The Meanings of Bodily Practice in Yoga: Insights from a Case Study of Yoga Teaching Practice in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

This study considers the meanings of bodily practice in yoga. Previous studies about yoga and health have overlooked the relationship between the philosophy and practice of yoga, and discussed them separately. This paper examines, from a sociological perspective, the linkages between yogic philosophy, bodily practice, and health. My analysis of teacher-student interactions within yoga teaching practices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, based on my participatory research in 2017, drew two main findings. First, because consciousness is the most important element of the yoga practice, the yogic bodily practice encompasses multiple meanings, ranging from biological to cognitive dimensions. Second, teachers’ verbal instructions foster students’ awareness of their bodily capability enhanced through yoga. Theories of bodily techniques will offer a useful analytical framework for subsequent examination of the autonomic health construction.