Yoga darśana, yoga sādhana
Methods, migrations, mediations
Conference
18th-21st May 2022
Kraków
The Jagiellonian University Institute for the Study of Religions and the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies invite you to participate in the international academic conference: Yoga darśana, yoga sādhana: methods, migrations, mediations in Kraków from 18th-21st May 2022.
Registration is now closed
The YDYS conference is aimed at reviewing and discussing recent developments in the field of Yoga Studies. It follows on from the successful 2016 conference.
During the last five years we have witnessed an increasing amount of state-of-the-art research on yoga, employing methods from humanities, social sciences, and beyond. The application of new theories and methods to the study of yoga has been accompanied by the emergence of new research areas. Emerging areas of interest include explorations of the sociopolitical entanglements of yoga, social dynamics of yoga communities, local (especially non-anglophone) transformations of yoga, and technologies mediating the transmission of yoga.
We believe it is time once again to come together as an international community of academics to continue interdisciplinary dialogue on yoga in all of its manifestations. Together we will discuss the methods applied in yoga studies, the pathways of yoga’s migration across the globe, the social and technological factors mediating its transnational flow, as well as yoga’s role as a mediator in social relations and social change.
We plan to meet once again in the very centre of Kraków to share our research during face-to-face interactions. Although this is primarily an in person event, we would like to make the conference as accessible as possible to those who are not able to attend in person and will be providing the option to present and attend online.
Keynote speakers
The conference will feature keynote lectures by:
ATTENDANCE
In light of the current war in Ukraine, we would like to inform you that we are intending to proceed with the organisation of the hybrid YDYS Conference as planned. We will regularly review the circumstances and alter accordingly should a change in the format of the conference be deemed necessary.
Please read our Statement regarding the war in Ukraine for our current position.
The YDYS Organising Committee recognises the uncertainty and risk surrounding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The conference website will be updated regularly should regulations in Poland change in view of the epidemiological situation. Should the risk appear acceptable, we are committed to hosting an in-person conference and, for those unable to attend, online access will be available.
Please read our Covid-19 Protocols page for up to date information and requirements.
Information for presenters and other attendees
Registration is now closed.
For those planning to attend in person, please arrange for your own travel and accommodation in good time to attend the event in May. There is a wide range of reasonably priced accommodation in Krakow, though we recommend booking your travel 4-8 weeks in advance for the best availability.
SUBMISSIONS
Submissions are now closed.
LOCATION
The event will be held at Jagiellonian University Faculty of Law and Administration Teaching Centre, ul. Krupnicza 33A, 31-123 Kraków, Poland
Lunch options
The venue is located in the very centre of Kraków and there are plenty of restaurants, bistros, cafes, and even food trucks in the area to choose from, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. The closest (and trendiest) ones are on the very street where the venue is located, Krupnicza. We also recommend exploring the nearby Czysta or Karmelicka streets. Bon appetit!
Evening gathering, 20th May
For the 20th of May, we have booked tables at Piękny Pies, a popular (and legendary) club in Kazimierz, Kraków’s famous Jewish Quarter.
At Piękny Pies, you can have a beer, a drink, and a chat. We have made the booking for 8:30 p.m. and we plan for an informal evening – we will be able to split into smaller groups and explore Kazimierz, which is famous for its night life with countless clubs, pubs, restaurants and street food.
ORGANISERS
Affiliations
Established in 1974, the Institute for the Study of Religions is the oldest academic institution in Poland offering complete degree programmes in the study of religions, and the country’s leading research unit on the religions of the world. Spread across seven departments and one laboratory, the academic staff of the Institute conduct research in all sub-disciplines of religious studies (history, anthropology, phenomenology, psychology and sociology of religion).
The Institute cooperates with many universities and research facilities from EU countries, the USA and Eastern Europe. We organise international conferences, symposiums, plenary lectures and workshops for academics, students and people interested in the world’s religions.
SOAS is leading the way in the field of yoga studies, which is growing rapidly around the globe. The school hosted the Hatha Yoga Project, a research initiative funded by the European Research Council, which charts the history of physical yoga practices, and SOAS is one of the few universities in the world to offer an MA in Yoga and Meditation.
The Centre of Yoga Studies builds on this work and aims to share the best research in Yoga Studies, and to host conversations between scholars, practitioners and everyone else who’s fascinated by the history, practice and philosophy of yoga. The centre hosts summer schools, lecture series, seminars and workshops in order to share research in the field and develop new collaborations.
Organising Committee
- Vicky Addinall, MA Candidate, SOAS University of London
- Matylda Ciołkosz, Assistant Professor, Institute for the Study of Religions, Jagiellonian University
- Borayin Larios, Assistant Professor, Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, University of Vienna
- Suzanne Newcombe, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at The Open University (UK) and Director of Inform, based at King’s College London
- Raphaël Voix, Anthropologist. Senior fellow at the CNRS, French Institute of India (UMIFRE 21 CNRS-MEAE), Pondicherry
- Ruth Westoby, MA, Doctoral Candidate, SOAS University of London
- Theodora Wildcroft, PhD, Co-ordinator, SOAS Centre for Yoga Studies
- Amelia Wood, MA, Doctoral Candidate, SOAS University of London