Speakers
Description
This paper presents an exploratory theoretical framework for examining the various manifestations of yoga in Latin America. It offers a comprehensive introduction to a range of specific cases spanning multiple countries in the region, dating from approximately the 1900s onwards. Linked to Proyecto YoLA®, a collaborative initiative, this paper acknowledges the contributions of experts from diverse fields, disciplines, and geographical regions who investigate various aspects of yoga in the present day Latin American context. The primary focus of these intellectual endeavors lies in analyzing how the practice, commercialization, and preconceptions surrounding yoga have influenced contemporary societies worldwide, with a particular emphasis on Latin America. As an interdisciplinary undertaking, this project explores key themes, including issues of political and symbolic power, public health, gentrification, spiritual exploration, civic ethics, peacebuilding, methodological innovation, marketing strategies, the interplay between tradition and modernity, and the integration of knowledge systems into specific local cultural contexts. In probing into these axes, the inquiry also traces the influence of relevant agents in the making of a religious modernity tinged with esoteric and proto-New Age sensibilities and ideas. Through historical research and empirical investigations, this project aims to expand the horizons of the burgeoning field of Modern Yoga studies.
