Conference on Yoga Pedagogy | Exploration of Texts, Traditions and Practice
Dates of Conference | March 29 and 30 2024
Pre Conference Paper Presentations | March 27, 2024
Time | 9 AM to 6 PM Indian Standard Time
Venue | Hotel Savera, 146, Dr Radha Krishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004
Conference Fee | INR 1,800 per participant (For Students – INR 1,400 per participant)
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram announces a Conference on Yoga Pedagogy | An Exploration of Texts, Traditions, and Practice, set to take place in Chennai on March 29th and 30th, 2024. This conference aims to delve into the study, teaching, and practice of Yoga, rooted in Śāstra texts, nourished in Saṁpradāya traditions, and fulfilled in committed Sādhanā. With a focus on maintaining the authenticity of Yoga amidst evolving therapy requirements, credentialing criteria, and historical challenges of dilution and distortion, our goal is to foster a deeper awareness within the Yoga community to evolve a vision of Yoga that is simultaneously authentic and accessible. The conference will feature keynote talks and presentations that explore both traditional approaches and methodological innovations in Yoga teaching and therapy, showcasing their applications in areas such as overall wellness and community outreach.
Objective of the Conference
The teaching, study and practice of Yoga stands at a significant crossroads in the present times. On the one hand, there is a proliferation of Yoga studios across the world, offering an eclectic bouquet of Yoga styles, often combining modern exercise regimens such as Zumba and Pilates with the practice of Āsana-s. On the other side is the role played by certifying bodies in India and abroad, with varying methods of accreditation, certification and membership. Within India, there are also many colleges that offer professional degree courses in Yoga/Yogic Sciences/Yoga Therapy as a third stream of Yoga-related academic activities. Running through all these threads are the traditional Paraṁparā-based Yoga institutes that preserve and transmit the teachings of specific lineages of Ācārya-s. In parallel, there are also widespread discussions in academia on the origin of Yoga teachings and the importance of establishing chronologies of Yoga literature. In such a multivariate backdrop, it is important to understand with authenticity the origin of Yoga thought, its evolution over millennia within Indian Saṁskṛti, the embodied wisdom of Yoga practitioners, the prevalence of Yoga based symbolism in art, architecture and temple traditions and the interconnectedness of textual thought and transmitted teachings through the Guru Paraṁparā, in order to ensure authenticity of teaching yoga in modern times. The objective of this conference is to provide a holistic understanding of the Yoga Paddhati encompassing Śāstra, Saṁpradāya, Sādhanā and Viniyoga is therefore vital in ensuring that Yoga teachers, students, institutions, researchers and practitioners come together to ensure the establishment of the highest standards in Yoga studies, rooting Yoga in its true spiritual-cultural context while also applying the practices to evolving needs of practitioners.
Content of the Conference
This conference features invited talks from scholars and subject domain experts who bring together academic rigour and embodied wisdom, researchers with a sound background in both Yoga and Psychology, Yoga therapists proficient in Yoga Cikitsā, experts in the larger domain of Indian Knowledge Systems, students of Yoga and administrators in institutes of Yoga education. There will also be two panel discussions and presentation of selected case studies by senior faculty of KYM. Guided practices of Prāṇāyāma and Dhyānam will also be a part of the conference schedule.
Featured Speakers and Panelists
Śrī S Sridharan, Senior Mentor and Therapist, KYM
Dr. Latha Satish, Senior Psychologist and Head of Research, KYM
Dr. Nagaraj Paturi, Director, Inter-Gurukula, University Centre for Indic knowledge Systems of Indic Academy
Dr. Jayaraman Mahadevan, Professor & Dean, Division of Yoga and Spirituality, SVYASA Deemed University
Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy, Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chanakya University
Dr. Shilpa Ashok Pandit, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University
Dr. T Ganesan, Academic Director, Center for Shaiva Studies, Pondicherry
Śrī Abhinav Kadambi, PhD Research Scholar, PG & Research Department of Sanskrit, Presidency College (Autonomous), Chennai
Śrī Megh Kalyanasundaram, Director-Special Projects, Indic Academy
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy, Author (Temple Management in the Āgama-s) and Founder, ChildSafeMedia
Śrī Sushant Bharti, Conservationist and Architect, Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society, Associate Fellow of Royal Historical Society
Dr. Ramadevi Sekhar, Assistant Professor and Director, COE-A&C, Shasun Jain College for Women, Chennai
Dr. AV Balasubramanian, Founding Trustee and Director, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chennai
Nrithya Jagannathan, Director, KYM Institute of Yoga Studies, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai
Dr. Arvind Iyer, Research Associate, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai
Who Will Benefit From This Conference?
Yoga Teachers, Yoga Therapists, Practitioners of Yoga, students of Yoga and Yoga Therapy courses, students of Psychology and academicians/researchers with an interest in Indian Knowledge Systems
Other Important Points
The final conference schedule will be announced shortly.
- Lunch and tea will be provided at the venue for all registered delegates.
- Pre-conference Paper Presentation | The KYM is also inviting original abstracts from students, Yoga teachers, therapists and other professionals on topics related to Yoga studies, teaching and applications (last date for submission of Abstracts – Feb 29, 2024). The pre-conference paper presentations will be held at the KYM premises on Thursday, 27th March 2024. Registration for this has to be done separately. Refer the ‘Call for Abstract’ programme in the link: https://www.kym.org/dt_courses/call-for-abstracts-for-conference-on-yoga-pedagogy-exploration-of-texts-traditions-and-practice/