The introductory module will offer an overview of the concepts of the body in the religious traditions of South Asia. This historical background will then allow us to have a proper understanding of how tantric yoga and other different yoga lineages view the body. We will start with the Vedic religion, continue with the śramaṇa traditions (Buddhism and Jainism), and then devote most of the lecture to the mainstream of Brahmanical thought. This survey will demonstrate that the dominant attitude towards the body in South Asia has been quite negative. To counterbalance this view, we will also mention some traditions with a positive approach to the body, such as ancient Indian medicine (Ayurveda).

The tantric teachings represent a revolutionary change in the understanding of the body in Indian thought, because they consider the body as a necessary tool to achieve their goals. Since physically oriented yoga builds on this tantric thinking and incorporates many ideas related to the body, the entire second module will be devoted to tantric concepts of the body. We will explore both so-called tantric anatomy (cakras, nāḍīs, granthis) and tantric physiology (kuṇḍalinī, amṛta, prāṇas). Finally, we will discuss the ontological status of the tantric body and observe that it is the product of tantric creative visualization (bhāvanā).

In the third module, we will look at the concept of the body in different yoga traditions. First, we will explain what the physical body actually is in terms of yogic ontology and see that it is made up of the five elements (mahābhūtas). After a brief explanation of the concept of the body in Pātañjala Yoga, the bulk of the lecture will be devoted to haṭhayoga. We will discuss the different types of bodies mentioned in the yoga texts and demonstrate that yoga practice results in a healthy, strong and perfected body that is endowed with various bodily perfections or extraordinary powers (siddhis). Finally, we will clarify some misunderstandings of the concept of the body prevalent in modern yoga.

In the fourth and final module, we will focus on one of the most common goals of yoga practice mentioned in yoga texts and abundantly documented in stories about yogis, namely the attainment of immortality. First, we will briefly introduce the Tamil Siddha tradition, where immortality is achieved by the gradual transformation of the physical body into a spiritual immortal body. Then we will explore the haṭhayoga texts and introduce various techniques that result in a physical immortal body. One of the fascinating techniques is the prognostication of the moment of death based on the observation of the breath, which ultimately enables the yogi to cheat death (kālavañcana).