Hatha-Yoga in Higher Education

Krzysztof Konecki

doi:10.18290/rns.2018.46.2-6

Krzysztof Konecki University of Lodz, Faculty of Economics and Sociology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rns.2018.46.2-6

Keywords: hatha-yoga; higher education; B.K.S. Iyengar; pedagogy; meditation

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of adaptation of hatha-yoga practice to the system of higher education. There are some problems with including yoga into the curricula of higher education institutions, and these are described with respect mainly to the USA and Polish context.

The body has been almost excluded from programs of teaching. There is a large gap between the theory and practice. However, the body could be an active subject (actant) in learning and perceiving the reality. It could be used to teach philosophy, psychology, sociology and management, and other courses. Students could achieve embodied knowledge, and not only the opportunity of gaining an intellectual knowledge coming from and through the mind. I am a sociologist and I describe my experiences with including yoga in teaching sociological and psychological subjects in a Polish University. The results from auto-reports of students show that by hatha-yoga practice students could see the connection between the body and mind concerning the production of emotions, which could be important in teaching of techniques of stress reduction, sociology of emotions, psychology of emotions, philosophy of body, management, coaching or other subjects where emotions and the body are important factors of activity.

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