Lecture by Patrick S. D. McCartney
December 7th, 10:00 a.m. CET
The Acrobatic Influence on Yoga: Conjuring a Flexible Approach
In this lecture, I’ll explore how acrobatic performance might have influenced the postures in haṭhayoga. This is still a developing theory, so I approach it with caution. I call this theory the “Contortionist Turn”, which suggests that haṭhayogins may have absorbed acrobatic feats, along with their symbolic meaning, into their own practice. Though there are some references to acrobatics influencing complex yoga postures, serious investigation into these connections is lacking.
Historically, acrobats were revered as sacred performers, believed to have supernatural abilities. They were key figures in ancient rituals, from Mesopotamian and Egyptian ceremonies to shamanic rites, with their daring, dangerous acts seen as divine. Over time, however, acrobats shifted from religious ritual to street performances, often viewed as untrustworthy entertainers.
This decline in respect may explain why the link between haṭhayoga and acrobatics hasn’t been fully explored. In this lecture, I will examine these possible connections across time and cultures, offering insights into why acrobatic postures appeared in haṭhayoga centuries later than expected.
At some point in your yoga journey, you’ve probably noticed that advanced yoga postures resemble acrobatic moves. You might have even wondered if there’s a connection. However, this idea is often dismissed due to yoga’s purist viewpoint, which discourages discussing the possible acrobatic roots of haṭhayoga. This taboo likely stems from the negative image of acrobats as untrustworthy performers, which could tarnish the mystique of yogins.
Interestingly, the word “yoga” itself, as mentioned in the Ṛgveda, originally referred to a time of martial activity. It described strong warriors under Indra who raided, fought, and claimed resources—far from the peaceful image of modern yoga. This contrast between yoga (a martial activity) and kṣema (rest) reflects yoga’s moral and aesthetic foundation. Medieval figures like the Naths and Gosains, who developed haṭhayoga, were mercenaries involved in trade, human trafficking, and weapons dealings—quite different from the peaceful yoga ideal.
Later, tantric Buddhist practices that focused on accumulating power also influenced haṭhayoga, which began to see the body as a means to achieve liberation (jīvan-mukti). This shift allowed haṭhayoga to incorporate acrobatic movements, turning them into symbols of power—both spiritual and worldly.
Therefore, this lecture will provide a unique perspective, bringing together multiple strands of yoga’s history demonstrating a less-than-considered pathway for the connection between the postures that you do and the way that complex and dynamic postures became a part of haṭhayoga.
Patrick S. D. McCartney is a Phoenix Fellow at Hiroshima University’s Faculty of Letters and holds a PhD from the Australian National University (2016). His interdisciplinary research bridges archaeology, art history, classical philology, sociolinguistics, computational social science, political science and cultural-economic anthropology.
He works at the boundaries of the politics of imagination, the economics of desire, the sociology of spirituality and the anthropology of religion. A sustained interest has involved exploring the biographies of Sanskrit and yoga and their relations to political theology, competitive diplomacy, tourism, nation-branding and faith-based development.
McCartney’s work centres on South Asian physical and performative traditions—such as wrestling, acrobatics and street performance—and explores their complex intersections with transnational yoga tourism and the sociolinguistic dynamics of “Sanskritspeaking” communities.
McCartney is also pioneering new lines of research into the global ethnohistory of agricultural festivals—including ritualistic communal celebrations tied to local harvests—and the historical trajectories of pole acrobatics, tracing their evolution from traditional ritual performance contexts, including palaeolithic rock art, to modern symbolic and performative roles within tourism contexts.
Patrick S. D. McCartney‘s lecture is scheduled for December 7th, at 10:00 a.m. CET
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, December 7th, at 10:00 a.m. CET
