How to Write an Effective

Essay
Before you write your essay…
• Read the blogs/news stories
• Re-read your yoga journal entries
• Choose a theme
• Make a plan
• Consider your main question
• Cultural Appropriation • What is “real” yoga?
• Yoga and Race • Is yoga religious?
• Develop a thesis
• Make a firm statement
• Establish goals of the essay
• Create an outline
Consider your main question
• Cultural Appropriation
• Yoga and Race
• What is “real” yoga?
• Is yoga religious?
Sources
• Begin with your yoga journal entries (one from each module)
• Develop them on the theme
• Use only readings and lectures from course materials.
• There is more than enough.
• And you (supposedly) already read them!
• And you should’ve used them in your yoga journal entries
• At this point, you don’t necessarily have the tools to determine what is a good
historical source.
• This is a revised paper. YOU CAN COPY & PASTE FROM YOUR YOGA
JOURNALS.
Is yoga religious?
• Ask more questions.
• What does “religious” mean?
• What are other alternatives?
• Exercise? (what does “exercise” mean?)
• Self help? (what does “self help” mean?)
• Spirituality? (what does “spirituality” mean?)
• For whom is it religious, etc.?
• What was the trend of the yoga courses I observed?
• How were they similar?
• How were they different?
• What was the trend in the course readings?...
• Based on these answers, what is your hypothesis about the question?
Develop a (hypo)thesis
• NOT a thesis:
Yoga and religion have similarities and differences.
• A thesis:
Based on my definitions of religion, spirituality, and exercise
given in this paper, I argue that yoga can function as a religion, as a
spiritual path, as an exercise, or any combination of the three based on
the individuals perspective and intended aims.
Stay on point
• Make sure the thesis addresses the question/topic
• Make everything you say relate to the topic/goal of your essay.
• Don’t go off on tangents just because it’s easier!!!
Create an outline (1 of 5)
• Use your key concepts from each module
I. Introduction to essay w/ thesis
II. Overview of each category under discussion
III. Religion
IV. Spirituality
V. Exercise
VI. Conclusion
Create an outline (2 of 5)
• Develop each point
I. Introduction to essay w/ thesis
II. Overview of each category under discussion
A. Definition of Religion
B. Definition of Spirituality
C. Definition of Exercise

Note: Don’t just quote Webster’s Dictionary. Use this as an opportunity to

think through these difficult categories. When you (or your friends or your
professors) say “religion” what does it mean in that context?
Create an outline (3 of 5)
III. Religion
A. Overview of yoga as religion
1. Path to moksha
2. Union of divine
3. Institutional practice
1. Rules
2. Guru
B. Examples to support your argument
1. Bhagavad Gita
2. Roots of Yoga
3. Example from youtube.com
Create an outline (4 of 5)
IV. Spirituality
A. Overview of yoga as spirituality
1. Personal advance
2. Divine within you
3. Individual practice
B. Examples to support your argument
1. Roots of Yoga
2. Gurus of Modern Yoga
3. Example from youtube.com
Create an outline (5 of 5)
V. Exercise
A. Overview of yoga as exercise
1. Health benefits
2. aesthetics
B. Examples to support your argument
1. Yoga Body
2. Example from CampusRec
3. Example from youtube.com
VI. Conclusion
A. restate the goals from your introduction
B. rehash “take home” points for each major section (i.e. II-V in outline)
Now you can start writing
• Develop each point and subpoint
• Remember proper paragraph structure
• Topic sentence (tells the reader what it is about)
• 4 or more sentences that support the topic
• Concluding/transition sentence (wrap up the topic and show where you are
going)
You aren’t done yet
• Proof-reading
• Read aloud
• Have someone else read it
• Writing Center
http://thinktank.arizona.edu/writing-center
Congratulations and enjoy
your “A”