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Universalizing Secrets: Esotericism in the Global Transmission of Modern Yoga

Submitted to Program Units
1: Esotericism Unit and Yoga in Theory and Practice Unit

Eileen Goddard, University of California, Santa Barbara, Presiding

Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)

This panel examines a number of broadly “yogic” (or “yoga-adjacent”) concepts and practices that have served as vehicles for the globalization of Indian esotericism and consequent negotiations of translation and hybridization, personal meaning, and cultural ownership. The esoteric, whether concepts or practices, is often regarded as by definition “hidden”—relying on networks of specialized knowledge and social belonging. Yet when it comes to modern transnational yoga, such concepts and practices are not only understood as universal but necessarily exoteric, as they enter into a global marketplace of spiritual consumption. The panelists foreground a historically diverse range of such examples, ranging from 19th-century translations of yogic texts, to 20th-century reinterpretations of kundalini, to contemporary workshops popularizing jyotish (astrology) as part of a “yogic lifestyle.”

Papers

  • Peter Valdina, Albion College

    Revealing the Secret in an Open Court: Heeralal Dhole, Paul Carus, and the Translation Assemblage

    Abstract

    This paper examines the role of print media in the 19th-century dissemination of transnational esotericism and the promotion of South Asian yoga traditions beyond their indigenous contexts through an examination of the local and global concerns of Heeralal Dhole, a print entrepreneur in colonial Calcutta (now Kolkata).  The paper examines the context and content of a selection of Dhole’s publications, revealing how translation facilitated appeals to transnational networks of cultural transmission and exchange.  Then, through an analysis of Dhole's connection to Paul Carus and the Open Court Publishing House, the paper explores how vernacular agendas were both influenced by and influential in shaping the anglophone public's reception of yoga. The paper contributes to the understanding of yoga's historical transformation through translation, highlighting the complex interplay between publishers, book distributors, and the market's appetite for esoteric knowledge.

  • Marleen Thaler, Universität Wien

    Kundalini Yoga Re-Discovered: Hindu Nationalist Efforts in Demystifying the Esoteric Nature of Kundalini

    Abstract

    This paper examines a brief episode in the modern re-interpretation of kundalini as a vital component of Indian cultural heritage, initiated by the Indian author Gopi Krishna (1903–1984). In his autobiography Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man (1967), Krishna assessed kundalini as an evolutionary mechanism inherent within the physical body. As Krishna’s network of global collaborators expanded, Indian politicians and journalists endeavored to involve him in various research projects in India aimed at elucidating the esoteric nature of kundalini through scientific means. The “Kundalini-Yoga” series, featured in the Indian tabloid Blitz between April and May 1976, played a pivotal role in disseminating knowledge of kundalini. The aim of this paper is two-fold: Firstly, to illuminate the significance of Blitz in the nationalization of kundalini, and secondly, to examine India’s research efforts aimed at demystifying kundalini.

  • Drew Thomases, San Diego State University

    Aligning with the Cosmos: Vedic Astrology and Hidden Meaning in a Global Yoga Community

    Abstract

    Based on ethnographic “fieldwork” conducted during a 75-hour online course on Indian, or “Vedic” astrology (also called jyotish), this paper explores how non-Indian yoga practitioners incorporated astrology into their spiritual lives. In particular, I focus on how the course’s instructor, Nish, presented a brand of Vedic astrology that was simultaneously Indian and universal, mysterious and accessible to all. This leads to a broader reflection on how an astrological worldview—one with hidden meaning and suffused with beautiful connections—aids in the spiritual seeker’s search for physical and spiritual alignment.

Responding
Anya Foxen, California Polytechnic State University
Audiovisual Requirements

Resources

LCD Projector and Screen
Podium microphone

Full Papers Available

No
Program Unit Options

Session Length

90 Minutes
Schedule Info

Saturday, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Session Identifier

A23-314