The aim of the book is to examine the complexity of ideas related to yoga in the period from the late 19th century to 1939 in Poland, along with the esoteric context from which it grew and to which it remained dependent. The author's study forms part of the current research into modern yoga-i.e. those forms of yoga that are rooted in the Hindu tradition (referring to its philosophical systems, religions or practices), but at the same time have been complemented by themes originating from Western culture or reinterpreted in the light of the various traditions (philosophical, religious, esoteric, scientific) of the West. The starting point of the research is established, on the one hand, by the esoteric context which determined how yoga was interpreted in the West and created an environment in which yoga could spread and undergo further interpretations, and on the other, by the first mentions of yoga that emerged and originated from Polish sources. The book is divided into two parts. In the first-"Esoteric Contexts"-selected themes of Western esoteric traditions are presented that were inspired or transformed by esoteric traditions, and were of key importance for the emergence of Polish interpretations of yoga. This part is not a history of modern yoga outside the Indian subcontinent, but rather an attempt to outline the context through which yoga could enter the western-including Polish-cultural landscape. It is an indispensable introduction to the presentation of yoga in Poland. This part of the book was prepared on the basis of subject literature related to the study of Western esotericism and modern yoga, although the author also explores various source literature in order to complement or refine the argument. In this part of the book the author describes the vision of yoga created in the Theosophical doctrine emphasising the idea of India as the land of primordial, sacred wisdom as well as Theosophical belief about the universal evolution of humanity, the mesmeristic concept of the subtle fluid that became the basis for understanding the idea of prana and the theosophical creation of Raja Yoga as a perfect spiritual path entirely different from the bodily practice of Hatha Yoga. Further the later, post-Theosophical interpretations of yoga were analysed - those emerging on the basis of anthroposophy as well as Agni Yoga, created by Helena Roerich. The author also discusses in details the vision of yoga formulated by Swami Vivekananda, essential for the spread of this discipline in the West. This vision, as it was
emphasized, had grown not only from the encounter between the religious and philosophical traditions of India and Western visions of the world, but also from the rich complex of esoteric ideas. The American New Thought movement (represented in the book by Yogi Ramacharaka a.k.a William Walker Atkinson) which became one of the basic media popularizing yoga as a strategy for self-development in the West, was described in a similar way. This part of the book ends with a synthetic review of selected topics related to the process of medicalising yoga, inspired by esoteric interpretations. The second part of the book-"Interpretations"-deals strictly with the reception of yoga in Poland during the aforementioned period. The reconstructions and conclusions presented here were formulated on the basis of a meticulous analysis of the source literature from that time, both published (eg. books, press articles, leaflets, etc.) and unpublished (archival materials including personal documents, diaries, correspondence, notes, sketches of translations, lectures, etc.). The latter, due to their unique character, are cited extensively. In this part of the book, the following chapters deal with a range of questions and issues. How and with what connotations did the term 'yoga' begin to function in the Polish language? How did Polish travellers in India, who had direct contact with yogis or other ascetics, perceive, interpret and describe this phenomenon? What was their attitude towards it? What place did yoga (conceived both as a philosophical tradition and an ascetic practice) occupy in the philosophical discourse carried out by the prominent Polish philosophers of that time and what sources did they draw upon to formulate their interpretations and analyses? What motivated Poland’s first ever attempts to explain yoga from a medical perspective and what conclusions were drawn? An extensive chapter was devoted to the characteristics of esoteric (predominantly Theosophical) narratives in which yoga played a fundamental role as a means to accelerate the spiritual evolution of humanity. Here, the author also shows how yoga connected the Polish romantic with the messianic national philosophy. These narratives were described by the author following Wounter Hanegraaff as stories of a “progressive education of Humanity”. They develop, according to the author, through five stages: a) the fall and degeneration of humanity enslaved by materialism; b) the search for restoration-turning to India as the last enclave of spiritual wisdom; c) the visions of a "true yoga"; d) the place and role of yoga in the cultural (also socio-political) milieu of the West and particularly in Poland; e) the rebirth of Poland and the spiritual transformation of humanity. The last three chapters of the book show three forms of Polish adaptation of yoga-"domesticated" yoga, as the author calls it. These are the systems (covering both theory and practical exercise) created by the philosopher and social activist Wincenty Lutosławski (1863-1954), the parapsychologist Józef Świtkowski (1876-1942), and an unsuccessful attempt to transfer the Agni Yoga doctrine to Poland. Here the author illustrates that yoga in the discussed period was not only a part of the narrative, but was also treated as a practice that a Westerner, a Pole in particular, could take and use for his own sake, for the benefit of the whole nation and eventually for the moral and spiritual renewal of the whole humanity. In conclusion, a general summary is provided and perspectives of further research on yoga is suggested for the period from the end of the Second World War to the fall of communism in 1989.
Wiek XIX, a zwłaszcza jego ostatnie dekady, był świadkiem niezwykle ożywionego procesu, który prowadził do rozprzestrzeniania się jogi poza granice subkontynentu Indyjskiego. Była to jedna z konsekwencji kulturowego spotkania Wschodu z Zachodem, zainicjowanego już w okresie kolonialnym. Fakt ten był powszechnie znany, jednak dopiero od niedawna stał się przedmiotem uwagi i pogłębionej refleksji. W centrum zainteresowania badaczy stanęła joga nowoczesna - jej dzieje, a także "lokalne" interpretacje - formy, jakie przybierała adaptując się do różnych, nowych warunków kulturowych. Joga, która pojawiła się w Polsce w ostatnich dekadach XIX wieku i która od samego początku nie tylko cieszyła się znacznym zainteresowaniem, ale od razu zaczęła ulegać interpretacjom, jest jedną z wielu form jogi nowoczesnej. Niniejsza książka, której celem jest próba ukazania całego kompleksu idei związanych z jogą w Polsce w okresie od końca XIX wieku do 1939 roku, wraz z kontekstem, z którego wyrastała i od którego pozostawała zależna, wpisuje się w dynamicznie rozwijający się nurt badań nad jogą nowoczesną. Punktem wyjścia dla zaprezentowanych w niniejszej książce badań, jak też rodzajem nici przewodniej stał się rozwijający się od drugiej połowy XIX wieku ezoteryzm zachodni - specyficzny, symptomatologiczny sposób patrzenia i rozumienia rzeczywistości, który miał kluczowy wpływ nie tylko na powstanie jogi nowoczesnej, ale także jej rozprzestrzenianie się i rodzenie lokalnych interpretacji - także i w Polsce. To on wyznaczył ramy rozumienia jogi, jej interpretacji i wreszcie tego, jak była wcielana w praktykę życia codziennego. Jednocześnie jednak kontekst ezoteryczny sprawił, że na gruncie polskim joga została związana z określonym zespołem motywów narodowościowych, patriotycznych i mesjanistycznych, które nadały jej specyficzny charakter. Ten cały kompleks idei, wizji, wyobrażeń, interpretacji i motywów został przedstawiony i poddany analizie w niniejszej książce.
