Yoga Studies

MA Yoga Studies explores the historical foundations of yoga and its diverse roles in modern society, from embodied practice and religious tradition to healthcare and politics.

Originally rooted in very specific ascetic, religious and cultural contexts, yoga is now practised globally and often pursued for the physical benefits it confers. It occupies an increasingly prominent position within public, social, and institutional discourses.

The MA Yoga Studies provides students with a rigorous and interdisciplinary training to analyse yoga within the broader framework of South Asian religious traditions, often seen through the lens of contemporary practice. Students first examine early conceptions of the yogic body coupled with the emergence of somatic techniques. The programme then proceeds to analyse the transformation of these practices across religious, cultural, and secular settings in the contemporary yoga studios.

In particular, it examines the development of yoga and meditation as therapeutic interventions within contemporary healthcare and the ways in which modern yoga intersects with wider societal concerns, including gender, race, social justice, institutional power, and commercialisation.

This MA develops advanced critical, analytical, and research skills and supports informed engagement with the complex roles yoga plays in modern global contexts.

Why study MA Yoga Studies at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked top 20 in the UK for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings 2026).
• We're ranked top 10 in the UK for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies (QS World University Rankings 2026).
• 85.4% of our Theology & Religious Studies research outputs were world-leading/internationally excellent – 56.3% of our submitted outputs were deemed world-leading (REF 2021).
• Our Theology & Religious Studies research environment score was 85% world-leading/internationally excellent.

Study Tours

All postgraduate students can take part in our Study Tours and explore the world. Destinations include New Delhi, Lahore, Seoul, Luang Prabang, Almaty, Bishkek, Kigali, Johannesburg, and Doha. For more information, see our Study Tours page.