Gurus of Modern Yoga explores the contributions that individual gurus have made to the formation of the practices and discourses of yoga in today's world. The focus is not limited to India, but also extends to the teachings of yoga gurus in the modern, transnational world, and within the Hindu diaspora. Each of the sections deals with a different aspect of the guru within modern yoga. Included are extensive considerations of the transnational tantric guru; the teachings of modern yoga's best-known guru, T. Krishnamacharya, and those of his principal disciples; the place of technology, business and politics in the work of global yoga gurus; and the role of science and medicine. Although the principal emphasis is on the current situation, some of the essays demonstrate the continuing influence of gurus from generations past. As a whole, the book represents an extensive and diverse picture of the place of the guru in contemporary yoga practice.

Within most pre-modern, Indian traditions of yoga, the role of the guru is absolutely central. Indeed, it was often understood that yoga would simply not work without the grace of the guru. The modern period saw the dawn of new, democratic, scientific modes of yoga practice and teaching. While teachings and gurus have always adapted to the times and circumstances, the sheer pace of cultural change ushered in by modernity has led to some unprecedented innovations in the way gurus present themselves and their teachings, and the way they are received by their students. Gurus of Modern Yoga explores the contributions of individual gurus to the formation of the practices and discourses of yoga today. The focus is not limited to India, but also extends to the teachings of yoga gurus in the modern, transnational world, and within the Hindu diaspora. Each section deals with a different aspect of the guru within modern yoga. Included are extensive considerations of the transnational tantric guru; the teachings of modern yoga's best-known guru, T. Krishnamacharya, and those of his principal disciples; the place of technology, business and politics in the work of global yoga gurus; and the role of science and medicine. As a whole, the book represents an extensive and diverse picture of the place of the guru, both past and present, in contemporary yoga practice.

In this comprehensive guide to hand reading, based on Ellen Goldberg's 40 years of teaching palmistry and the Western Mystery tradition, the authors detail how to interpret all features of the hand, not simply the lines of the palm. They explain the character traits and personality archetypes associated with each of the seven mounts of the palm and how to determine which are most influential in the nature of the individual. The mount archetypes reveal the lifestyle, love, sex, and marriage preferences, the best career choices, and the unique strengths and weaknesses for each person. The authors examine the shapes of the palm, fingers, and nails as well as the texture of the skin and the flexibility of the hand, factors that enhance the qualities revealed by the palm. They explain the meaning of each major and minor line and include timing guides for each, making it possible to locate specific events. They show how your lines change over time, reflecting the influence of the person's own mind in healing defects found on their lines. Presenting the hand as a guide to self-fulfilment, the authors incorporate correspondences to other mystical sciences such as astrology, Kabbalah, the Hermetic teachings, and archetypal psychology. With detailed sample readings and hundreds of illustrations, they show how to integrate the meanings of each part of the hand to form a complete picture of your inner psychology and your ever-changing destiny.

Bollywood Horrors is a wide-ranging collection that examines the religious aspects of horror imagery, representations of real-life horror in the movies, and the ways in which Hindi films have projected cinematic fears onto the screen. Part one, "Material Cultures and Prehistories of Horror in South Asia" looks at horror movie posters and song booklets and the surprising role of religion in the importation of Gothic tropes into Indian films, told through the little-known story of Sir Devendra Prasad Varma. Part two, "Cinematic Horror, Iconography and Aesthetics" examines the stereotype of the tantric magician found in Indian literature beginning in the medieval period, cinematic representations of the myth of the fearsome goddess Durga's slaying of the Buffalo Demon, and the influence of epic mythology and Hollywood thrillers on the 2002 film Raaz. The final part, "Cultural Horror," analyzes elements of horror in Indian cinema's depiction of human trafficking, shifting gender roles, the rape-revenge cycle, and communal violence. This book also features images (colour in the hardback, black and white in the paperback).