New Books Network: "Yoga Studies in Five Minutes" with Dr. Theodora Wildcroft & Dr. Barbora Sojkova

Podcast: New Books and Indian Religions
Host: Dr. Raj Balkaran
Guests: Dr. Theodora Wildcroft, Dr. Barbora Sojkova
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into Yoga Studies in Five Minutes (Equinox Publishing, 2025), a new accessible academic volume co-edited by Dr. Theodora Wildcroft and Dr. Barbora Sojkova. The conversation explores the book’s conception, its unique Q&A format, process challenges, and its vital role for both scholarly and practitioner audiences. The discussion emphasizes the book’s dual commitment: making rigorous academic knowledge genuinely accessible while resisting oversimplification and cliches in yoga discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Purpose of "Yoga Studies in Five Minutes"

• The book is part of Equinox's "In Five Minutes" series, blending the accessibility of "For Dummies" guides with academic rigor (02:00–04:31).

• Dr. Wildcroft was approached to edit, but insisted the project needed both her expertise and a Sanskritist, leading to the collaboration with Dr. Sojkova.

• The editors’ aim: create a "trusted source" for both academic and practitioner readers, bridging the gap between scholarly rigor and practical relevance.

  “It’s not about dumbing down, but it’s about making things accessible… It can be used across different audiences and can be used, you know, in a trusted way, let’s say.” — Dr. Barbora Sojkova (06:35)

• The editorial experience was described as smoother than expected, especially in getting diverse scholars to deliver accessible, engaging writing on time.

2. Balancing Accessibility and Academic Rigor

• The hosts discuss the intellectual challenge of crafting brief, jargon-free entries that do not oversimplify (04:31–07:57).
• The book is praised for meeting the needs of “intellectually seeking practitioners," undergraduates, and teachers seeking trustworthy introductions to yoga topics.
• Dr. Wildcroft emphasizes the tendency in academia to assume background knowledge, which this book tries to avoid.

  “When done well, it does not mean dumbing down at all. You actually have to have fairly comprehensive knowledge and scope to present something accessibly.” — Dr. Raj Balkaran (04:31)

3. Book Structure: From FAQs to Interdisciplinary Insight

• The book is organized around questions, like a rigorous FAQ, which originated from both student inquiries and common public queries (09:23–12:09).

• Dr. Sojkova, trained as a librarian, categorized 60 questions down to major themes:

  • What is yoga?
  • What’s the point of yoga?
  • Is yoga healthy?
  • How do you practice yoga?
  • How do you study yoga?
  • How did modern yoga develop?
  • How does yoga look today? (12:09)

• Answers balance historical scope with scholarly diversity—some questions have different “flavors” depending on contributor expertise.

4. Writing Process and Editorial Choices

• Many entries, including those on diet and the "ideal yogic life," were co-authored by the editors when the topic was too broad or no other contributors could take them (14:29–17:46).
• They purposefully do not provide singular, universalizing answers; instead, multiple perspectives are offered, and sometimes the answer is reframing the question itself.

  “We’re not just not trying to oversimplify, we’re trying not to universalize. … The answer is really, you’re asking the wrong question.” — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (16:55)

5. Memorable Entries and Scholarly Highlights

• Both editors recall favorites:

  • Jim Mallinson’s “What is the Difference between Haṭha Yoga and Hatha Yoga?” — praised for rigor and humor (18:38–19:45).
  • Suzanne Newcombe’s “Where Did All the Women Come From?” explores gender evolution in modern yoga.
  • Lubomir Ondračka’s detailed philological piece on yoga postures.
  • Marissa’s chapter on yoga and capitalism.

  “If they read just one thing within five minutes, you know, just read this one article.” — Dr. Barbora Sojkova on Mallinson’s entry (19:18)

• The range of disciplines—philology, anthropology, sociology—reflects the interdisciplinary maturation of "yoga studies" as a field.

6. Sample Topics and Deep-Dive Answers

Role of Diet in Yoga (23:29–29:50)

• No single answer—pre-modern texts are prescriptive, offering an ideal yogic diet but not recording actual habits (23:39–26:26).
  • Certain foods are discouraged (meats, spices); others are encouraged.
• Modern yoga’s association with diet comes from 19th–20th century health movements, intertwining well-being, purity, and spiritual discipline (26:26–29:50).
• There is great variance and dispute in modern practitioners’ diets, sometimes leading to community conflicts or issues related to eating disorders.

  “Dietary disputes are one of the ways yoga communities can actually get really toxic with each other.” — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (28:24)

Life of the “Ideal Yogi” (31:37–37:33)

• Pre-modern sources are again largely prescriptive, not descriptive (31:37–33:46).

• Dr. Wildcroft highlights the concept of hagiography—how stories of exemplary yogis serve community ideals more than factual biography.

  “It’s that life curated in such a way that it tells us who we are as a religious community.” — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (34:26)

• The challenge, especially regarding controversial modern gurus, is balancing real histories with the needs and traumas of communities.

7. Behind the Scenes: Process and Academic Labor

• The book was compiled as a “labor of love” — contributors were not compensated, reflecting the reality of much academic publishing (39:16–41:55).

  “No one who wrote for us got paid a penny for doing what they do… It is a labor of love.” — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (39:25)

• The academic publication cycle is slow; the book appeared “overnight” to the surprise of the editors.

• Call for support: The editors invite readers and practitioners to share feedback and help spread the word.

• Dr. Bharbara Sojkova announces an upcoming launch event at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, an institution formative to her academic journey (41:58–42:32).

8. Academic Publishing and Recognition

• The host and editors candidly discuss the mismatch between academic influence and financial compensation, describing it as "high profile slave labor" (43:19–43:29).
• The importance of supporting academic labor—by using, citing, and sharing resources like this book—is stressed.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Accessibility Without Dumbing Down:

  “What if you had information about academic topics that was actually accessible and easy to read, but also really rigorous and didn’t, you know, didn’t oversimplify things?”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (02:22)

• On Collaboration:

  “I slightly wanted an excuse to do a book project with Barbara because we’re friends and I knew it would be really good fun and we would learn a lot together and from each other doing it.”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (03:09)

• On Editorial Control:

  “This is where we got really controlling. ... The first thing we did is we made a list of the questions ... the kinds of questions that come up for us in teacher trainings as much as anything else.”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (09:30)

• On the Book's Diversity:

  “What this book also evidences is a real body of consensus ... that we’re starting to build as a fledgling discipline in many ways within academia—that there are things that we know as a community, not just as individuals.”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (22:12)

• On Hagiography and the Ideal Yogi:

  “It’s that life curated in such a way that it tells us who we are as a religious community.”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (34:26)

• On Academic Labor:

  "Most of us are earning, as I’m sure both of you are aware, far less money doing what we do than people have any idea of what we’re doing really.”
  — Dr. Theodora Wildcroft (39:29)

• On the Reality of Academic Royalties:

  “If you can go out for a nice dinner with a friend, it means you’re doing really well for the year of royalties for an academic book.”
  — Dr. Raj Balkaran (43:29)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Content | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:00-04:31 | Book Origins | Wildcroft on being asked to co-edit; series context | | 05:58-07:57 | Audience and Accessibility | Sojkova on teacher training, practitioner focus | | 09:23-12:09 | Structuring the Book | FAQs approach; librarian’s role in classification | | 14:29-17:46 | Editorial Process/Entries | Entries approach; co-authoring entries; not universalizing | | 18:38-22:31 | Favorite Entries | Jim Mallinson, Newcombe, breadth of topics | | 23:29-29:50 | The Role of Diet in Yoga | Prescriptive vs. descriptive sources; modern complexity | | 31:37-37:33 | The Life of the Ideal Yogi & Hagiography | Ideals, biography, narrative in yoga communities | | 39:16-41:55 | Academic Labor & Publishing | Unpaid work, long process, request for support | | 41:58-42:32 | Book Launch Event | Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, academic communities | | 43:19-43:29 | Academic Royalties and Support | Realities of academic publishing, value of patronage |

Final Thoughts & Call to Action

Yoga Studies in Five Minutes emerges as an essential resource for a diverse audience—student, teacher, scholar, or inquisitive practitioner—seeking well-rounded, honest, and accessible answers to yoga’s enduring and new questions.
The episode urges listeners to appreciate and support the under-recognized labor of academic authors, both by utilizing such resources and spreading the word.

For more information, check out the book, join the launch events, and support the ongoing work of Dr. Sojkova, Dr. Wildcroft, and the broader academic community in yoga studies.