Yoga Connections

Discover the connections between yoga and the wisdom traditions expressed in Himalayan art.

Yoga is a system of philosophy and practice that seeks to help people align their body and mind in order to transform personal experience. One translation of yoga is “yoke,” the tool used to connect an ox to a plough. Like yoga, the art objects in our collection, intended for ritual purposes as well as aesthetic ones, seek to link the worldly and the transcendent.

This month Swami Asokananda, the President of the New York Integral Yoga Institute, and Rubin Museum docent Antoinette Maclachlan will select a piece of art in the galleries that will inspire a conversation about yoga, its philosophies, and its visual representations. A breathing exercise will allow participants to integrate the discussed concepts into a personal experience.

About the Teacher

Swami Asokananda has been a monk since 1973 and is known for his warmth, intelligence, and good humor. His teaching comes out of his own practice and experience. Since the age of 19 he has absorbed the wisdom of his guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda. While he enjoys sharing the practical wisdom of the yogic philosophy, especially that of the great Indian scripture the Bhagavad Gita, he also loves his practice of Hatha Yoga. In the past, he has served as the president of Satchidananda Ashram”“Yogaville® and Integral Yoga® International. He is currently the President of the New York Integral Yoga Institute.