Yoga and Animal Ethics a new volume of The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series is now available!
This open access book (which means that you have free and unlimited access) offers a comprehensive understanding of yoga theory and practice as it bears on several dimensions of animal-related ethical reflection and action. "Yoga" has become a household word in recent decades and, increasingly, has drawn physical yoga practitioners to explore its philosophy; significantly, classical yoga philosophy and praxis are deeply grounded in realizing the self in relation with all beings as non-material selves. Therefore yoga provides an ideal entry-way into contemporary animal ethics discourse, contributing particularly in its appeal to the experiential dimension of human self-understanding in relation to nonhuman animals.
Reviews
“In this timely volume, Valpey creates a bridge between transplanted yoga discourse, animal ethics, and environmental solution-making. In the Yoga Sūtras, the canonical text of Yoga, ahiṃsā is non-negotiable for anyone identifying as any sort of a yoga practitioner, so Yoga and Animal Ethics provides robust yoga-derived research and insights that will deepen yoga practitioners' understanding of yoga as a path of self-discovery that cannot be separated from the treatment of nonhuman beings. Indeed, true yogis should be at the forefront of animal rights activism, and this volume invites general readers to consider viable yoga-based ways to contemplate and interact ethically with animals. Yoga and Animal Ethics is a well-written, carefully thought out and long-overdue volume that merits a place on every yogi's bookshelf.” (Edwin Bryant, Professor of Hindu Religion and Philosophy, Rutgers University, USA)
“Kenneth Valpey’s Yoga and Animal Ethics is a pioneering exploration that weaves together the philosophical richness of yoga traditions with the ethical imperative of reimagining human-nonhuman relationships. Given the pervasiveness of yoga cosmological principles in the worldviews of South Asian origin, this work is an invaluable contribution to understanding how deeply embedded cultural frameworks can reshape ethical paradigms in contemporary societies. The book’s emphasis on the interplay between philosophical inquiry, embodied practice, and ecological responsibility opens a much-needed conversation in both yoga studies and animal ethics. By foregrounding the relational and transformative dimensions of bhakti-yoga, Valpey invites readers to envision a world where devotional practices foster inclusive communities that extend care to all beings. This study will resonate not only with scholars and yoga practitioners but also with anyone seeking a more integrated and ethically grounded approach to environmental and animal welfare.” (Hrvoje Čargonja, Assistant Professor, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia)
“This excellent book offers an account of animal ethics in terms of yoga, arguing that we neglect animal welfare at our peril and that the ethics of yoga provides a way forward. This is an important book and a must read for all interested in ethical concern for animals.” (Gavin Flood, Academic Director, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Piramal Dean of Hindu Studies, UK)
“Yoga and Animal Ethics is a profound and timely contribution to both yoga philosophy and animal ethics. Kenneth Valpey masterfully weaves together classical texts, including the Yoga Sūtra, the Bhagavadgītā, and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, to illuminate how yoga’s foundational principles—ahiṃsā (non-harming), discipline, devotion, and self-transformation—offer a transformative ethical framework for human-nonhuman relations. By connecting yoga’s deep spiritual insights with pressing environmental and ethical concerns, Valpey challenges readers to expand their moral imagination and engage in “beautiful action” that fosters compassion for all beings. His nuanced discussion of bhakti-based care ethics and leadership provides a refreshing and much-needed perspective in both yoga studies and animal ethics discourse. This book is essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and anyone seeking a holistic approach to ethics that bridges the inner work of yoga with the outer work of environmental and social responsibility. A truly enlightening and inspiring read.” (Joseph Tuminello, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, McNeese State University, USA)
“Noting that our social settings are suffused with the idioms of ‘yoga’ and ‘animal ethics,’ Kenneth Valpey asks a momentous question: what types of resources can Hindu practices of self-transformation provide towards recalibrating our relations with the nonhuman beings that populate our shared world? Drawing on an array of texts such as Patañjali’s Yoga-sūtra, the Bhagavad-gītā, and the Bhāgavata-purāṇa, Valpey highlights the cultivation of the virtue of attentive awareness as pivotal to the reorientation of our moral compass to animals. By decentering our anthropocentric presuppositions on horizons of continuity across divine, human, and animal domains, we may yet be able to recover our fundamental kinship with the presence of personality in the world. In this work, animated both by careful textual scholarship and by deep spiritual sensibility, Valpey evocatively situates therapeutic practices of re-yoking under a spiritual canopy that would shepherd an all-inclusive freedom.” (Ankur Barua, Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies, University of Cambridge, UK)
“I'm pleased to endorse Valpey's thought-provoking Yoga and Animal Ethics, a pivotal work exploring animal studies, vegan advocacy, and yoga studies. This book articulates the problematic ethics of animal exploitation in food production, particularly commercial dairy cows. Valpey's nuanced analysis of dairy consumption complexities is informative and inspiring. As a strict vegan advocate, I appreciate Valpey's willingness to engage with diverse perspectives and promote ahiṃsā (non-harm). His approach has the potential to inspire meaningful change and foster a more compassionate lifestyle. This book is essential reading for scholars, spiritually inclined yoga practitioners, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of yoga as a holistic practice. Valpey's work highlights the importance of food ethics and abstention from animal consumption in spiritual growth, offering a unique perspective on the spiritual implications of our food choices.” (Cogen Bohanec, Assistant Professor in Sanskrit and Jain Studies, Arihanta Institute; Visiting Assistant Professor Claremont School of Theology, USA)
“Yoga and Animal Ethics by Kenneth Valpey is a groundbreaking and much-needed work that reorients our understanding of yoga by placing animals and the environment at the heart of the tradition’s ethical teachings. Valpey’s adept handling of classical Sanskrit sources—combined with lucid analysis of modern ethical discourse—makes this book a must-read for scholars and practitioners alike. It expertly navigates the historical landscape of Vedic ritual, classical Yoga texts, and devotional theology, revealing how yoga, in principle and practice, prompts a profound rethinking of our relationships with nonhuman animals. In an era when ethical and ecological concerns are paramount, this work stands out both for its scholarship and its relevance. It is a thoroughly researched, engaging text that pioneers an important conversation on animal ethics from a yoga perspective. I highly recommend this text for ethics and religion courses in college classrooms.” (Gopal Gupta, Joe Dunham Distinguished Associate Professor of Ethics, Aurora University, USA)
“Yoga and Animal Ethics is a very well researched book, which excites one’s curiosity about a rare combination of subjects: yoga and animal ethics. The author has attributed the change of ancient Vedic rituals involving animal sacrifice to a more benign bhakti system or worship inspired by yoga. This is a very original idea and has been developed very well with reference to several primary and secondary sources. It is very well researched and presented and will definitely excite a lot of attention and readership.” (Nanditha Krishna, Historian, Environmentalist and Author, Chennai, India)
A heartfelt thank you to everyone whose collaboration made the Open Access publication of this book possible.