In her new book Inhaling Spirit: Harmonialism, Orientalism, and the Western Roots of Modern Yoga (Oxford University Press, 2020), Anya Foxen traces several disparate yet entangled roots of modern yoga practice to show that much of what we call yoga in the West stems not only from pre-modern Indian yoga traditions, but also from Hellenistic theories of the subtle body, Western esotericism and magic, pre-modern European medicine, and late-nineteenth-century women's wellness programs.
As such, this book richly contributes to the discussion of cultural appropriation as pertains to modern Western yoga.
Anya Foxen is Assistant Professor, California Polytechnic State University.
For information on your host Raj Balkaran’s background, see rajbalkaran.com.
