The aim of this unique one-day training is to share the latest scholarly research in yoga to contextualise critical issues in contemporary yoga within historical and theoretical perspectives. 

Topics

Critical issues in the teaching and practice of contemporary yoga include gender (histories of men and women, gendered yogic bodies, gendered metaphysics), the neo-liberal critique (from the ‘Yoga Industrial Complex’ to the privatisation of self-care), spirituality and spiritual materialism, lineage structures (from teacher student relations to explicit consent) and politics (from cultural appropriation to the politicisation of bodies).

What teachers can expect from the day

The day will be part-lecture, part-discussion, and part-contemplation. 

Drawing on her own and the research of leading academics Ruth will frame the issues, ground them in historical context and explore theoretical approaches to engaging with these debates. 

There will be guided sits throughout the day to reflect and process the material.

Outcomes

Attendees can expect to be provided with clear, straightforward explanations of the topics which are grounded in historical research. 

Attendees will be encouraged to debate the complexities of these issues and their impact in contemporary yoga. 

Ruth hopes that this will result in a nuanced view of the debates raging though ‘Yogaland’, the opportunities for change, and the enthusiasm and the resources to continue your studies.