Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 7
Interview
Interview with
JASON BIRCH
MA Tell us a little about your studies and how they led to
researching Yoga texts.
JB After completing a Bachelors in Sanskrit and Hindi, with a
secondary focus on religious studies, at the University of Sydney, I decided to do an honours year (which is similar to a
MA thesis) on an untranslated yoga text called the A
manaska.
Through the practice of yoga and study of Sanskrit and Indian
history, I had come to realise that there were many yoga texts
that had not been studied academically. I wanted to learn more
about the history of yoga (as by that time I was an enthusiastic
practitioner), and pursing research on the Amanaska seemed
like a good opportunity to do this. When I finished my honours thesis, my marks were good enough to make applications
for funded doctoral positions. I’d also been fortunate enough
to make contact with James Mallinson via email after he pub-
www.yogaallianceprofessionals.org
AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021 5
