This book describes a new paradigm in social sciences, contemplative inquiry. Deep contemplation of a situation is an epistemological choice for social scientists. It is a fundamentally different approach to research, whereby the investigator is researching not only the object but also the situation of research and herself/ himself in it.
This book interprets the social significance of yoga in a world that emphasizes corporeality and the body. Immersing himself in the social world of hatha yoga participants, from an urban studio to a mountain retreat, the author's personal experience with positions and techniques, group meditation, and joint mantra is juxtaposed against interviews, photographs, video recordings on the social meaning of yoga, and philosophical analyses of where the physical and spiritual meet. This book's use of empirical qualitative research and participant observation allows for close analysis, even outright experiencing of the participants' world.