Ashtanga Yoga, Rocket Yoga, and the Limitations of Lineage
Publication information:
Abstract
Ashtanga Yoga and Rocket Yoga are both popular, physically strenuous forms of modern postural yoga. Rocket Yoga is an adaptation or remix of the set sequences of Ashtanga Yoga; some practitioners view Rocket as a respectful evolution of Ashtanga, while others view it as a heretical innovation that strips the practice of its spiritual efficacy. Larry Schultz, the yoga teacher for the Grateful Dead, designed the Rocket system, thus named because "It gets you there faster." In this paper, I will explore the limitations of belonging to a yoga lineage, using Ashtanga and Rocket as a microcosm, as well as the relationship or gulf between physical yoga practices and the spiritual teachings of the wider traditions of yoga.
Presenter Biography
Trish Tillman, PhD, is a History professor at University of Maryland-Global Campus, and also teaches yoga and mentors yoga teachers in the Washington, DC metro area. Her research focuses on modern religion and spirituality, and the tensions between tradition and (post)modernity.