Body, Mind and Spirit: A Therapeutic Turn in Muslim-majority Kosovo
Yoga, meditation, guru movements, and alternative healing that combine elements from a variety of religious traditions are gaining ground all over the world. Also a lot of Muslims and people with a Muslim background are currently practicing health and body practices informed by non-Islamic tradition...
| Published in: | Occhialì |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Lingue e Scienze dell’Educazione
2019
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| In: |
Occhialì
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| Further subjects: | B
Kosovo
B Meditation B New Age B Yoga |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Yoga, meditation, guru movements, and alternative healing that combine elements from a variety of religious traditions are gaining ground all over the world. Also a lot of Muslims and people with a Muslim background are currently practicing health and body practices informed by non-Islamic traditions and contemporary New Age spirituality. Over the last years, “mind-body-spirit”-oriented activities and discourses have become more widespread also among Muslims in the Balkans. In Kosovo, which has more than 90% Muslims, a lot of people with surnames Mehmeti, Bajrami and Ramadani, indicating a Muslim family background, are using alternative body techniques and therapies involving controlled breathing, mindful meditation, and prescribed postures. Their motivation can vary: subjective wellbeing, health benefits, spiritual self-awareness and/or personal growth. To what extent people emphasise the spiritual and religious dimensions of their practice can vary considerably, and be situational (Gilhus 1999, 45). Based on available electronic sources and fieldwork data, this article provides a snapshot of this field in contemporary Kosovo, and discusses the local reception of yoga, meditation, and neo-Hindu guru movements. This shows we are witnessing the development of a “holistic milieu” in a traditionally Muslim population. |
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| ISSN: | 2532-6740 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Occhialì
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