Yoga Studies in Five Minutes provides an accessible guide to the diverse and growing field of research into yoga as a social, historical and cultural phenomenon. Both leading scholars and innovative researchers offer 60 brief responses to questions that offer insights into the study of yoga, such as: Who was the first teacher of yoga? Is yoga Indian? What is parampara? Are there holy texts in yoga? What are the goals of yoga? Why do yogis hold their breath? The collection covers ancient history, modern developments, and contemporary issues, considers the diverse practices and philosophies of yoga in a range of contexts, and uses a range of approaches, from philology to anthropology to art history. The collection is useful for established scholars looking to broaden their understanding of this rapidly developing field, as well as for those new to the subject. The book is an ideal starting point for both independent study and the classroom.
Theo Wildcroft, PhD, is a teacher, trainer, writer, and scholar, whose research considers the democratization of yoga post-lineage, and the evolving practice of teaching yoga for community health. She is the author of Post-Lineage Yoga: From Guru to #MeToo and co-editor of The Yoga Teacher's Survival Guide, an Associate Lecturer at the Open University, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Chester, and former Project Coordinator for the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies. Barbora Sojkova holds a DPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Sanskrit) from the University of Oxford where her research focused on human-animal relationships in Vedic Sanskrit literature. She works as an academic librarian at the All Souls College, Oxford, and as a Sanskrit cataloguer at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. She is a certified yoga teacher and trainer focusing on history and philosophy of yoga. Theo Wildcroft, PhD, is a teacher, trainer, writer, and scholar, whose research considers the democratization of yoga post-lineage, and the evolving practice of teaching yoga for community health. She is the author of Post-Lineage Yoga: From Guru to #MeToo and co-editor of The Yoga Teacher's Survival Guide, an Associate Lecturer at the Open University, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Chester, and former Project Coordinator for the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies. Barbora Sojkova holds a DPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Sanskrit) from the University of Oxford where her research focused on human-animal relationships in Vedic Sanskrit literature. She works as an academic librarian at the All Souls College, Oxford, and as a Sanskrit cataloguer at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. She is a certified yoga teacher and trainer focusing on history and philosophy of yoga.
