Fritz Allhoff & Liz Stillwaggon Swan 
Yoga – Philosophy for Everyone 
Bending Mind and Body

Stimulates thoughts and expands awareness of the philosophical
dimensions of yoga in its many forms and practices

Yoga — Philosophy for Everyone presents a wide
array of perspectives by people whose lives have been touched by
yoga. Addressing myriad aspects of yoga’s divergent paths, topics
include body image for men and women; the religious and spiritual
aspects of yoga; and issues relating to ethics, personal growth,
and the teaching of yoga. Written by philosophers and
non-philosophers alike, with contributions from professional yoga
instructors, lifelong practitioners, and first-timers, Yoga
— Philosophy for Everyone offers a wealth of material for
both enjoyment and deep reflection.

Table of Content

Foreword ix

John Friend

Editor’s Introduction xiv

Liz Stillwaggon Swan

Acknowledgments xxvi

PART 1 COMING INTO THE SPACE: WHAT IS YOGA? 1

1 How Yoga Won the West 3

Jennifer Munyer

2 Will I Find My Guru in India? 15

Kieran Mc Manus

3 The Seeker: How Yoga is Meeting Changing Western Spiritual
Needs 24

David Robles

4 Men, Sports, and Yoga 36

Barbara Purcell and Andrew Shaffer

5 Standing on Your Head, Seeing Things Right Side Up 47

Steve Jacobson

PART 2 THE ASANAS: YOGA AND THE BODY 59

6 Help! My Philosophy Teacher Made Me Touch My Toes! 61

Ken Burak

7 Man a Machine, Man a Yogi: Why Yoga’s Critics will
Come Around 73

J. Neil Otte

8 Yoga for Women? The Problem of Beautiful Bodies
84

Luna Dolezal

9 The Feeling of Beauty: A Yoga Project 94

Nicole Dunas

10 Picturing Yoga: Yoga Journal and the Perfect Form
106

Debra Merskin

PART 3 PRANA: YOGA’S VITAL ENERGY
117

11 My Guidance Counselor Always Said I’d be a Great Yoga
Student 119

Eric Swan

12 Balance in Yoga and Aristotle 129

Leigh Duffy

13 Healing the Western Mind through Yoga 139

Abby Thompson

14 The Path to Happiness Begins with a Journey Inside 149

Jim Berti

PART 4 YAMAS AND NIYAMAS:
ETHICS AND YOGA 159

15 Get Out of My Way! I’m Late for Yoga! 161

Jeff Logan

16 Yoga Off the Mat 166

Julinna Oxley

17 Becoming-Frog: Yoga as Environmentalism 178

Megan M. Burke

18 Yoga and Ethics: The Importance of Practice 187

Paul Ulhas Mac Neill

19 Why are You Standing on my Yoga Mat?! 200

Heather Salazar

Notes on Contributors 212 ?

About the author

Liz Stillwaggon Swan has a Ph D in philosophy and is a
certified yoga instructor. Her niche in the world is helping people
exercise their brains and their bodies. Her recent publications in
the emerging field of biosemiotics explore how we use our brains
and bodies to make sense of the world. She is also a new mother and
delights in watching her son practice happy baby pose.



Series
Editor:

Fritz Allhoff is an associate professor in the philosophy
department at Western Michigan University, as well as a senior
research fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for
Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing
the Philosophy for Everyone series, he is also the volume
editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine &
Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey &
Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food
& Philosophy (with Dave Monroe, Wiley-Blackwell,
2007). His academic research interests engage various
facets of applied ethics, ethical theory, and the history and
philosophy of science.