The Dharma Rebellion: Bhakti Yoga’s Vision of Spiritual Resistance
June 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
A shift is happening in modern yoga and spiritual spaces.
The way sacred teachings are being shared and interpreted has changed—especially in online spaces and spiritual communities.
Teachings from the yoga wisdom tradition are being reframed in ways that sometimes feel more like culture war talking points than timeless spiritual insights.
Has ancient wisdom been hijacked to serve authoritarian ideals? Or has the yoga tradition always supported social hierarchies and inequality?
Does yoga philosophy align with liberal values like inclusivity, environmentalism, and social justice? Or have modern liberal values been superimposed on traditional yoga philosophy?
Is it possible to conceptualize a coherent political agenda based on the wisdom literature of the yoga tradition? Or is yoga wisdom neutral; a spiritual teaching that transcends politics?
Let’s find out – together.
In this 8-week series, we’ll explore how liberalism became the default setting in modern yoga spaces, unpack how a new Right-Wing counter-culture has made its presence felt in the spirituality and wellness communities, and contrast both with the radical vision of devotional yoga.
We’ll examine how yoga wisdom can be distorted—and how yoga wisdom texts like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam offer a coherent worldview that connects inner realization to outer action.
You’ll come away with:
- A philosophical framework for understanding where bhakti-yoga aligns—and doesn’t—with liberal or conservative views
- A clear understanding of how early 20th-century thinkers helped shape today’s “Cosmic Right”—and how those ideas made their way into the modern yoga and wellness communities
- Tools to discern the difference between authentic sanatana dharma (the eternal spiritual principles at the heart of yoga) and spiritual authoritarianism
- Scriptural grounding to help you speak about values like justice, freedom, and equality with clarity and confidence
This course is for yoga teachers, students, seekers, and spiritual practitioners who want to think more deeply about the intersection of spirituality, politics, and culture—and who are curious about what a truly devotional response to today’s challenges might look like.
If you’ve been questioning where yoga fits into today’s political landscape—or feeling unsettled by how spiritual ideas are being used—you’re not alone.
Join us to reclaim yoga’s spiritual heart from the culture wars—and take a stand for truth, compassion, and the soul of sacred politics.
Suggested donation for this 8-part series is $10 – $15 per class. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Recordings will be available for replay.