Mark Singleton

Mark Singleton is a scholar of yoga and South Asian studies whose academic research has reshaped how we understand the history and development of modern yoga practice. He is based at SOAS, University of London, and his work bridges historical research, philology, and cultural studies. Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice is a groundbreaking academic study that traces how the physical yoga practiced by millions worldwide today is largely a modern creation, shaped by European gymnastics traditions, Indian nationalism, and twentieth-century physical culture movements rather than by ancient Indian tradition alone. Singleton's research fundamentally changed the conversation about yoga's history. The audiobook and book versions offer listeners and readers a fascinating, rigorously researched account of how modern yoga came to be. Singleton's work is essential for yoga practitioners, teachers, historians, and anyone interested in how traditions are invented and reinvented across cultures.