The many lives of Indra Devi

A cursory look at modern yoga studios is enough to notice that the majority of practitioners are female. But it hasn’t always been this way. Indeed, traditionally, yoga was the domain of men — ancient and medieval texts were written for them, and practices applied to their bodies. When did that change and how? Key in the development of contemporary yoga practice and its popularisation among women was Indra Devi. Born Eugenia Peterson in 1899 in Latvia, she would become the central figure and driving force behind the proliferation of yogic theories and practices in the West. She was also a master of non-attachment, with the many identities she had a testimony to that skill.

In her book, The Goddess Pose, Michelle Goldberg pieces together the complex and fascinating life of Indra Devi — an icon of female ingenuity, resilience, empowerment and freedom.