Yoga darśana, yoga sadhana: traditions, transmissions, transformations

The conference was conceived in response to the most recent developments in yoga research at various institutional levels. The aim of the event is to showcase and advance contemporary research on yoga. By bringing together an international community of researchers we hope to both initiate and to continue substantial discussion on the subject, taking into account the polysemy of the term yoga and the historical developments of the phenomena it designates.

 

Yoga can indicate, among other things, a philosophical system, a set of physical, mental or devotional techniques aimed at achieving liberation from cycles of rebirth, union with a deity or ultimate reality, extraordinary powers or even bodily immortality. In the contemporary world, yoga also designates a globalized wellness practice, associated with notions of ‘spirituality'.

 

During this conference, we would like to focus on yoga in both its textual and performative aspects, drawing attention to the dialectical relationship between the two. We are also keen to discuss methodological approaches to the study of yoga. We aim to provide ground for interdisciplinary discussions involving, amongst others, indologists, scholars of religion, philosophers, philologists and linguists, anthropologists, sociologists, and historians. Last but not least, we are hoping to offer the non-academic public and yoga practitioners a nuanced, research-based insight into these complex topics.