46 episodes
The Yogic Studies Podcast Yogic Studies
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- Education
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4.9 • 66 Ratings
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In-depth explorations into the traditions of Yoga, Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy, and South Asian Religions. Featuring candid conversations and interviews with scholars and practitioners. Hosted by Seth Powell.
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45. Lucy May Constantini | Kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘: Martial Art of Kerala
In this episode we speak with Lucy May Constantini about her fascinating research and practical experience studying the south-Indian martial art tradition of kaḷarippayaṟṟ˘. We discuss Lucy's background of training in Kerala, the history of kaḷari, the role of the gurukkaḷ ("lineage-holder"), the tradition's Śākta Tantra context in Kerala, medieval ankam battles, the gendered dynamics of male and female practitioners, training with weapons, parallels with yogāsana and the renaissance of m...
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44. Kate Hartmann | Pilgrimage and Buddhism
In this episode we welcome back Kate Hartmann, former director of Buddhist Studies Online, to discuss all things pilgrimage and Buddhism. We discuss how Kate first got into pilgrimage studies as a grad student at Harvard, whether pilgrimage is a universal concept across cultures, and question what separates a pilgrim from a tourist? We then turn to the early history of the Buddhist pilgrimage tradition in India, going back to accounts of the words of the Buddha himself to Ānanda and his other...
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43. Christopher Jain Miller | Embodying Transnational Yoga
In this episode we speak with Christopher Miller about his recent monograph, Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2023) and his upcoming online course at Yogic Studies. We begin by discussing his academic background and how he first got into critical Yoga and later Jain Studies, his experiences as a practitioner of yoga in Santa Monica, California, and how he developed his dissertation project that would eventually become the book. We discu...
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42. Samuel M. Grimes | Newar Buddhism, Nepal, and Yoga
In this episode we speak with Samuel Grimes about his research and experience with the tradition of Newar Buddhism in Nepal. We discuss the unique history of Buddhism in Nepal, the decline of Buddhism in India, and what it means to be the only living "Sanskritic Buddhist" tradition in South Asia. We then discuss the meaning and role of yoga within Buddhist traditions, previewing Grimes' upcoming online course, BS 112 | Yoga in Buddhism.Speaker BioDr. Samuel M. Grimes is the Shinjo Ito Postdoc...
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41. Keith Edward Cantú | The History of Theosophy and Yoga
In this episode we welcome back Keith Cantú for a wide ranging conversation on the history of the Theosophical Society and in particular its unique relationship with the modern history of yoga. We discuss the influence of figures like Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott, as well as lesser-known South Asian Theosophists and Theosophy-adjacent authors and scholars. We discuss the impact of Theosophical publications on the global dissemination of yoga in English-print books and journals, a l...
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40. Caley Smith | The World of Vedic Sanskrit
In this episode we speak with Caley Smith about the ancient and fascinating world of Vedic Sanskrit. We discuss some theories and debates about the origins of Sanskrit, its relationship with other Indo-European languages, the nature and scope of the Vedas, Vedic notions of authorship, comparisons between Classical Sanskrit and Vedic, the importance of orality, and much more. We conclude the conversation with a preview of Smith's upcoming online course, SKT 303 | Vedic Sanskrit. Sp...
Customer Reviews
The best podcast on the history of yoga
Great conversations with scholars and practitioners covering a wide range of topics related to yoga, including in Hindu, Buddhist, and Sufi traditions.
This is largely about research and has a strong academic leaning. This is not a spiritual podcast, but it is an incredible compliment to add context to spiritual practice.
Illuminating (and a little addictive)
Well-conceived and skillfully conducted interviews with leading scholars contributing to the growth of yoga studies as a field of scholarly inquiry. While all who are interested in yoga will likely benefit from listening, non-scholar yoga practitioners may find that the material presented enhances understanding of the historical contexts from which modern yoga emerged.
Great Subjects, Interviewer Less So
I have almost entirely positive things to say about this podcast: there is a wealth of inspiring and enthralling information coming from nearly all the interview subjects here, each a strong academic voice from a different access point across the yogas. For me, a yoga practitioner of 20+ years, this series of offerings is especially valuable for its serious academic rigor and depth applied to yogic topics where it’s common to hear a glossier, more faith-based approach, adding wonderful dimension to the journey. It’s also guided by a thoroughly respectful tone which sits right with a devotee like myself. Quality of chosen subjects and their topics is strong across the board.
I also find the interviewer a distracting presence for his (rather male-gendered) tendency to bluntly interrupt a subject in the middle of their interesting thought, and it’s doubly distracting to me that it’s *so* much more with female subjects than with the male ones. I noticed it right away and I never fail to find it cringy, clearly the interview subjects do too, and it feels particularly ill-placed on a yogic podcast. The sense is that he’s really excited and just can’t help himself. The interruptions also come attended by “mmm’s” and “uhu’s” which feel like strangulated little suppressions of the urge to burst-in with whatever thought has just arisen irrespective of what is being said at the time, an equally unfortunate unconscious conversational tendency which appears to hound the ladies exponentially more, in a way that seems to warrant further personal examination. I also honor everyone’s unique timeline healing from the ancient toxic masculine element in ours and almost all other cultures and I take no pleasure in any call-out element inherent to the public review process. It was just really prominent and kind of comical and definitely impossible to ignore for me and I suspect I won’t be alone. May all be free from suffering.