Kurniawan yoga body by mark singleton the gay revolution by lillian faderman the making. But i cant think of a book with a more yogic thrust, if yoga is the attempt to integrate. Dec 04, 20 many readers will recall mark singletons 2010 book, yoga body. Mark singleton born 1972 is a scholar of yoga and senior research fellow at soas, university of london, where he works on the european research councilfunded hatha yoga project. Singleton emphasizes how modern postural yoga both grew out of and diverges from traditional yoga, and yet is still a significant practice in its own right.
The origins of modern posture practice, by mark singleton. I recently read a revolutionary book called yoga body. Its author, mark singleton, asserts that modern yoga practice derives less from ancient india than fromget thiswestern gymnasts and bodybuilders. I highly recommend this book, especially for all sincere students of yoga. The roots of yoga by mark singleton the pale winter sunlight shone from the high windows of the cambridge university library onto a dark leather book cover. I just want to say to them all that theyre not my type, im not perving on them and they need to get over themselves. Injury can mark the place where these two bodies wrestle on the mat.
The origins of modern posture practice singleton, mark isbn. Singleton s premise is that yoga as its practiced in studios around the world today i. Mark singletons book yoga body traces the evolution of the ever expanding practice of asana world wide. In the hall, full of silent scholars, i opened it and leafed through picture after picture of men and women in familiar postures. Jan 26, 2017 covering yoga s varying definitions, its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, as well as models of the esoteric and physical bodies, roots of yoga is a unique and essential source of knowledge. Last week a certain babarazzi started getting randy in the comments with regards to mark singletons book on the supposed origins of modern asana practice, yoga body, taking it a bit to task, to which our illustrious reader, the moment already came, had. Oct 07, 2014 in the history of yoga asana, everything is adaptable. Mark singleton is raising funds for the roots of yoga, a sourcebook from the indian traditions on kickstarter. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He is an expert on yoga in the precolonial and modern world in which field he obtained a phd from cambridge university, and has published several books and articles on yoga.
He has made an important contribution to our understanding of recent developments in yogas history with his book yoga body. The origins of modern posture practice by mark singleton my rating. And is it really rooted in ancient indian practices, as many of its adherents claim. A response to mark singletons yoga body by james mallinson james. Suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions of people across the world today. In this groundbreaking book, mark singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga asana. Calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga. The body between science and philosophy mark singleton s yoga body. He combined asanas from hatha yoga with gymnastic exercises from the physical culture of the time, dropping most of its religious aspects, to develop a flowing style of physical yoga that placed little or no emphasis on hatha yoga. The origins of modern posture practice researchgate. Mark singletons book yoga body traces the evolution of the ever expanding practice of asana worldwide. The art of transformation at the smithsonian institute in washington dc, and has served as cochair of the yoga in theory and practice group at.
The origins of modern posture practice was a tough read. Though singletons book was a result of many years of research, his thesis was unclear, and the prevailing takeaway from his book for many people was that yoga as we know it today is a combination of western. The origins of modern posture practice is an outstanding scholarly work which brings so much insight and clarity to the historic and cultural background of modern hatha yoga. I started studying meditation in adolescence, from books by christmas humphreys, who i think headed the buddhist society in england. The roots of yoga, a sourcebook from the indian traditions. Its a bad way to start, probably, but it got me on the. From the fifteenth century until the early decades of the nineteenth century, highly organized bands of militarized yogins controlled trade routes across northern india, wrote mark singleton in yoga body. A kind of yogic quest for viveka mark singleton on yoga. Yoga body hardcover mark singleton oxford university.
Firstly i would like to thank stuart and mark for inviting me to take part in this dis cussion. He was a research assistant at the dharam hinduja institute of indic research, university of cambridge, in 20023, and went on to complete a ph. But its also a body of shame, confusion, and suffering. Mark singleton has a phd in divinity from cambridge university. He is the author of the widelyread study of modern postural yoga yoga body. Dr mark singleton mark singleton works on yoga in tradition and modernity.
In this groundbreaking book, mark singleton calls into. Yoga as exercise, of the type seen in the west, has been greatly influenced by the school of tirumalai krishnamacharya, who taught from 1924 until his death in 1989. The hatha yoga texts place major emphasis on mitahara, which means measured diet or moderate eating. Mar 19, 2012 maybe try an actual scholarly work, like yoga body. D at cambridges faculty of divinity on the modern history of yoga. Yoga body paperback mark singleton oxford university. Developed 20004000 years ago yoga was a spiritual practice, asana was only a small part of the 8 limbs of a practice and was only intended to train the mind so that the yogi could sit for hours in meditation. John friend, founder of anusara yoga from the moment i started reading mark singletons yoga body i couldnt. The postural yoga renaissance and transnational flows in beatrix hauser ed. The origins of modern posture practice by mark singleton. So mark can you tell us something about where you come from, and how you came to have an interest in yoga.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading yoga. By the way, people have always made crazy claims about the benefits of yoga. He was a consultant and catalogue author for the 20 exhibition yoga. Apr 24, 2017 mark singleton is senior research fellow in the department of languages and cultures of south asia, soas, university of london. The origins of modern posture practice first edition by singleton, mark isbn. Mark singleton is a senior research fellow at soas, university of london, and senior researcher on the ha. Apr 23, 20 see mark singletons excellent book, yoga body, to understand how a spiritual practice became another form of exercise. Dec 04, 20 buy gurus of modern yoga by singleton, mark, goldberg, ellen isbn. Book launch of roots of yoga by james mallinson and mark. Singleton traces how asana postures became emphasized in yoga s history. The research of yoga body may trouble our definitions of yoga and asana and our assumptions with regard to tradition and innovation. The origins of modern posture practice i had to add the subtitle, bc for some reason goodreads didnt. Sanskritists like james mallinson argue its important to continue researching the precolonial antecedents of asana practice lest readers of singleton s work conclude them to be insignificant.
He has published extensively on modern yoga, including the first collection of scholarship on the topic, yoga in the modern world 2008, and the groundbreaking study of the modern history of asana, yoga body, the origins of modern posture practice. In this groundbreaking book, mark singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga asana and suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions of people across the world today. Yoga is so prevalent in the modern worldpracticed by pop stars, taught in schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping mallsthat we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. Mark singletons research interests lie in the intersection of tradition and modernity in yoga. The origins of modern postural practice, for its careful and insightful consideration of the various stories about how modern yoga came to be. The origins of modern posture practice is an outstanding scholarly work which brings so much insight and clarity to the historic and cultural background of modern ha. A comprehensive, single volume collection of centuries of traditional yoga knowledge for scholars, practitioners and teachers of yoga. Marks book has been a cata lyst for occasionally vituperative arguments.
Yoga body paperback mark singleton oxford university press. Calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and. It is based on his phd thesis, and argues that the yoga known worldwide is, in large part, a radical break from hatha yoga tradition, with different goals, and an unprecedented emphasis on asanas, many of them acquired in the 20th century. Or this other book i act like i just discovered, called yoga. Yoga exercise, or hatha yoga, was a kind of boot camp or military training, keeping them in trim for the wear and tear of guerilla warfare. In particular, i was commenting on the work of mark singleton, who wrote a book called yoga body that was published in 2010. Roots of yoga translated, introduced and annotated by james mallinson and mark singleton a unique, singlevolume sourcebook of yoga practice texts from the indic traditions through the ages.
He has written extensively on yoga, notably the books yoga in the modern world, contemporary perspectives the first ever collection of scholarship on modern yoga and yoga body, the origins of modern posture practice, which yoga journal said should be on the reading list of every serious student and teacher training. The roots of yoga, a sourcebook from the indian traditions by. Jan 23, 20 mark is a scholar of the yoga tradition with a focus on the roots of modern yoga practice. Any serious asana practitioner who wishes to understand the place of.
His work offers a much needed historical perspective that will help correct much of the mythology and groupthink that is emerging in the modern asana based yoga world. This dynamic is likely at play in any physical discipline through which a new self is soughtfrom ballet to crossfit. It invites the individual body to do acro yoga with the body politic. Because this is not just another yoga history book that focuses on the yoga sutras and the bhagavad gita and blahdeblah. Mark singleton and james mallinson have set out on a mission to combine their yogic knowledge with two years of research, translations of ancient texts about half never before translated and trips to india to create the ultimate collection of yoga info in the roots of yoga, a comprehensive, single volume collection of centuries of. Yoga body author mark singleton responds to critics. Yoga body the origins of modern posture practice mark singleton. The body between science and philosophy mark singleton has written a sweeping and nuanced account of the origins and development of modern postural yoga in early twentiethcentury india and the west, arguing convincingly that yoga as we know it today does not flow directly from the yoga sutras or indias. Unusually for an academic book, yoga body has had a wide. Ive just finished reading mark singletons yoga body. The origins of modern posture practice mark singleton mark singletons yoga body. The book sparked countless conversations about the meaning of social authenticity in a practice meant to reveal personal authenticity. Translated and edited with an introduction by james mallinson and mark singleton.
In light of mark singletons thesis in yoga body that the postural forms of. Carlos pomeda, founder of yoga wisdom for modern life. This book includes a chapter cowritten by mark singleton and tara fraser and entitled t. How yoga can complement weight training bret contreras. We discuss the recent history of hatha yoga and posture practice in the west. This book offers explanations of the genesis, status and function of yoga in the modern. Eddie stern commenting on the book yoga body by mark singleton. I dont even know what hatha or asana means and despite this guy banging on. Bodily practice in transcultural perspective heidelberg. Last week i commented on an instagram post about ideas on modern yoga that have been put forward by yoga academics over the past ten to fifteen years.
Mar 21, 2019 the body of modern yoga is a body of longing, possibility, and revelation. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Mark singletons book yoga body traces the evolution of the ever expanding. The origins of modern posture practice kindle edition.
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