The Yogic Studies Podcast

51. Sunila Kale and Christian Novetzke | The Yoga of Power


Listen Later

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sunila Kale and Dr. Christian Novetzke from the University of Washington about their recent publication, The Yoga of Power: Yoga as Political Thought and Practice in India (Columbia 2025). We discuss the genesis of their book beginning with court cases in both the U.S. and India involving yoga and politics, an understanding of the term yoga not only as philosophy or mind-body disciplines but as a political idea and practice, yoga's varied meanings in the ancient Rg Veda, Mahābhārata, and Bhagavadgītā, the mandala theory, yoga spies in the Arthaśāstra, yoga's political role within modern Indian independence movements including the writings of Tilak, Aurobindo, and Gandhi's famous Karma Yoga, and how the authors discovered what is potentially the earliest video footage of sūryanamaskār! We close by discussing the upcoming course, YS 134 | Yoga, Power, and Politics.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Sunila S. Kalé is a Professor in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Kalé has a BA from the University of Chicago and PhD from the University of Texas, Austin. Her teaching and research are in the fields of politics, development, political economy, energy studies, and yoga studies. She is author of many essays and articles and the books Electrifying India (Stanford 2014) and Mapping Power (Oxford 2018). Her first book was awarded a prize from the American Institute of Indian Studies, and her research has been supported by fellowships from AIIS and Fulbright.

Dr. Christian Lee Novetzke is a Professor in the Jackson School of International Studies and the Comparative History of Ideas Department at the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Novetzke teaches and researches in the fields of religion, cultural history, and yoga studies. He has a BA from Macalester College and graduate degrees from Harvard University (MTS) and Columbia University (PhD). His books include Religion and Public Memory (Columbia 2008), The Quotidian Revolution (Columbia 2016), and Amar, Akbar, Anthony (Harvard 2016). His first book won a prize from the American Academy of Religion and his research has been supported by grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, AIIS, Fulbright, and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Links

  • https://www.yogicstudies.com/ys-134
  • https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-yoga-of-power/9780231220019
  • "Surya Namaskar 1928 by Raja of Aundh" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYcwS2ePkMw
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Yogic Studies PodcastBy Yogic Studies

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

69 ratings


More shows like The Yogic Studies Podcast

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,011 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,189 Listeners

Ram Dass Here And Now by Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember

Ram Dass Here And Now

2,570 Listeners

Tricycle Talks by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Tricycle Talks

358 Listeners

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield by Be Here Now Network

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

1,442 Listeners

Pilgrim Heart with Krishna Das by Be Here Now Network

Pilgrim Heart with Krishna Das

248 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,483 Listeners

J. Brown Yoga Talks by J. Brown Yoga

J. Brown Yoga Talks

568 Listeners

CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy) by Jacob Kyle

CHITHEADS with Jacob Kyle (Embodied Philosophy)

166 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,696 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

4,096 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

28,527 Listeners

ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

ZOE Science & Nutrition

2,039 Listeners

Ancient Futures by Daniel Simpson

Ancient Futures

12 Listeners

The Oprah Podcast by Harpo

The Oprah Podcast

1,392 Listeners