Yoga as transformative pedagogy: from motivational aspects of teaching to philosophical context

Statement of the problem. The article examines the implementation of courses for yoga trainers as a multifaceted and ambiguous social and pedagogical phenomenon, which involves a deep transformation of the individual and the organization of a special pedagogical space. Data from questionnaires of adult students and applicants for such courses were analyzed. The purpose of the article is to identify the main motives for attending courses for yoga trainers, the determinants of students’ perception of these courses and, in this regard, to reveal the deep socio-political context of their implementation and dissemination. Methodology (materials and methods). The research methodology consists of qualitative thematic analysis (questionnaires according to Brown and Clark), which has been conducted for more than 10 years. Using this method, specific semantic clichés were identified within a data array compiled from application forms for yoga coaching courses. Research results. The most frequent themes were identified as an expression of some significant ideas, meanings, and attitudes shared by all survey participants. The goals, motivations and reasons for attending yoga teaching courses for adult students are determined. Ways for further research into yoga coaching courses as specifically constructed andragogical spaces are proposed. Conclusion. The thematic analysis of the questionnaires of visitors to courses for yoga trainers made it possible to determine that modern yoga as a multifaceted social phenomenon, in particular, its pedagogical hypostasis, is largely constructed at the intersection of the processes of colonization, strengthening of power structures (in the broad sense of the word) and transformation of social subjects. At the same time, education is a sphere in which a student can creatively and fruitfully carry out critical reflection on their own life and resist the dominant cultural and political imperatives. Further research will examine the mechanisms by which yoga, implemented in a special immersive educational environment of a course for trainers, can contribute to the transformation of the subject, strengthening or weakening their involvement in dominant political discourses and sociocultural paradigms.