| dc.description.abstract | Embodiment is not a commonly studied topic in the communication discipline as
most scholarship has rather focused on discursivity. Despite multiple calls to take up this
area of research, still very little exists; even studies of materialism often overlook the
body. This project is premised on the belief that all communicative processes are
embodied and particularly focuses on the practice and process of leadership. With the
goal of furthering conceptualizations of a embodied leadership, this project uses the
inherently embodied practice of modern postural yoga as its site for study. Operating
from an interpretive paradigm, this project seeks to answer two research questions: (a)
How is leadership practiced in yoga studios, investigated through complete participant
observation, and (b) How does the embodied practice of modern postural yoga transfer
to leadership experiences outside of the yogic practice, investigated through semi-structured
interviews with yoga practitioners who hold leadership positions in
professional contexts. Thematic analyses of each data set paint a picture of yoga
instructors and interview participants as learning leaders who are dedicated to self-empowerment
and the empowerment of their followers. Through the comparison of data
sets and drawing from current communication literature, five key discussion points were
drawn from this study. This study furthers conceptualizations of embodied leadership as
a learning process that involves empowerment of the self and others as the two parties
co-create value and meaning in their practices, offering powerful insights into future
theory and practice. | en |
