Dr. Sheena Sood

Sheena Sood, Ph.D. (she/her) earned her Ph.D. in sociology from Temple University in 2019 and her B.A. in sociology and international affairs from Emory University. As a holistic educator, she brings a wide range of teaching experiences inside and outside the academy to the table and is excited to connect with the students at DelVal. Some of the courses she teaches include Introduction to Sociology, Social Movements, Critical Issues in World History, Gender and Social Change, and more! In the future, she plans to offer a signature course, Sociology of Yoga. 

Her early research looked at South Asian American political groups in the northeast U.S. and used one-on-one semi-structured interviews and participant observation to examine how they engaged in political action and social justice advocacy. Sood’s newer research project, Omwashing Yoga: Weaponized Spirituality in India, Israel, and the US, brings a critical lens to the practice and popularity of yoga by investigating the growing incorporation of yoga and mindfulness by far-right law enforcement, military, and vigilante groups around the globe. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and also has a significant presence in the popular press, including as a guest on the Conspirituality podcast. 

As a yoga practitioner who has studied yoga at Kailash Tribal School of Yoga in McLeodganj, India (YTT-200hr, AYTTC-500hr), Sheena teaches yoga at her local studio in West Philly and curates “Decolonizing Yoga” workshops through frameworks that recognize yoga’s oppressive layers and liberatory potential. Sood is actively engaged in healing and racial justice movements in Philadelphia. 
Learn more at www.sheenashining.com