CALCUTTA YOGA

CALCUTTA YOGA: HOW MODERN YOGA TRAVELLED TO THE WORLD FROM THE STREETS OF CALCUTTA JEROME ARMSTRONG

An often surprising and always sure-footed survey of the magic of yoga and Calcutta's role in bringing it to the world' JOHN ZUBRZYCKI 'Interweaving historical facts with Armstrong's own experiences ... the result is a book which is neither an autobiography nor a purely scientific work - quite a unique mixture ... it moves me' CLAUDIA GUGGENBUHL 

'I wish I was doing what he is doing [in Calcutta Yoga]' BISHWANATH GHOSH 

The epic story of how Buddha Bose, Bishnu Ghosh and Yogananda took yoga from Calcutta to the rest of the world. 

In Calcutta Yoga, Jerome Armstrong deftly weaves the multi-generational story of the first family of yoga and how they modernized the ancient practice. The saga covers four generations, the making of a city, personal friendships, and shines light on the remarkable people who transformed yoga and made it a truly global phenomenon.

Along the way, we also meet the people who founded the schools of yoga that are so well known today. Enriching the cast of characters are the internationally renowned B. K. S. Iyengar, Mr Universe Monotosh Roy, even as the book uncovers the truth about Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram Yoga. We follow them and others from the streets of Calcutta to the United States, London, Tokyo and beyond, where they perform astounding feats and help revise Western perceptions of yoga.

Cleverly researched and enjoyably anecdotal, Calcutta Yoga gives a holistic picture of the evolution of yoga, and pays homage to yogic heroes previously lost from history, while highlighting the pivotal early role the city of Calcutta played in redefining the practice. A culmination of rigorous fieldwork and

numerous interviews, this book is as much about yoga as it is about history, relationships and human nature. 

JEROME ARMSTRONG

Jerome Armstrong travelled across India from 2015 to 2019, staying for weeks or months at a time while researching for and writing Calcutta Yoga. His PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution is from George Mason University. In the early 2000s, he was one of the first popular political bloggers. He co-authored Crashing the Gate: Grassroots, Netroots and the Rise of People-Powered Politics (2006), and worked in digital media for political campaigns in the United States and internationally for over a decade. He is a co-founder of Vox Media, the leading independent modern media company. Born in Los Angeles, he resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his family, where he practises and teaches yoga and qigong. @jeromearmstrong jeromearmstrong.com calcuttayoga.com