Can yoga history be fun? A conversation with Colin Hall

Welcome to Episode 17 of Let’s Talk Yoga!

As I was looking for someone to help weave the journey of yoga in North America, I stumbled upon Colin Hall’s show called the Yoga History Podcast. I began to listen to his episodes and I was surprised that I didn’t get bored or skip episodes. If you want to get a glimpse of the history of yoga in North America, you have to give this episode a listen. Colin packs so much information for us today. Let’s all laugh and learn with Colin Hall.

Colin Hall likes to call himself a shameless idealist when it comes to yoga. He dropped journalism to start doing religious full time. He has been teaching yoga, giving workshops, and teacher training on asana and yoga philosophy for over a decade. He is also the co-director of Bodhi Tree Yoga where he conducts regular classes and a lecturer on Religious Studies and Kinesiology at the University of Regina as well.

Episode Highlights:

• Colin talks briefly about his background on history and how he made his way to yoga
• Colin’s first impression of the Yoga Sutras
• Where does yoga make its entry into the western world?
• Is the western world fascinated by the east?
• When did postural yoga become prominent?
• Is there a connection between yoga and gymnastics?
• The correlation between the use of psychedelics and yoga in the 1960s
• The role of Hollywood and the glamour side of it on yoga’s journey in America
• Is there a Season 2 for Yoga History Podcast?

Resources and Links Mentioned:

• The Yoga History Podcast with Colin Hall
• PATANJALI’S YOGA SUTRA (Penguin Classics) by Shyam Ranganathan
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• The Serpent Power by Sir John Woodroffe
• The Yoga History Podcast Episode 5: The Psychedelic Yoga of the Sixties
• The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West by Michelle Goldberg
• Yoga International