with Mark Berkson and Ann Blackburn | $30 per person
What, exactly, is “yoga”? What are the various forms that yoga has taken over the centuries and how has the practice of modern postural yoga featuring asanas and pranayama evolved over time?
In this presentation, we will look at a wide range of yoga texts spanning over two millennia, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the writings of modern yoga masters like Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and BKS Iyengar. We will explore how the practice has been transformed in the modern West, what impact yoga has in America today, and what debates over yoga have arisen (e.g., Should yoga be allowed in public schools? Is it a religious practice, and is it compatible with practicing other religions?). This presentation will include a slide show and video clips featuring the most influential contributors to the practice of modern postural yoga. Time will be set aside for q&a and conversation. Come and learn about a practice that many yoga masters have called “India’s greatest gift to the world.”
Mark Berkson is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religion at Hamline University. He teaches
courses in Asian religions (including the Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist traditions), Islam, and comparative religion. Mark received his PhD from Stanford University in Religious Studies, his MA from Stanford University in East Asian Studies, and his BA from Princeton University. Mark’s scholarly work has addressed many topics in East and South Asian religion including death and dying, religion and non-human animals, and interfaith dialogue. His work has been published in numerous books and journals.
He has released two lecture series with the Great Courses - “Cultural Literacy for Religion” and Death, Dying and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures” Mark has practiced yoga for over 30 years and teaches a class entitled “Yoga: Philosophy and Practice.”
Ann Blackburn owns Tula Yoga & Wellness with her husband, Dan. Ann is a Certified SomaYoga Therapist and weaves SomaYoga (Somatics & Yoga) practices, Ayurveda, iRest Yoga Nidra, Meditation, and energy work through private sessions, classes, workshops & retreats.