Syllabus 2023

 

GIS 4636Yoga: East Meets West

Laurie Greene

T/TH 10:30-12:30

AC Room 217

                           

Office: ZOOM or AC 224g

Hours: T/TH 2:30-3:30 or by appointment

Email: laurie.greene@stockton.edu

Phone: 609.214.6596 (cell)

Summary:

This course will focus on the history of Yoga in the East and its journey to the West and back again in this “age of globalization”. The course will contain six basic emphases:

1. History and Philosophy of Traditional Yoga: The Vedas Through The Tantras
2. Syncretism in Modern Postural Practice: East Meets West and Back again
3. Yoga as Medicine: ayurveda, kinesiology & healing applications
4. Mind and the Social Body: race, class, gender & ethnicity 
5. The literary roots of Yoga (The Baghavad Gita, Yoga Sturas of Patanjali & Hatha Yoga Pradipika)
6. Is Yoga a Religion? Modern Postural Yoga and Popular Culture

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will be able to utilize direct experience as a tool for critical thinking
2. Students will be able to compare and contrast the three major philosophical traditions of yoga
3. Students will be able to critically examine American Culture as it is expressed through yoga as a product of globalization.
4. Students will understand the historical and cultural developments which have created modern postural yoga
5. Students will read and critically analyze original texts
6. Students will analyze the ways yoga has been acceptably "integrated" into American Culture

Texts & Readings:

1. The Science of Yoga (optional and available online with this link) required

by James Broad (Author)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1451641431

https://thaingwizard.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/the-science-of-yoga-the-risks-the-rewards.pdf

           2. The Hidden Secret of Ayurveda. required
           by Robert E. Svoboda, (Author)
           (TAP) 1980

           ISBN-13: 978-1883725044

3. Baghavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song required
Graham Schweig (Author)
Harper One 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061997303

4.Yoga: Discipline of Freedom: The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali required
by Patanjali (Author) , Barbara Stoler Miller (Translator)
Bantam Books 1996
ISBN-13: 978-0553374285

5. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika [Paperback] required
Svatmarama (Author), Brian Dana Akers (Translator)
Publisher: YogaVidya.com (September 1, 2002)
ISBN-13: 978-0971646612

6. Clark, Edward & Laurie Greene (2022) Teaching Contemporary Yoga: Physical Philosophy and Critical Issues (Routledge: London). And Yoga and the Body: The future of practice in the studio and beyond (2024). (Optional = I will be lecturing from these extensively) 

ISBN-978-1032018768

This course will provide a holistic introduction to yoga as philosophy, Eastern cultural practice and syncretic system of health. The course will view the broad discipline of yoga through the spectrum of first the BODY (physical practice & medical applications), then through the MIND (philosophy of East & West), and then through the SPIRIT (exploring the ethical foundations of yoga as it relates to modern problems). The practice of yoga will be understood as a cultural product of Eastern and Western contact, beginning with the colonial era through the age of globalization. The philosophical underpinnings of first non-dualistic worldview and the gradual development of dualism in the East and West will be studied as a way to understand the various arms of the “classical” tradition. 

This course will also explore the modern practice of yoga with its emphasis on the pragmatic physics of mindful movement and living. This “practice” will be explored as it fits into the “complimentary medical model” of allopathic (Western) & ayurvedic (Eastern) medicine; and its re-exportation back to India as a “New-Age” science of healing and personal transformation. We will also explore specifically Western applications of yoga as a mind-body “therapy” in the school setting.

Experiencing a physical practice will be part of the requirements for this class. Students will keep a “practice journal” and record their experiences over the course of the semester. This practice will consist of the 8 aspects (limbs) of yoga, and will be compared to the reduction of yoga to physical exercise as a complimentary cultural concept in the West. Students are required to fit a MINIMUM OF ONE outside practice PER WEEK (14 total) into their schedule this term (online is fine!). Free classes are available to students at YOGA NINE (online/in person) and through many other online venues. Meditation classes are counted as practice, BUT students must participate in one PHYSICAL YOGA PRACTICE per week.

Attention will also be paid to the going reinterpretation of ancient texts for each generation and the movement of ideas in the pre-globalization and globalization era. In particular the Baghavad Gita, Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika will be examined as an archetypical texts ---that have been VALORIZED as the authentic seat of Yoga.

SYLLABUS & READING LIST

BODY

Week #1: Yoga: East & West Introduction (9/5-7)

Introduction to the Study of Yoga: Fiction & Fantasy

The Scope of this Course

                        -Yoga Practice REQUIREMENTS (9/5)

                        -Writing REQUIREMENTS (9/5)
Introduction to the history and Practice of Yoga and Popular Culture (9/7)
Materials:    Blog Posts
                      -Film: Enlighten up! (9/8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv3SujSIWd8

            

Week #2: History of Postural Practice: Pre-Modern Yoga Systems (9/12-14)

Materials:    Blog Posts

                      -Film: Naked in the Ashes (9/14)  Part 1 

Part 2

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Starting my practice online- A a student new to observing yoga, even if you are experienced at practice, begin your journals by observing the physical environment, the community of people who attend classes and frequent your practice space, and your impressions feelings and observations about what you are doing while "doing yoga".(compare previous to online experience). If the online experience is your first, describe the experience of teaching mediated by technology and what the teacher does to create a "yogic" environment. (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #3: Western Early Practices: From Counterculture to Counterculture (9/19-21) 
Materials: Blog Posts

      

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: The Studio as Ritual Space-What makes your practice space a "sacred space"? Consider the sounds, decorations, rules, behaviors and other aspects of the practice space that create an opportunity for ritual experience. (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #4: Consumer Culture and Globalization (9/26-9/28)

Materials: Blog posts

BikramYoga Website (9/28)

            -Pranayama- Khapalabhati 

            -Lonvola, Rishikesh, Goa & Mysore (Indian Healing Centers)

           -The Coalescence of "Physical Culture."

-Practice: Diane Polli (Bikram Yoga Series 1) (9/28)

Due:    Essay: Yoga, Ancient & Modern---5 pages (9/27 on PackBack)

Due:    Weelky Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as Physical Culture- Is yoga framed as more than exercise? In what ways is it suggested at your practice space that yoga can "empower" you? Why not run, or do zumba? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #5: Branding and Popular Culture (10/3-5)

Readings: Blog Posts

     Nevrin (LINK): “Using the Body” (10/3) -see reading notes for this on your blog

             -Pranayama-Anuloma
                       -Practice: Amita Iyengar (Iyengar Yoga Sequence)  (10/5)

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Practice as Ritual-Based on the article by Nevrin, How might your practice be analyzed as a "ritual"? How does this ritual function to change the nature, impact or intensity of your practice experience? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #6: Yoga: Religion, Spirituality or Fitness? (10/10-12)

Readings: Blog posts

           -The New Metaphysicals (Courtney Bender) (LINK to review) (10/10)

           -Pranayama-Ujjayi (10/12)

           -Watch Before Class on (LINK) Ashtanga NY (10/12)

                      -Practice: Lauren Russo (Ashtanga Primary Series) (10/12)

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga Practice as Community -Looking at Smith and building on Nevrin, does your practice space promote a sense of community? DEFINE this community and discuss its PURPOSE for both the studio and you. How much do you feel part of this community? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #7: The Fight For Legitimacy: Yogaphobia and HAF (10/17-19)
Readings:

                Smith (LINK): “Discipline & Authority in Ashtanga Yoga” (10/17)

                Movie: Unwell: Essential Oils

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as Healing (medicine) -How is yoga seen as a healing practice at your practice space? How is this communicated to you? Is thia part of the class practice? How do you feel after doing yoga? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

NO CLASS-PRECEPTORIAL ADVISING TUESDAY 10/24

Due:    Essay: Yoga the Notion of Community & Ritual Space-5 pages (10/24)* NO CLASS

                       

Week #8-9: Yoga and the Science of “Health” (10/31-11/2)

Readings:

                The Hidden Secret of Ayurveda (book) (10/31)

                        -Ayurveda and the Eastern notion of Health in Balance

                        -Doshas, Bhava and one’s essential nature

               Georgine Hodgkinson, "Reflections on Ashram Life" (LINK) (11/2)

                        -Pranayama –nadi shodana

            -Practice: Julie Maloney (Sivananda Yoga: “Right” Practice (11/2)

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as a Lifestyle & Culture -Yoga has made a transition from "traditional culture" to "counter culture" to "pop culture" here in the West. What have you observed about yoga that firmly establishes it as "pop culture"? What has been the effect on yoga in the West? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

-Film: Deskashar & Viniyoga Film (Watch this at home from here )

     

MIND

Week #10: The Mahabharata & The Baghavad Gita (11/7-9)

Readings:

 The Baghavad Gita  (chapters 1-6) (11/8-11/9)

              -The Principle of Karma and Samsara

              -The Practice of Nonattachment

              -The Three Yogas (Karma, Jnana & Bhakti)

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Definitions of Yoga --How is defined in the context of your practice space(s)? What kinds of connections are made to this definition and your group practice? Are there connections made outside of the context of the practice space? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #11: Roots of Yoga: Primacy of the Mind & The Yoga Sutras (11/14-16) I am away on the 16th. There is no in person class. Please watch the film on vipassana behind bars linked below.

Readings: 

  Yoga Discipline of Freedom (book) (11/14)

    -background to Classical Yoga

    -meditation as enlightenment

-Film: Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (11/16 no in-person class). LINK (Watch at home and complete assignment on PackBack)

 Due:    11/16 Essay Choices Healing/False Gurus 

Week #12: Vipassana: Meditation and Samadhi (11/21)

Readings:

  -Pranayama Overview and Disciplines: 

  -Yogic Breath (3 part)

  -Practice: Marcello Spinella (Vipassana Meditation) (11/21)    

                NO CLASS November 23, Thanksgiving

           

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: Yoga as “meditation”: -Is yoga used as a form of meditation in your practice space(s)? If so, ow is meditation practiced? explained? If not, why do you believe meditation is absent from your "yoga" practice? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #13: Medieval Interpretations: Tantra & The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (11/28-11/30)

Readings:

              -Hatha Yoga Pradipika (11/28)

              -The Kama Sutras: The Reality of Tantric Sex Practices (11/30) (LINK)

                  -Pranayama -Kumbacka (breath retention and suspension)

                  -Foundations of Tantra (11/30)

                  -Bandas, Mudras and Divine Sex: the manipulation of energy (11/30) 

Due:   Essay: The “Science” of Yoga/Yoga as a Practice for “self-healing” (by 11/28)* 

                  -Practice: TBA (Kundalini) (11/30)    

Due:   Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: What is the role of the body? How is the body approached and how is the body seen as a vehicle for experience of the divine? (minimum 3 paragraphs)

  

SPIRIT           
Week #14: Be Here Now: Yoga as Spiritual Practice for Modern Gurus (12/5-12/7) 

      Readings:
            -The Kama Sutras: The Reality of Tantric Sex Practices (12/5) (LINK)
            -Ram Das: Spirituality Starter Kit (12/5)  (LINK)

            -Modern Gurus and #METOO (12/7) (LINK)

Due:    Essay: Epic Truths, The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras & Hatha Yoga Pradipika (12/7)

Due:    Weekly Practice Journals: Theme: -Is yoga taught as a spiritual practice? How is spirituality defines and expressed in your practice space(s)? ETCETERA (minimum 3 paragraphs)

Week #15: Finals Week 

Due:    Final Practice Journals: Theme: My Yoga Experience (Minimum of 5 pages) (12/15) PACKBACK

Assignments:

All assignments and due dates are noted on the syllabus. Late assignments will be accepted on PackBack but penalized. You will have a week after each assignment is due to correct your writing and receive a better grade but only on on time assignments (without good cause). I reserve the right to amend any due dates or assignments based on the needs of the class. YOU are responsible for knowing about any changes to this syllabus! (I will try to avoid these).

Assignments ARE NOT OPTIONAL. Failure to complete any assignment may result in a failing grade for the term. If for any reason you cannot complete an assignment on time, let me know BEFORE the due date.

    Therefore, I suggest you take the following precautions: Muzzle your dog, tune up your car, fix your computer and buy extra ink cartridges, save and email your work to yourself in three formats, check on your ailing relatives, eat right, and above all, don’t procrastinate. If you do have a legitimate excuse (listed above) I need to get a call BEFORE the assignment is due.

ATTENDANCE  IS MANDATORY: You will FAIL this course if you miss more than 4 classes. I will take attendance every class session. Missing class, even with an excused absence may result in a demotion to your grade. The experiential nature of this class requires that you attend every session. There is a wait list for this class so, please do not make excuses.

CLASS ETIQUETTE:

Ø  Do NOT leave during class unless you have an emergency!

Ø  PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN CLASS DISCUSSION & COME PREPARED TO WORK.

Ø  Express your opinion directly and with compassion and respect for others.

Requirements:

1)    Readings & Class Discussion

It is critical that you come to class prepared. This is a SENIOR LEVEL SEMINAR course. You will EARN your grade in here by carefully preparing for class and participating fully. Refer to reading study sheets to “guide” you & take notes on your readings. =deductions to grade will be made based on poor class preparedness. =10%

2)    Class Attendance - mandatory attendance-ready to practice w/mat, etc.= 10%

Students must come prepared to do a physical yoga practice. This will entail that you have the following:

o   Yoga mat (mandatory)

o   Yoga Block (4” foam is best)(suggested)

o   Thick wool or Mexican blanket for sitting (suggested)

o   Yoga strap or old necktie / dynaband / etc.(suggested)

DATES: Please let me know if you need to borrow props.

3)    4 Rhetorical Essays (5 pages each)=60%

      –Yoga Ancient & Modern (9/23)

–Community & Ritual Space (10/21)

–Yoga As Science & Medicine (11/18)
– Epic Truths: The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras & The HYP (12/10)

4)    Practice & Practice Journals (weekly on your blog-due FRIDAYS)

Yoga class attendance should be weekly and reflections should be made as soon after class as possible. Journals will be submitted via email weekly with the subject line Journal #X Final reflection will be due in your blogs on the last day of the term =20%(final write-up due 12/16)

FREE CLASS ONLINE SCHEDULE Yoga Nine Ventnor (Click here)

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Semester Writing Assignments and Rubric

WRITING RUBRIC

Film Comparison #1

After viewing the two documentary films, Enlighten Up and Naked in Ashes, compare and contrast the “meaning” of yoga and its practice in India, and in the United States.

(1) Compare the lives of our two "seekers", "Nick Rosen" and "Santosh Giri".Consider their motivations, cultural preconceptions, experiences and the impact of their study.

(2) How do their experiences illustrate the differences between yoga in  India and the USA:

-the definition of yoga,

-the purpose of yoga practice,

-the methods of practice,

-the ways that one is drawn to yoga and the perception of yogis (those who practice yoga) in India and here in the U.S.

(3) How does the definition yoga reflect and adapt to the culture and time period in which it is contained? Illustrate your analysis with specific examples from the films.

Essays will be graded for content and for rhetorical style and execution. Please make sure to proofread your essays and structure them in a persuasive manner. (see writing rubric for class). Essays should have a formal introductory paragraph and conclusion and address all aspects of the question raised above. Length: 3-5 pages, double-spaced.*DO NOT CITE FROM INTERNET RESOURCES. (thank you)

you can watch the second movie, NAKED IN ASHES on Amazon instant view for $2.99
by clicking here. and Enlighten Up! by clicking here.


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Essay #2

Authority in Practice: Community & the Ritual Space
Due 10/26

Please base this essay on the readings by SMITH and NEVRIN, and your viewing of the film ASHTANGA NY. You May also comment on your personal experience practicing in a group class. All three sources should be used to answer the question posed below.

The practice of yoga in a group setting is a new phenomenon. The shala (practice space) and the Sangha (gathering for practice) are important components of modern postural yoga in the East and the West. Using the articles by NEVRIN and SMITH, and the film ASHTANGA NY, (1) Discuss the ways in which community and ritual create a meaningful experience for yoga practitioners. (2) Discuss the ways that the authority of the teacher expressed? (Consider language, sequencing, adjusting, discipline in practice, lineage, textual authority, ritual space, respect, etc.) (3) How is heat (ritual and actual) central to the transformational process in yoga practice? Illustrate your points with examples from the articles, the film and your personal practice where possible.

___________________________________________________

Medicine Essay

Essay #3 Option #1

Yoga as Medicine: A Meditation

Due 

Considering the “science” of yoga from both the Eastern and Western perspective, discuss the role of yoga as a system of health and healing in American culture. To do this, you must discuss (1) the possible application of Yoga and its sister science Ayurveda  (Svoboda book) as an alternative/complimentary medicine, and (2) the medical claims that are made by the yoga systems that we have discussed to date. (Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram & Sivananda & Viniyoga (see blog)). (3) Make sure that you consider health and healing from a broad perspective which considers mind, body and spirit. Note: look to your handouts, the readings, the effects of postures, and your own experience in practice for supporting evidence in your discussion.

Option#2

"Spirituality" is difficult to define, and false gurus have always abounded in Western yoga

Option# 2:

After reading about (1) QANON and it's correlation with Yoga Subcultures in the West (blog post), (2) watching the film "Kumare'" and (3) the documentary on Tantra, and (4) reading chapters 5 and 6 in Selling Yoga (Jain), discuss the importance of spiritual beliefs among yoga practitioners in the West. On what are these beliefs based, and how can they help us understand the repeated belief in false gurus.
_____________________________________________

Epic Truths & Practice

Essay #4
DUE 

The Baghavad Gita , Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika are considered revolutionary texts, departing from earlier traditions by proposing many approaches to enlightenment. For this essay, COMPARE and CONTRAST these texts according to the following features:

1. HOW IS YOGA DEFINED?
2. WHO may practice yoga? 
3. How is it PRACTICED? (consider the techniques at the core of practice)
4. What is the GOAL of practice? (consider the philosophical assumptions that underlie practice-dharma/karma, samkhaya, singularity of truth---HINT!!!)
5. How might each text be viewed as a synthetic (brings together a diversity of current teachings)  philosophy which appeals to all religious traditions?

Please illustrate your discussion with examples from the texts where appropriate. Cite as chapter and verse (where appropriate- sutras, HYP) rather than page number.

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Afterthought....Thinking Critically

Thinking Critically

Thinking critically is one of the best skills you can acquire in your college education. You WILL forget 90% of the information presented to you, BUT it will all be worth the cost of your tuition if you can gain skills that will serve you in your professional and personal life.

Critical thinking can be defined a the ACTIVE, PERSISTENT and CAREFUL consideration of knowledge (facts and opinions) (Dewey). It is a way of reflecting on what you and others believe and why you believe it. It is a way to learn how to be persuasive and articulate, but also how to judge the information that is constantly presented to you throughout your life with confidence.

Here are the important elements of critical thinking we will want to always employ in class:

In any discussion consider these:

·        The purpose of the argument

·        The question (s) which are being posed

·        The assumptions which underlie the argument

·        The conclusions that are drawn from the argument

·        The consequences of these conclusions

When you present an argument in verbally or in writing, remember to go through the following steps as one way to PRACTICE critical thinking:

·        State your position fully and clearly

·        Elaborate on your point by expanding your position and clarify your points if needed

·        Illustrate your point and exemplify your arguments

Without critical thinking and discussion, your points and the points of any author no matter how famous, are JUST OPINIONS. Persuasion comes when an argument is understood (WHAT), explained (WHY), and illustrated (HOW).

Our opinions and feelings are important, but in discourse they must be supported. It is also important that we feel comfortable having open and free conversations with consideration to POLITE and APPROPRIATE language and interaction with others. You will NEVER be judged negatively for your statements or opinions in class, but these should be presented carefully and mindfully when subjects might be sensitive in nature, as they often are in this class where we QUESTION our VALUES, BELIEFS and IDEALS.

You are all novices! Give yourself a break and remember that learning is a process and critical thinking like writing takes practice. You will be rewarded in this class for your EFFORT in this process and practice, not your perfect execution of it.