Runyoga: Från arisk blodsmystik till nyandlig självutveckling

Rune yoga is a spiritual practice based on the idea that the Runic alphabet can be used for spiritual and magical purposes. Based on an interpretation of the Runes where every letter in the alphabet is considered to contain within it a source of mystical powers Rune Yoga uses techniques inspired by Indian yoga to channel these forces. While contemporary Rune Yoga has become a part of Heathen and Alternative Spirituality that attracts people from a variety of Ethnic background the origin of the practice lies within the Ariosophical movement, a racial form of Esotericism that developed in Germany and Austria in the early 20th century. In this article the origin of Rune Yoga within the Ariosphical movement is presented, how it was integrated in ideas about Aryan racial supremacy. The article continues to show how Rune Yoga later migrated to North America and became a practice used within a non-racial milieu and what aspects remained from the original Ariosophical movement. The article argues that while some aspects of Ariosophical thinking remains within Rune Yoga the racial aspects have ceased to be important. Rather than focusing on race modern Rune Yoga focus in self-improvement for the individual and there is a lack of collectivist goals.

Kunglig förening: Den teosofiska raja yoga-pedagogiken och det tidiga 1900-talets yogareception

Research on the early 20th century European and American reception of yoga have revealed the significance of esoteric movements like the Theosophical Society in creating the modern, global phenomenon of yoga. Alongside interpretations of yoga as primarily a form of meditation which were common in the literature and, sometimes practice, of movements like Theosophy or Thelema there exist another phenomenon labeled yoga that have received less attention. A system of pedagogy called raja yoga was for several decades among the foremost preoccupations of one of the main global Theosophical movements, the Universal Brotherhood. Under its leader Katherine Tingley, the Universal Brotherhood strove to develop and popularize raja yoga as the solution to the social and spiritual problems of humanity. Focusing on Swedish raja yoga literature of the Universal Brotherhood, this article will explore how Swedish writers imagined and argued for this system of education and spiritual development. Furthermore, the article will investigate some of the complicated connections between this form of pedagogy and the broader trends of the early 20th century European reception of yoga.

Kinesisk yoga? Sinificering af yoga-begrebet i sinologiske, terapeutiske og nyreligiøse sammenhænge

This article provides a conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) of the use of the word yoga in the context of both scientific, therapeutic, and religious approaches to Chinese cultural history, with a focus on somatic practices commonly associated with Daoist traditions. Under the heading Chinese yoga, the author investigates how historical practices such as neidan, daoyin, kaimen, zhanzhuang, gusha, fangzhongshu as well as new therapeutic innovations are referred to as types of yoga such as Taoist yoga, meridian yoga, yin yoga, and sexual yoga. The article traces the origins of variations of the concept of Chinese yoga to the 1920s and 1930s in publications by Richard Wilhelm and C. G. Jung, Cary F. Baynes, and Arthur Waley, follows its reception in the hippie milieu of the 1960s and 1970s, and demonstrates how references to various forms of Chinese yoga have been, and are still being used in both academic research, and therapeutic and new religious milieus.

Avkobling og transformasjon: Meditasjonsretreater på Dharma Mountain mellom popularisering og religiøst fellesskap

While meditation has undeniably become a part of popular culture, the term encompasses a wide variety of practices and conceptualizations on the religious-secular spectrum. In this paper, I explore how this wide scope is dealt with at meditation retreats offered at the Norwegian center Dharma Mountain. The place is built around the Norwegian guru Vasant Swaha and serves as a meeting place for his disciples, the sangha. At the same time, the Dharma Mountain group takes part in the wider popular meditation field with retreats tailored toward the preferences of an often guru-critical mainstream audience. Based on ethnographical material, I compare two meditation techniques, vipassana and Dynamic Meditation, and how they are introduced, legitimized, and performed at a newcomer weekend in the first and a summer retreat with Vasant Swaha in the second case. I show that while instructors introduce vipassana as a generic and simple technique, they mark Dynamic Meditation as a specifically composed method and thus integrate it with Swaha’s background in the Osho movement and the therapeutic outlook of his retreats. My findings point to the flexibility of the concept of meditation and how this helps organizers to address different audiences. Under the umbrella of meditation, Dharma Mountain incorporates a range of conceptualizations, from self-help to spiritual awakening, and different social forms, from costumer relations to religious community, in one and the same place.