The 4th International Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana conference will take place in Paris from 27th–29th May 2026. The event is being organized in collaboration with the Center for South Asian and Himalayan Studies (CESAH) at the School for Advanced Social Sciences (EHESS - École de hautes études en sciences sociales) in Paris. The SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies is delighted to support these proceedings by offering webinars, live from Paris, of the three keynote speakers.

Dominic Goodall (EFEO) will commence the proceedings with a presentation of the earliest concepts of Kuṇḍalinī found in the seventh-century Śaivasiddhānta scriptures. Mark Singleton will launch his latest book entitled, Yoga Machine: Technology, Transhumanism and Transcendence. On the final day of the conference, Sunila Kale and Christian Novetzke will elaborate on their yoga and power thesis with a talk entitled, Sovereignty, Boycott and Struggle: The Three Registers of Political Yoga.

Below are the links to join the Zoom webinars on the day.

Attendance numbers are constrained to 500 people. No registration is required.

Please note that priority will be given to the in-person audience experience and IT support on the day will be limited. 

May 27, 2026 01:30 pm (CEST, Paris time)
Welcome & Opening Remarks | Keynote Address by Dominic Goodall (EFEO)

How is Kuṇḍalinī Conceived When She First Appears in Seventh-Century Śaivasiddhānta Scriptures?
Webinar: https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/92302389325?pwd=6VyaRCbxf5PIYubbP87zRrnqJ9g94b.1
Passcode: tH5drs61iW

 

May 27, 2026 06:00 pm (CEST, Paris time)
Book Launch by Mark Singleton (SOAS)

Yoga Machine: Technology, Transhumanism and Transcendence

Webinar: https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/95255304746?pwd=zYbYpQmiWoQlLw5G3zRZNehq0S5EVG.1

Passcode: VQHD4afzBU

 

May 29, 2026 04:30 pm (CEST, Paris time)
Keynote Address by Sunila Kale and Christian Novetzke

Sovereignty, Boycott and Struggle: The Three Registers of Political Yoga

Webinar: https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/98167590936?pwd=J52Uyjx2cVftNAEVhmgPP0q96qZWSO.1

Passcode: R0TTnUQCx3

The conference will explore yoga’s popularity not only as a global practice, but also as an object of scholarly research, attested to by the exponentially increasing number of publications on yoga across a wide range of academic fields. We encourage dialogue and collaboration between scholars of the social sciences and humanities, who are critically exploring traditions, beliefs and practices associated with ‘yoga’ both in the past and the present.

The full conference programme is available here.

If you are in Paris, it is possible to attend in person by registering here.