Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana 2026: A Report from Paris

For three days at the end of May, Paris became the gathering point for an international community of scholars, practitioners, and educators whose shared concern is understanding yoga—historically, philosophically, and in its remarkable contemporary global forms. The fourth edition of the Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana Conference (YDYS), convened May 27–29, 2026 at the Centre des colloques of Campus Condorcet in Aubervilliers, brought together researchers from across the humanities and social sciences under the theme "authenticity, authority, and adaptation." More than 120 papers distributed across 38 sessions made for an intellectually dense and genuinely stimulating three days.

Organized by Raphaël Voix, Suzanne Newcombe, Amandine Wattelier-Bricout, Ruth Westoby, and Theo Wildcroft—and hosted by the Center for South Asian and Himalayan Studies (CESAH) at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales—YDYS has established itself as one of the most significant recurring forums for critical yoga scholarship. The theme this year was "Authenticity, Authority and Adaptation," with numerous panels, roundtables, and presentations from scholars working across philology, history of religions, anthropology, sociology, and beyond.

Dr. Seth Powell presented a paper on the visual and material culture of the akṣamālā (prayer beads) as part of a MANTRAMS panel, as well as participating in a roundtable discussion on yoga scholarship and the public. The latter conversation, in particular, touched on questions central to Yogic Studies' mission—how to advance rigorous scholarship on yoga while making it genuinely accessible to audiences beyond academia.

We came away from Paris genuinely reinvigorated. There is something irreplaceable about gathering in person with colleagues from around the world—reconnecting with old friends, meeting brilliant new scholars, and finding in conversation the kinds of ideas that do not emerge in the same way from reading papers alone. The city and the river provided an unmistakably generous backdrop for all of it.

What made this YDYS particularly meaningful for the Yogic Studies community was the presence—and the contributions—of not only so many YS faculty, but so many current and former YS students and team members. It was a genuine pleasure to see Sabbi Lall, Macarena González, Victoria Dhers, Allyson Felicianne, and Gulnihal Özdener each presenting their own original research at the conference. Watching students and colleagues whose intellectual formation has in some part been shaped by this community step forward as scholars in their own right is among the deepest satisfactions of this work. And to meet so many other Yogic Studies students and podcast listeners in person over those three days—that, too, was something quite special.

We came away with a renewed sense of what Yogic Studies is for and what it can become. The conversations at YDYS reminded us, again, that the study of yoga's history, texts, and practices is a field still very much in formation—full of open questions, contested interpretations, and possibilities for genuinely new scholarship. There is no shortage of important work ahead, and this community is doing it.

We look forward to the next YDYS 2028 in Finland, and to continuing this work in the years ahead!