Theos Bernard | |
|---|---|
 Bernard practising Baddhapadmasana, in his 1943 Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience | |
| Born | December 10, 1908 Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Died | 1947 (aged 38–39) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Explorer, author, expert on Tibetan Buddhism, experiencing old-style hatha yoga |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Pierre Bernard (uncle) |
Theos Casimir Hamati Bernard[1] (1908–1947) was an American explorer and author known for his work on yoga and religious studies (particularly in Tibetan Buddhism). He was the nephew of Pierre Arnold Bernard, "Oom the Omnipotent",[2] and like him became a yoga celebrity.[3]
His account of old-style hatha yoga as a spiritual path, Hatha Yoga: The Report of A Personal Experience, is a rare insight into the way these practices, known from medieval documents like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, actually worked.[4]
His biographer, Paul Hackett, states that many of the travel experiences Bernard relates in his books are exaggerated or fabricated. There is no doubt, however, that Bernard became fluent in the Tibetan language, travelled in Tibet, met senior figures, and gathered an extensive collection of photographs, field notes, manuscripts, and ritual objects.
- ^ Veenhof 2011, p. 7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Columbia250was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Love, Robert (2006). "Fear of Yoga". Columbia Journalism Review (November/December 2006).
- ^ Sjoman 1999, p. 38.