In this episode of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast, guest host Agni Hogaboom, a student in the Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies program at Claremont School of Theology and Arihanta Institute, speaks with Christopher Jain Miller, PhD, co-founder and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Arihanta Institute, about the history and enduring significance of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra. Together, they trace how a text with no continuous lineage of practice was "rediscovered" by colonial Orientalists, elevated to the status of yoga's "classical" text, and later popularized by Swami Vivekananda at the turn of the twentieth century.

Their conversation moves beyond familiar interpretations to explore what many modern yoga trainings leave out: the Yoga Sūtra's Sāṃkhya philosophical foundations, the role of yogic powers (siddhis), and, above all, ahiṃsā as the ethical foundation of yoga—a "great vow" that Patañjali describes as universal, applying regardless of caste, place, time, or circumstance.

Miller also reflects on why the Yoga Sūtra remains deeply relevant today, especially for activists, educators, and anyone working toward social change. Rather than offering an escape from the world, he argues, yoga provides practices that cultivate resilience, clarity, and compassion for sustained engagement in a world marked by violence and injustice. The episode concludes with practical advice for prospective students navigating the growing number of online yoga trainings, including what to look for in faculty expertise, curriculum, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Inspired by this conversation? Continue your study in Course 3002: Yoga Sūtra: The Classical Yoga of Patañjali. Through ten hours of self-paced learning and ten live discussions with Professor Miller, you'll read the Yoga Sūtra alongside Vyāsa's commentary, explore its Jain, Buddhist, and Brahmanical influences, examine its colonial reception history, and develop a deeper understanding of one of the most influential texts in the history of yoga. Live discussions with Professor Miller take place on Fridays at 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. PT from September 4 through November 6, 2026. This course is presented by the Center for the Study of Jain Yoga at Arihanta Institute and is additionally accredited by the American Yoga Council.

About the Guest

Christopher Jain Miller, PhD is the co-founder, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies at Arihanta Institute. He earned his PhD in the Study of Religion from the University of California, Davis, and serves as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich's Asien-Orient-Institut and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology, where he co-developed and co-directs the world's first fully online Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies.

His research focuses on Engaged Jainism, Modern Yoga, and South Asian philosophy. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge, 2024) and co-editor of Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Approaches to the Study of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY Press, 2025) and Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington Books, 2020).

About the Host

Agni Hogaboom (they/them) joins this episode as a guest host of the Engaged Jain Studies Podcast. Agni is a graduate student in the Master of Arts Engaged Jain Studies program track at Claremont School of Theology and Arihanta Institute, pursuing a concentration in Veganism, Animals, and Ecology. A climate activist and degreed engineer, they integrate ecological awareness with spiritual practice as a Jain yoga scholar-practitioner and founder of a mutualist, third-space dharma project in their community. Agni is also internationally recognized for their work as a designer and maker of custom couture, creating their wearable art in a plant-based, zero-waste studio. Their current research interests are Sanskrit, Jain ethics and karma theory, the intersection of veganism and environmental justice, and post-Marxist, eco-queer mutualisms. Outside of academia, Agni enjoys podcasting about horror films, operating their Victorian-era chainstitch handcrank machine, and enjoying the brilliance of the Pacific Northwest's ample beauty.

Topics: Yoga Sūtra, Patañjali, modern yoga, yoga history, ahiṃsā, Sāṃkhya, Yoga Studies, Jain Studies, colonialism, Sanskrit, ethics.

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