Yoga
You may choose to elucidate the practice of asana. To do this, you would have to be clear on the history, intentions, placement within the philosophical framework, and various styles and traditions of asana practice. You might look to your own budding practice as an example in order to explain elements of the practice. You might be interested in delving into esoteric details of yoga anatomy (e.g. bandhas, nadis, or chakras). Conversely, you might thoroughly research an element of yoga therapy in practice. In this case, you would look at all the published research on your chosen topic (yoga for eating disorders, for example, or for depression, arthritis, etc.) and provide a comprehensive review. Or you might be interested in yogic constructions of the mind and its components (citta, manas, ahamkara, buddhi), and discuss these in relation to “yoga psychology”.
Option two: The readings over the second half of the semester engage an academic examination of yoga as a cultural process. You may consider looking into aspects of the social and cultural interplay within the transnational yoga community.
