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Yogavidyā Conference 2024

The past twenty-five years has witnessed remarkable growth in the academic field of Yoga Studies, with pioneering new research that has in many cases turned our conventional understanding of yoga "on its head." This 3-day online conference aims to survey and showcase much of this exciting research for the broader yoga public. Featuring talks from over 25 of the world's leading yoga scholars, and drawing across the disciplines of Philology, Religious Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Sociology, and more—this conference will shine new light on yoga's past and present.

Over the course of three full days we will explore a wide range of topics including—the historical roots of yoga, early and lesser-known yoga texts, Buddhist meditation manuals, yoga within the Tantras, cakras and the subtle body, yoga and alchemy, yoga as taught within Sufism, Sikhism, and Jainism, new insights from yoga philology, the roots of Haṭhayoga, sculpture and iconography, the role of the scholar-practitioner, the imbrication of yoga, religion, and politics, and so much more. 

Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural roots of yoga in India, the vast diversity of yoga traditions, unique insight into the world of academic research, as well as critical tools for thinking about the contemporary issues facing yoga teachers and practitioners today. 

The event will be held online on Zoom and is free to register. 

Conference Speakers

Dr. Philipp Maas

Dr. Dominic Goodall

Dr. Finnian Gerety

Dr. Kengo Harimoto

Dr. Karen O’Brien-Kop

Dr. Shaman Hatley

Dr. Ben Williams

Dr. Somdev Vasudeva

Dr. Patricia Sauthoff

Dr. James Mallinson

Dr. Vijay Sarde

Dr. Christopher Jain Miller

Dr. Ruth Westoby

Dr. Seth Powell

Dr. Carl Ernst

Dr. Jvala Singh

Dr. Keith Edward Cantú

Dr. Jason Birch

Dr. Sunila Kalé

Dr. Christian Lee Novetzke

Dr. Daniela Bevilacqua

Dr. Gudrun Bühnemann

Dr. Borayin Larios

Dr. Suzanne Newcombe

Dr. Adrian Muñoz

Dr. William Pinch

Philip Deslippe

Dr. Shameem Black

Conference Schedule

All times are listed in Pacific Standard Time (PST).

 

Day 1 – Friday, October 11

 

Panel 1 – Early Yoga

 

Panel 2 – Yoga, Tantra, and Alchemy

 

Day 2 – Saturday, October 12

 

Panel 3 – Medieval Yoga

  

Panel 4 – Medieval and Early Modern Yoga

 

Day 3 – Sunday, October 13

 

Panel 5 – Modern Yoga Studies I

 

Panel 6 – Modern Yoga Studies II

Registration is still OPEN!

Sign up now to reserve your spot at the conference. Afterwards you will receive a confirmation email with the event Zoom link to join. 

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