Equinox Yoga in Britain: Stretching Spirituality and Educating Yogis

Yoga in Britain reveals how yoga came to be an accepted, mainstream activity. In mid-twentieth century Britain, yoga transformed from an esoteric concept into a something that could be taught in to middle-class women in adult education classes. Much of the popularization of yoga in this context was seen in terms of being a source of potential public benefit in promoting physical health and wellbeing. Yoga was also widely acknowledged to offer an opportunity for spiritual exploration, but largely as a private, highly individual concern. Using extensive archival evidence and oral history interviews, the book stresses the importance of adult educational structures in how yoga was popularized in twentieth century Britain. It argues that this context is crucial in understanding the contemporary popularity of yoga globally. Review A rich, affectionate and detailed picture of British men and women looking for something - in northern cities and village halls; in the evenings and at precious free moments between other duties - and finding it in yoga. Spectrum Magazine Consolidating much of Newcombe’s exceptional modern yoga research over the years, this book is an important contribution to the field of modern yoga studies and to those studying contemporary South Asian religions more broadly as it provides scholars and yoga practitioners with an original, detailed, and yet easy-to-read history of the development of yoga theory and praxis as it interfaced with twentieth-century Britain. In addition to being useful in undergraduate, graduate and yoga practitioner educational settings, it will more broadly help us all, as Newcombe writes, to ‘educate ourselves to face the future—not necessarily with clear answers, but hopefully with fewer erroneous assumptions, less prejudice, and more empathy’ (p. 7). Religions of South Asia Being primarily a sociologist of religions, Newcombe takes up the subject matter from a historico-sociological perspective. While rich in historical information … her book goes beyond just reporting names and events in chronological order. Each chapter, and each particular yoga-popularising medium described, are a pretext to depict particular social phenomena characteristic of post-war Britain. Journal of Yoga Studies Yoga in Britain highlights the rich and nuanced history of yoga in Britain during the twentieth century. Newcombe demonstrates that what we call ‘yoga’ is not the result of a linear narrative from the ‘ancient’ to the ‘modern.’ Rather, yoga might better be understood as a phenomenon that has emerged from a “kaleidoscope” of voices; some more powerful and influential than others. Newcombe also highlights the artificiality of the perceived East versus West divide by revealing how modern yoga is the result of a constant cross-cultural exchange across borders. Finally, Yoga in Britain challenges the common assumption that beneath all the diversity, there exists some core or authentic yoga; this idea is simply not supported by historical evidence. As such, this book should make a valuable contribution to the debate surrounding the ‘authenticity’ of yoga, or who might ‘own’ yoga. Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review About the Author Suzanne Newcombe is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the Open University and a Research Fellow at Inform, a charity based at the London School of Economics. She researches yoga and ayurveda from a sociological and social historical perspective.