Classic Yoga: Body, Self and Liberation

The course covers the historical development of classic yoga from the 300s to the 1600s from the perspective of religious history, highlighting the sociocultural and religious background in South Asia and its influence on the different expressions of yoga. The fundamental classic definitions of yoga and its forms are presented. Religious, philosophical, and therapeutic aspects of classic yoga are covered and related to the tantric and non-tantric forms of yoga. Through an overview of the South Asian history of yoga, the course also contributes to critical reflection upon the use of history that characterises the contemporary transnational yoga movement. Instruction is in the form of lectures and mandatory seminars in which the main course content and digital course materials are analysed and discussed among teachers and students.