58. What does Yoga Mean to Indians Today?
Yoga Studies in Five Minutes - Theodora Wildcroft
Marissa Clarke [+]
Marissa Clarke is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh (2021 - 2025) and Visiting
Doctoral Researcher at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (2024). Her research
explores the phenomenology of yoga, the body, and sound. She has an interdisciplinary
background in marketing studies, religious studies, and health research. Her work is funded
by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Description
There are diverse reasons why yoga may be considered Indian, why the Indian state seeks a cultural monopoly on the name of yoga, and why Western practitioners might be critiqued for acts of cultural appropriation. On the other hand, one can also acknowledge the multiplicity of people, practices and places that shape traditions, including yoga in India today.