53. Giacomella Orofino The Dawn of Physical Yoga: New Discoveries in Tibetan Haṭhayoga

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Giacomella Orofino about her decades of research in Indo-Tibetan religious traditions, and the fieldwork she has conducted across Nepal, Bhutan, and the Himalayan regions of India. We then turn to the centerpiece of this conversation: her recently published monograph, The Dawn of Physical Yoga: Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality ( Amṛtasaṃkaṭanibarhaṇa , Tib. 'Chi med kyi 'phrang sel ), published by UniorPress in 2025 and available open access. This landmark study presents the first critical edition and annotated translation of a Tibetan yoga manual that Dr. Orofino identifies as one of the earliest known manuals of physical yoga in the Indo-Tibetan tradition. The text, attributed to the enigmatic mahāsiddha Amoghavajra, describes one hundred and eight dynamic physical exercises ( yantra / 'khrul 'khor ) designed to remove obstacles to the practice of the Amṛtasiddhi —itself regarded as the earliest Sanskrit source introducing foundational principles of haṭhayoga . We explore the complex transmission lineages of the Amṛtasiddhi corpus, the authorship of Amoghavajra, the relationship between Vajrayāna Buddhist tantric practices and the emergence of haṭhayoga , and the broader significance of this text for our understanding of yoga history in both India and Tibet. We also discuss the connections between these practices and the Six Yogas of Nāropā, internal alchemical traditions, and the thirty-six obstacles. We conclude by discussing Dr. Orofino's recent live course at Yogic Studies, YS 137 | The Dawn of Physical Yoga: New Discoveries in Tibetan Haṭhayoga , which she just completed teaching and which is now available for self-study enrollment. Speaker Bio Dr. Giacomella Orofino is a Full Professor at the University of Naples "L’Orientale", where she holds the Chair of Tibetan Language and Literature and the History and Cultures of Tibet and Himalayan Countries. Her research focuses on the history of Indo-Tibetan religious traditions, employing philology, textual criticism, and the history of religions as her primary methodological frameworks. A leading figure in the promotion of Tibetan studies in Italy, she is the co-founder and current President of AISTHiM (the Italian Association of Tibetan, Himalayan, and Mongolian Studies) and the founder and Director of the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Naples "L’Orientale". Her scholarly work is primarily dedicated to the study of the Kālacakratantra , the Chöd tradition, Dzogchen, and the Bön religion, with a recent focus on the origins of physical yoga. Her latest monograph, The Dawn of Physical Yoga: Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality (UniorPress, 2025), explores the early historical development of physical yoga through the study and translation of primary textual sources. Links YS 137 | The Dawn of Physical Yoga: New Discoveries in Tibetan Haṭhayoga The Dawn of Physical Yoga: Dispelling the Hindrances to Immortality (UniorPress, 2025) — available open access AISTHiM — Italian Association of Tibetan, Himalayan, and Mongolian Studies Università di Napoli L'Orientale — Centre for Buddhist Studies

You can listen to 53. Giacomella Orofino The Dawn of Physical Yoga: New Discoveries in Tibetan Haṭhayoga online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

53. Giacomella Orofino The Dawn of Physical Yoga: New Discoveries in Tibetan Haṭhayoga is an episode from The Yogic Studies Podcast by Yogic Studies.

This episode is 67:50 long.

This episode was published on May 1, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Yogic Studies Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.