The Truth of Yoga

Author: Daniel Simpson
Publisher: North Point Press
ISBN: 0374722684
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
A succinct, approachable guide to the origins, development, key texts, concepts, and practices of yoga. Yoga is practiced by many millions of people worldwide and is celebrated for its mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. And yet, as Daniel Simpson reveals in The Truth of Yoga, much of what is said about yoga is misleading. For example, the word “yoga” does not always mean union. In fact, in perhaps the discipline’s most famous text—the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali—its aim is described as separation: isolating consciousness from everything else. And yoga is not five thousand years old, as is commonly claimed; the earliest evidence of practice dates back about twenty-five hundred years. (Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it.) The Truth of Yoga is a clear, concise, and accessible handbook for the lay reader that draws upon abundant recent scholarship. It outlines these new findings with practitioners in mind, highlighting ways to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century.

Yoga Body

Author: Mark Singleton
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199745986
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Yoga is so prevalent in the modern world--practiced by pop stars, taught in schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping malls--that we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. But how did the current yoga boom happen? And is it really rooted in ancient Indian practices, as many of its adherents claim? In this groundbreaking book, Mark Singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga (asana) and suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions of people across the world today. Singleton shows that, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence in the Indian tradition for the kind of health and fitness-oriented asana practice that dominates the global yoga scene of the twenty-first century. Singleton's surprising--and surely controversial--thesis is that yoga as it is popularly practiced today owes a greater debt to modern Indian nationalism and, even more surprisingly, to the spiritual aspirations of European bodybuilding and early 20th-century women's gymnastic movements of Europe and America, than it does to any ancient Indian yoga tradition. This discovery enables Singleton to explain, as no one has done before, how the most prevalent forms of postural yoga, like Ashtanga, Bikram and "Hatha" yoga, came to be the hugely popular phenomena they are today. Drawing on a wealth of rare documents from archives in India, the UK and the USA, as well as interviews with the few remaining, now very elderly figures in the 1930s Mysore asana revival, Yoga Body turns the conventional wisdom about yoga on its head.

A Woman's Book of Yoga

Author: Machelle M. Seibel
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440627983
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Book Description
Interest in yoga is at an all-time high, especially among women. Whether readers wish to begin the practice or are already involved in yoga, this innovative book will help them understand the unique benefits yoga provides for a woman's health and mental well-being. The authors lead women of all ages through the health and life cycles specific to females by illustrating the spiritual and physical advantages of Kundalini yoga, as taught by yoga master Yogi Bhajan. Hari Khalsa applies ancient wisdom to explain how to determine and enhance one's own special relationship with the mind, body, and soul. Using his expertise on women's health issues, Dr. Siebel reveals the scientific basis for yoga's positive effects on the brain. Together, Dr. Siebel and Hari Khalsa create a dialogue of spiritualism and science, elucidating how every woman can reap the rewards of yoga for a lifetime.

Roots of Yoga

Author: James Mallinson
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141978244
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 647

Book Description
'An indispensable companion for all interested in yoga, both scholars and practitioners' Professor Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson Despite yoga's huge global popularity, relatively little of its roots is known among practitioners. This compendium includes a wide range of texts from different schools of yoga, languages and eras: among others, key passages from the early Upanisads and the Mahabharata, and from the Tantric, Buddhist and Jaina traditions, with many pieces in scholarly translation for the first time. Covering yoga's varying definitions, its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, as well as models of the esoteric and physical bodies, Roots of Yoga is a unique and essential source of knowledge. Translated and Edited with an Introduction by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton

Into the Heart of Truth

Author: John McAfee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780971156913
Category : Self-realization
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description

Let's Play Yoga!

Author: Márcia De Luca
Publisher: The Experiment
ISBN: 1615194932
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Book Description
A playful, exuberantly illustrated book that introduces yoga to kids ages 5 to 8 with simple postures and techniques to foster a calm mind and healthy body How can a magic tree, a cow with a fidgety son, or a wise lion teach kids about being kinder, calmer, and stronger? With yoga! In Let’s Play Yoga!, these and other colorful characters promote balance and discernment—through creative stories kids can read on their own, all grounded in traditional yoga poses. This vibrant book also includes: The ten principles of yoga: nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, right use of energy, detachment, cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study and trust. Stories to help you learn: Wise and playful teachers, from Gomu the spotted cow to Vriksha the magic tree, show how practicing yoga—and living its principles—is a gift to yourself and others. Thirteen yoga poses: Step-by-step illustrations show how to do Tadasana (mountain pose), Trikonasana (triangle pose), and more, plus meditation and breathing exercises. And an abundance of benefits: By “playing yoga,” kids will cultivate balance, discipline, and focus. The result? They become more aware of their own feelings, thoughts, and actions; more engaged at school; and happier at home. In the hands of talented authors, yoga becomes a lifelong skill to help kids pave the way to a more compassionate future for all, even as they explore new ways to move.

The Sacred Tradition of Yoga

Author: Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1611801729
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
A guide to personal discipline and social ethics from a classical Sanskrit scholar, designed for the modern yoga practitioner. In today’s complex world, how is it possible to truly live as a yogi? Traditional yoga theory offers fresh, insightful solutions to today’s practical lifestyle concerns, ranging from environmentalism to personal health and wellness. Tuning into classic yoga philosophy and teachings can bring to light our greatest strengths while showing us how to maintain a healthy body and clear mind while attaining inner happiness. Drawing from his personal experiences of yoga and insight into ancient Sanskrit texts, Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois connects yogic philosophy to how we approach food, work, education, relationships, and other conscious lifestyle choices to support our deepest longings for happiness, peace, and balance. Practical and insightful, The Sacred Tradition of Yoga begins with a clear and deep inquiry into the human condition, reminding us of true purpose of Yoga. The second half of the book focuses on the yamas and niyamas, the personal disciplines and social ethics of yoga. Throughout, Dr. Jois’ teachings honor ancient traditions and underscore the benefits we can gain from adopting a yogic way of life in the modern world.

FOOD YOGA - Nourishing Body, Mind & Soul

Author: Paul Turner
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0985045116
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Book Description
Author Paul Rodney Turner the "food yogi" takes you on a journey of rediscovering food and its importance in our spiritual evolution. FOOD YOGA not only offers practical guidance on how to live a healthy and happy life by reconnecting with nature, but also introduces the reader to the power of food as a uniter and a medium for expressing our love for the divine. Food yoga springs from the belief that the kind of food we eat affects our consciousness and subsequent behaviours. All the world's great spiritual traditions have elaborate food offering rituals carefully designed to expand consciousness and all use food as a means to represent or please the Divine and to expand the consciousness of their followers. Food yoga is, in essence, a discipline that honors all spiritual paths by embracing their core teaching - that food in its most pure form is divine and therefore an excellent medium for spiritual purification.

Yoga for Life

Author: Colleen Saidman Yee
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476776784
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
From a rebellious young woman with a dangerous heroin habit to a globe-trotting fashion model to “First Lady of Yoga” (The New York Times), Colleen Saidman Yee tells the remarkable story of how she found herself through the healing power of yoga—and then inspired others to do the same. I’ve learned how to extract the beauty of an ordinary day. I’ve learned that the best high exists in the joy—or the sadness—of the present moment. Yoga allows me to surf the ripples and sit with the mud, while catching glimpses of the clarity of my home at the bottom of the lake: my true self. The very first time Saidman Yee took a yoga class, she left feeling inexplicably different—something inside had shifted. She felt alive—so alive that yoga became the center of her life, helping her come to terms with her insecurities and find her true identity and voice. From learning to cope with a frightening seizure disorder to navigating marriages and divorces to becoming a mother, finding the right life partner, and grieving a beloved parent, Saidman Yee has been through it all—and has found that yoga holds the answers to life’s greatest challenges. Approachable, sympathetic, funny, and candid, Saidman Yee shares personal anecdotes along with her compassionate insights and practical instructions for applying yoga to everyday issues and anxieties. Specific yoga sequences accompany each chapter and address everything from hormonal mood swings to detoxing, depression, stress, and increased confidence and energy. Step-by-step instructions and photographs demonstrate her signature flow of poses so you can follow them effortlessly. Yoga for Life offers techniques to bring awareness to every part of your physical and spiritual being, allowing you to feel truly alive and to embody the peace of the present moment.

In Search of the Highest Truth

Author: Hari-Kirtana Das
Publisher: Jagat-Mangala Press
ISBN: 9780998077307
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
If you want to understand the philosophy of yoga, this book is for you. In Search of the Highest Truth is a trip into yoga's spiritual dimension that offers readers an unconventional approach to discovering the enduring relevance of ancient yoga wisdom. This book is a must for yoga teachers who want to integrate the philosophy of yoga into their classes and yoga practitioners who want deepen their experience of yoga. Here's what you'll learn: - A brief history of yoga philosophy - The functions of yoga philosophy - The relationship of yoga and religion - The ethics of yoga - How yoga philosophy reconciles destiny and free will - Strategies for reading traditional yoga wisdom texts - How to develop spiritual vision - How to apply the principles of traditional yoga philosophy to life in the modern world. Yoga philosophy provides compelling answers to life's most important questions, offers practical solutions to life's greatest challenges, and radically transforms our experience of the world. In Search of the Highest Truth will deepen your experience of yoga and clear a joyous path to living a spiritual life in the material world. "Here is a carefully conceived book that will be appreciated by students and teachers alike as an excellent introduction to yoga philosophy." - Joshua M. Greene, author of Swami in a Strange Land: How Krishna Came to the West "Hari-kirtana das makes central ideas from the classic texts of yoga easy to grasp and, with just enough cheeky style, shows us how several commonplace 'truths' of yoga trip over their philosophical shoelaces." - Jayadvaita Swami, author of Vanity Karma: Ecclesiastes, the Bhagavad-gita, and the meaning of life "In Search of the Highest Truth is eminently readable, engaging, and definitely fills a gaping hole in the popular literature on yoga." - Carol Horton, author of Yoga, Ph.D.: Integrating the Life of the Mind and the Wisdom of the Body "This companion to the most seminal yoga texts is full of wit and clarity - an excellent resource for advanced trainings or individual study." - Beth Filla, owner and director of yoga teacher training at Yogawood in Collingswood, New Jersey