Yoga has become one of the most popular forms of physical and spiritual activity in the contemporary Western world. Yet, its history and cultural affiliations remain obscure and controversial. How did Yoga develop from its South Asian religious origins to the secular multibillion-dollar industry we know nowadays? This course examines the history of Yoga's practice and philosophy in its many cultural and religious contexts in light of the most recent scholarship on the subject. We will challenge common misconceptions regarding Yoga, such as the notion that the Yoga postures we practice today are thousands of years old, that Yoga is intrinsically Hindu, or that Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is the fundamental text of Hatha Yoga. We will survey the different roles that Yoga has played in most of the religious traditions of India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sufism or Islamic mysticism. We will pay specific attention to the diverse systems of thought and practice philosophies, psychologies, and "meditational" disciplines - that Yoga has upheld throughout its history. We will also see how Yoga traveled from India to the West in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, how it has changed over time, and how it has become the global phenomenon it is today. Seeing the complex plurality of what Yoga has been and can be, we will further ask what the limits of Yoga are: is "Beer yoga" or "Goat yoga" really Yoga? And what is the future of Yoga? This class combines lectures with discussions. The readings include accessible secondary literature and a selection of primary sources. Knowledge of Indian languages is not required, and no prior coursework in South Asian Studies or Religious Studies is presupposed.
4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
Yoga has become one of the most popular forms of physical and spiritual activity in the contemporary Western world. Yet, its history and cultural affiliations remain obscure and controversial. How did Yoga develop from its South Asian religious origins to the secular multibillion-dollar industry we know nowadays? This course examines the history of Yoga's practice and philosophy in its many cultural and religious contexts in light of the most recent scholarship on the subject. We will challenge common misconceptions regarding Yoga, such as the notion that the Yoga postures we practice today are thousands of years old, that Yoga is intrinsically Hindu, or that Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is the fundamental text of Hatha Yoga. We will survey the different roles that Yoga has played in most of the religious traditions of India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sufism or Islamic mysticism. We will pay specific attention to the diverse systems of thought and practice philosophies, psychologies, and "meditational" disciplines - that Yoga has upheld throughout its history. We will also see how Yoga traveled from India to the West in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, how it has changed over time, and how it has become the global phenomenon it is today. Seeing the complex plurality of what Yoga has been and can be, we will further ask what the limits of Yoga are: is "Beer yoga" or "Goat yoga" really Yoga? And what is the future of Yoga? This class combines lectures with discussions. The readings include accessible secondary literature and a selection of primary sources. Knowledge of Indian languages is not required, and no prior coursework in South Asian Studies or Religious Studies is presupposed.
Offered in Spring 2027 at Stanford University.