The Nordic countries have witnessed the growth of various Eastern practices, such as yoga, meditation, tantra, and acupuncture, among others. These practices have been adopted in contexts where overt religious expressions may be challenging, such as in public schools, health care, and corporate settings, often marketed as health-promoting and stress-reducing techniques. This volume aims to explore the reception, development, and construction of Eastern practices in the Nordic countries, with a focus on embodied practices related to religiosity, alternative medicine, spirituality, and healing. The anthology seeks to discuss issues such as the reception of Eastern practices in the Nordic countries, the contexts in which these practices are practiced, practitioners’ characteristics and views, theoretical perspectives on religious change and secularization, the relationship between science and practices, and historical aspects. The “Easternization” process, which involves the exchange of ideas and practices between East and West, has led to the incorporation of Eastern practices into Western cultural contexts and has influenced fields such as somatic psychology and mind/body therapies. Some of these practices, such as mindfulness, have become “crossover practices” used by individuals from different religious and cultural backgrounds, in various domains such as religion, wellness, science, and the market. This chapter introduces the themes and gives an overview of the twelve chapters included in the volume.
Palgrave Macmillan , 2023. p. 1-26