Writing Portfolio

All the contributors gathered for a writing workshop at the end of April. Together, we discussed the intricacies of the short story, went through several writing exercises, decided on a theme for our anthology and began exploring ideas for individual stories. In the following months, we kept in touch, drafting and redrafting, until the book you are holding in your hands took shape. We chose the theme for the anthology – secrets – within the group. Contributors could work with it in any way they wished, either reimagine it, see it as a springboard or a metaphor, or let their imaginations soar.

Yoga Studies in Five Minutes provides an accessible guide to the diverse and growing field of research into yoga as a social, historical and cultural phenomenon. Both leading scholars and innovative researchers offer 60 brief responses to questions that offer insights into the study of yoga, such as: Who was the first teacher of yoga? Is yoga Indian? What is paramparā? Are there holy texts in yoga? What are the goals of yoga? Why do yogis hold their breath?

Temperature is the result of the Karavan Stories Workshop & Anthology project, now in its second year. All the contributors gathered for a writing workshop at the end of April 2024. Together, we discussed the intricacies of the short story, went through several writing exercises, decided on a theme for our anthology and began exploring ideas for individual stories. In the following months, we kept in touch, drafting and redrafting, until the book took shape.

In her essay Decolonizing Yoga Through an Intersectional Analysis in the Indian Diaspora: A South African Story, Firdose Moonda explores the complex relationship between heritage, identity, and the modern practice of yoga. Drawing from her experience as the sole person of South Asian descent in a teacher training course, Moonda challenges the simplified label of being a cultural "insider" by unpacking her own intersectional identity as a South African Muslim of Indian heritage. She weaves personal family history with the broader sociological context of Apartheid’s spatial segregation to examine who can truly lay claim to the lineage of yoga, offering a nuanced perspective on cultural ownership in the diaspora.

Bringing together a diverse chorus of voices and experiences in the pursuit of collective bodily, emotional, and spiritual liberation, Practicing Yoga as Resistance examines yoga as it is experienced across the Western cultural landscape through an intersectional, feminist lens.