO, CANADA MUDRA-S & BANDHA-S THE SUBTLE TOOLS OF YOGA The limitless human potential is often deeply hidden within us, not just beneath our psyche, but also within the layers of conscious and unconscious patterning. Unlocking them to fully manifest into our lives is a key aspect of personal growth and spiritual development. This process requires sustained effort and the practice of powerful tools, under careful guidance and supervision. The role of Mudrä-s & Bandha-s can serve as a vital instrument in this process of personal evolution. Mudrä-s are very intricate tools of Yoga, that harness the fire within us to help nourish the inherent seeds of our capabilities. They are discussed extensively in classical texts such as Haöhayogapradépikä & Çiva Samhitä, as well as modern classics such as Yoga Makaranda of T Krishnamacharya. When appropriately practiced together with a sophisticated system of breath and visualization, Mudra-s & Bandha-s touch different layers of the human system and aid in our positive transformation. Owing to the great power it can harness, the Yogi-s showed great respect to these tools and only learnt and practiced under watchful guidance. They also understood and considered all the pre-requisites these tools required, before practicing themselves or teaching them to others. This enriching seminar will explore the most important Mudrä-s in detail, presenting the core principles and frameworks within which they must be understood and practiced.
    [Show full text]
  • Yoga in the Modern World: the Es Arch for the "Authentic" Practice Grace Heerman University of Puget Sound
    University of Puget Sound Sound Ideas Sociology & Anthropology Theses Sociology & Anthropology May 2014 Yoga in the Modern World: The eS arch for the "Authentic" Practice Grace Heerman University of Puget Sound Follow this and additional works at: https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/csoc_theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, and the South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Heerman, Grace, "Yoga in the Modern World: The eS arch for the "Authentic" Practice" (2014). Sociology & Anthropology Theses. 5. https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/csoc_theses/5 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology & Anthropology at Sound Ideas. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Anthropology Theses by an authorized administrator of Sound Ideas. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Yoga in the Modern World: The Search for the “Authentic” Practice Grace Heerman Asia 489, Independent Research Project Advisor: Prof. Sunil Kukreja 13 April, 2012 Heerman, 2 Introduction Since its early twentieth century debut into Western consciousness, yoga has quickly gained widespread appeal, resonating in the minds of the health-conscious, freedom-seeking American public. Considered to be the “spiritual capital” with which India hoped to garner material and financial support from the West, yoga was originally presented by its Eastern disseminators as “an antidote to the stresses of modern, urban, industrial life” and “a way to reconnect with the spiritual world” without having to compromise the “productive capitalist base upon which Americans [stake] their futures.”1 Though exact practitioner statistics are hard to come by, it is clear that the popularity of yoga in the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Was Ist Yoga? Eine Kultur-‐ Und Religionswissenschaftliche Herleitung Masterarbeit
    Was ist Yoga? Eine kultur- und religionswissenschaftliche Herleitung Masterarbeit Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades des Master of Arts (M.A.) Vorgelegt am Lehrstuhl für Religionswissenschaft der Ruprecht-Karls- Universität Heidelberg 1. Gutachterin: Prof. Dr. Inken Prohl 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Michael Bergunder Von Dimitry Okropiridze Heidelberg, 17.02.2014 Matrikelnummer: 2748113 [email protected] Inhalt ABSTRACT 1 VORWORT 2 HINWEISE 4 EINLEITUNG 6 I KULTURWISSENSCHAFTLICHE VORÜBERLEGUNGEN 12 1. HINFÜHRUNG: VON »WAS IST RELIGION?« ZU »WAS IST YOGA?« 12 2. DER ZEITFAKTOR: PRÄSENS STATT PRÄTERITUM 15 3. VON WORT/BEGRIFF/SACHE ZU SIGNIFIKANT 16 4. VOM SIGNIFIKANTEN ZUR SIGNIFIKATION 19 5. DIE GENEALOGIE ALS HEGEMONIE-ANALYSE DER SIGNIFIKATION – DIFFERENZ, ÄQUIVALENZ UND ANTAGONISMUS 23 6. ZWISCHENBETRACHTUNG: DAS PRÄSENTE ALS PRÄSENTISCHES VERGANGENES 29 II YOGA IN DER GENEALOGISCHEN DEKONSTRUKTION 32 1. DER AUSGANGSPUNKT: YOGA PRÄSENT UND PRÄSENTISCH 32 2. INTERLUDIUM A: DIE PERMANENTE KRITIK ALS ET(H)ISCHES UNTERSCHEIDUNGSMERKMAL 35 3. YOGA IN DER GENEALOGIE 38 A. HINFÜHRUNG: SEMIOTISCHE KONDENSIERUNG 38 B. YOGA IN DER NARRATION VON CHRISTIAN FUCHS 40 C. KULTURWISSENSCHAFTLICHE ANALYSE DER FUCHS’SCHEN NARRATION 44 D. ZWISCHENBETRACHTUNG: DER SIGNIFIKANT ALS HOMONYM 50 III YOGA IN DER SKRIPTURALEN UMKEHRUNG 52 1. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA UND DIE ENTSTEHUNG DES KNOTENPUNKTES YOGA 52 A. DER AUSGANSPUNKT: DAS 19. JAHRHUNDERT 52 B. VON RELIGION ZU HINDUISMUS ZU YOGA 56 C. RĀJAYOGA VERSUS HAṬHAYOGA 63 2. INTERLUDIUM B:
    [Show full text]