The next morning, we went to visit nearby schools. Yoga poses half moon We were pleasantly surprised to see hundreds of girls of all ages as they arrived. As Yoga poses half moon they entered the school courtyard, smiling faces were revealed beneath the now infamously iconic blue burkas as they were immediately shed within the school’s walls. I was instantly surrounded by small, beautiful, and inquisitive faces, each visibly overcome with joy and amazement. Many of them spoke at least some English, and took the opportunity to practice and engage with us. Hello, what is your name? they asked. Salaam, my name is Christy, I responded. What is your name? I countered.
It is in this context of trying to understand the purpose of the yoga texts that we start to investigate the social symbolic meaning of yoga, central to this book. Early yoga forms soon became enveloped by Brahmin mysticism and caste ideology and claims of supernatural powers. All this contributed to the construction of a yogic adept – the mystical sage, the liberated meditative adept – loaded with symbolic capital.
Some readers might find parts of this chapter very intensive and complex as I analyse the texts. However central themes and issues in the yoga discourse originated at this point of time. These would come to dominate not only the yoga discourses, but most of the Ways of Liberation since then. Crucial here is the notion of liberation ‘ and it is recommended that the previous chapter 4th Consideration – Liberation as a sociological ideal type is read before this chapter.
