A Review of
Yoga Body: The Birth of Modern Posture Practice, by Mark Singleton
Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice is the definitive academic text on the evolution of modern yoga by the preeminent scholar in yoga studies, Mark Singleton. Singleton, an academic, author, and yogi, has infused razor-sharp historical perspective and contemporary context into the yoga conversation. His Ph.D. from UC Berkeley equips him with a rigorous researcher’s toolkit throughout, even as he explores the complex narratives and multifaceted influences of modern yoga.
Background on the Author
Mark Singleton is renowned for his in-depth exploration of yoga’s history, connecting the dots between antiquity and the present day. He has also published a handful of pieces and essays spanning philosophy, cultural studies, and health. Singleton’s accessible yet rigorous work seamlessly blends academic research with anecdotes, appealing to both scholars and practitioners.
Overview of the Book
In Yoga Body, Singleton’s critique of today’s style-based modern posture practice — popularly, but misleadingly, called yoga — argues that the modern idea of yoga is not solely derived from its ancient Indian origins, but is also significantly influenced by Western thought and culture. The book also challenges the notion that postural yoga, or asana, has been a static practice since its origin, contending instead that it’s a recent invention that has undergone various incarnations in reaction to historical context.
Singleton’s thesis is supported by exhaustive research that extends beyond ancient texts to include the impact of colonialism and the effects of globalization on yoga. He points to two specific influences that shaped how yoga is known in the West — the physical culture movement of the late 19th/early 20th centuries and yoga’s commercialization journey in the West.
Critical Analysis
The true strength of Yoga Body, however, is Singleton’s storytelling ability. He also does a nice job busting romanticized myths of yoga that can seep into pop discourse, providing us with a fantastic push to question what’s authentic about contemporary practice. Singleton’s concise chapters guide a straightforward stream of consciousness, taking the reader on a historical journey that brings key points in yoga’s timeline into focus.
But while Singleton supports his argument with rich detail, some critics sense that at times his criticism tilts toward a somewhat deterministic view of culture—that the West’s commodification of yoga was bound to dilute it. Although illuminating, this perspective runs the risk of downplaying the agency of practitioners who tailor yoga to their own diverse, meaningful life contexts.
And the focus on the historical and sociocultural context of yoga may not sufficiently address the spiritual elements that many practitioners regard as core. For readers seeking a more personal or experiential connection to yoga, the academic style may seem off-putting. However, Singleton does spark some much-needed reflection on how culture evolves and morphs, posing key questions about authenticity, appropriation, and what it means to capitalize on spirituality.
Conclusion
Yoga Body should be essential reading for historians, yoga teachers, and yogis themselves. Mark Singleton’s insights debunk myths surrounding yoga, prompting yogis to examine the background of their practice closely and skeptically. However, while you could quibble with parts of his reading, Singleton’s work still helps us recognize the subtlety of yoga as a complex interplay of cultural, historical, and personal forces.
Overall, Singleton’s breakdown of this contemporary pose ritual offers penetrating observations into authenticity and cultural cannibalism. And the magic of yoga today. The book is not just history, but a call to reflect on yoga’s true meaning and its potential significance in our own lives. It’s a significant contribution to our continuing dialogue about what yoga is, and what it could become.
