Yoga in Transition

Abstract

This article draws connections between the complexities of modern postural yoga practices and global peacebuilding efforts, exploring both tensions and possibilities. First, the article engages key yogic texts--such as Patanjali's Yogasastra, which demonstrates how yoga is historically rooted in social justice work and peacebuilding--in order to link yoga philosophy and peacebuilding theories. This is followed by an analysis of contemporary practice-based examples, which consider the theoretical tools of elicitive peacework and transrational peace research. Through an exploration of yoga as elicitive peacebuilding and conflict transformation, this article considers if yoga has the potential to shift societal notions of peacebuilding and questions the implications of this for peace theory and practice.

Stretching the Peace: The Role of Kundalini Yoga in the Lives of Young People in Alexandra, South Africa

“…How does yoga build peace? It has been thought that the yoga practice helps the yogi to create inner peace via improving the mind-body connection of the yogi, which makes the person′s mind more receptive to nonviolent alternative coping mechanisms (Lefurgey, 2018) and improve community-building feelings (Dard, 2019). Studies on Kundalini yoga have shown a general decrease in stress levels (García-Sesnich et al, 2017), positive effects on life values of middle-aged men (Prasath et al, 2017), and a decrease in somatic symptoms and general anxiety among adult women (Gabriel et al, 2018).…”

“…Various yoga interventions for peacebuilding have been used in contexts such as Lebanon, Colombia, and Kenya (Lefurgey, 2018). Despite a lack of studies on the effectiveness of these programs, some studies show benefits to mental health on an individual level (Liévano-Karim, 2019), which also affect the wider community (Velásquez et al, 2015).…”

“…The individualistic and self-centered approach, without interest in the spiritual side of the yoga and Kundalini energy, is destructive. Modern postural yoga has been criticized for being too exclusive and materialistic (Lefurgey, 2018), a tool for spreading neoliberal values, at least in western societies (Godrej, 2017), and sometimes dangerous to the body (Cramer et al, 2018) and mind (Hofmann, 2013).…”

“…In this context, one of the holistic tools that could be used for peacebuilding is yoga, which is an embodied philosophy that has been practiced for centuries to reach liberation and inner peace (Singleton, 2010). Yoga has been increasingly used on conflict-torn countries as a grassroots peacebuilding tool (Lefurgey, 2018), producing impressive mental and physical benefits for the people practicing it (Gabriel et al, 2018;García-Sesnich et al, 2017;Liévano-Karim, 2019;Prasath et al, 2017). In some cases, though, modern postural yoga can be used to equally impose the very same liberal Western values common to traditional peacebuilding efforts (Lefurgey, 2018), undermining the original aims of such holistic interventions.…”

“…Yoga has been increasingly used on conflict-torn countries as a grassroots peacebuilding tool (Lefurgey, 2018), producing impressive mental and physical benefits for the people practicing it (Gabriel et al, 2018;García-Sesnich et al, 2017;Liévano-Karim, 2019;Prasath et al, 2017). In some cases, though, modern postural yoga can be used to equally impose the very same liberal Western values common to traditional peacebuilding efforts (Lefurgey, 2018), undermining the original aims of such holistic interventions. Thus, in this exploratory study, we propose to turn our gaze to yoga styles that have stronger philosophical underpinnings, such as Kundalini yoga, which aims to seek liberation through awareness and holistic philosophy (Khalsa, 1996).…”