Daniela Bevilacqua
May 18th 18h-20h30 CET
Transnational Influences on Traditional Ascetic Yoga: A Comparative Perspective
Modern yoga has grown into a global phenomenon, shaping the practices of countless individuals across diverse cultural backgrounds. Yet, how does this evolution interact with the traditional teachings of India’s ascetics (sādhus)?
This lecture explores the intersections between transnational modern yoga and ascetic traditions, highlighting how sādhus engage with contemporary yoga—whether through modern centers, Western-style classes, or their own lineage-based teachings. By examining differences in learning methods, the meanings attributed to haṭha yoga, and the role of Sanskrit texts, we will uncover how tradition and innovation coexist.
Finally, a brief introduction to the Kumbh Mela will provide insights into the role of religious festivals in knowledge transmission. This will include an examination of how sādhus are organized during this event and how their practices differ when residing in their usual environments. This lecture aims to offer a nuanced understanding of the dynamic interactions between tradition and modernity in the evolving landscape of yoga.
Daniela Bevilacqua is an Indianist specialized in Hindu asceticism, investigated through an ethnographic and historical perspective. She received her PhD in Civilizations of Africa and Asia from Sapienza University of Rome and in Anthropology from the University of Paris Nanterre. She worked as a post-doc research fellow at SOAS, for the ERC- funded Haṭha Yoga Project (2015–2020).
She is currently a researcher at Centre of Research in Anthropology (CRIA, University Institute of Lisbon, ISCTE-IUL) in Lisbon as Principal Investigator of the project “Performing the Sacred: Ethnographies of Transgender Activism in the Kinnar Akhara”.
She authored Modern Hindu Traditionalism in Contemporary India (Routledge 2018), From Tapas to Modern Yoga. Sādhus’ Understanding of Embodied Practices (Equinox 2024), edited volumes, and written several articles and book chapters on topics related to Hindu religious tradition, gender, and embodied practices.
This talk aims to provide contemporary yoga practitioners with a broad perspective on how yoga was and is practiced among ascetics in India. The discussion will offer insights into the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity, deepening practitioners’ understanding of yoga’s roots and its ongoing transformation in today’s global context. In particular, this talk wants to put under discussion the notion of yoga a seamless, timeless, ancient tradition, instead demonstrating as it is a complex, evolving practice that has to be contextualized historically and socially.
Similarly, it demonstrates that the society of sādhus is not a static or isolated entity but a highly structured, hierarchical alternative society, where even the transmission of practices follows established power dynamics. By examining these aspects, this talk encourages modern practitioners to reflect on the cultural exchanges and privileges that shape global yoga today.
After the payment, you will receive a confirmation email to the address provided during registration, containing the Zoom link to the lecture, which you can use to join on the lecture day, May 18th at 18:00 CET.
