Highlights from the YSACP Graduate Symposium 2024
Nov 25, 2024This past Friday we held the second Yogic Studies Advanced Certificate Program Graduate (YSACP) Symposium. We listened to talks from 11 graduates of the program. The YSACP involves at least a year of study of either Sanskrit or Hindi, a total of 63 credits of core curriculum and electives, and culminates in participation of YS 501 | YSACP Graduate Seminar, where students are mentored while completing a self-directed research project on the topic of their choice.
This year, presentations included topics like the influence of ÅrÄ« Vaiį¹£į¹avism on B.K.S. Iyengar's interpretation of the PÄtañjalayogaÅÄstra, 17th-18th century French Orientalist scholarship on yoga, the VijñÄnabhairava Tantra, the history of YoganidrÄ, the role of kÄ«rtan in yoga, Bhartį¹hari's VÄkyapadÄ«ya, and much more.
Many students made use of their Sanskrit studies in their presentations, and our wonderful Sanskrit instructor Antonia Ruppel also attended and asked questions.
A lot of students chose topics related to their own personal areas of interest, such as kīrtan performer Tim Lechuga's presentation on the uses of kīrtan in yoga.
Juan Pablo Restrepo, a doctoral student at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, presented on notions of prÄį¹a in the context of the Anthropocene.
Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to all of the YSACP graduates! The next iteration of the YSACP Graduate Seminar will be offered in fall 2026.