Yoga's increasing popularity in America today is due to its promises of health, fitness, longevity and stress reduction, as introduced by a variety of Indian yoga gurus in the 20th c. In India, the land of its birth, the goals of yoga have been more radical forms of "embodied philosophy" including liberation from suffering/rebirth (moksha), liberation in life (jivanmukti), ecstatic relationship with the Divine (bhakti) or divine enjoyment (bhukti). Sri Aurobindo (1872-1960) was a modern yogi who believed that the insights and practices of yoga should be used experimentally to find existential solutions to problems of our times. Towards this end, he formulated a goal of integrating the fragmented nature of human psychology, social life and the cosmic condition and lived and taught pathways to it achievement. In this talk, we will see the formulation of Sri Aurobindo's goals and how he interprets, uses and furthers the yoga tradition to arrive at their fulfillment.
In this talk, Ruth will map the esoteric feminine aspect of the subtle body by drawing on Haṭhayoga sources. Taking a textual, historical and anecdotal approach, she explores how the subtle body is presented in gendered terms, probes the substances or concepts that are to be influenced, and trace...
Though much of the evidence for constructing the history of yoga traditions in precolonial India is to be found in Sanskrit manuscripts and texts, extensive and valuable information may be gathered from non-textual historical materials (e.g. through paintings, sculpture, temples, and epigraphy). ...
