The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice

When this book came in the mail and I started looking through it I was absolutely thrilled. It provides a great overview of the yoga tradition by a scholar-practioner with over 30 years experience studying and practicing. I have similar books that cost much more than this and they are good, but not necessarily as readable as this volume. In brief, this book covers the scope of yoga and lays a foundation for an overview of the various branches of yoga. In talks about the history of the yoga tradition and does so in an engaging way, even if you aren't a big history buff. In my opinion, it provides just the right amount of detail. This title also looks at the yoga tradition within Buddhism and the relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism. It also helps the reader to sort out all the various sacred texts, how they are related to each other and even provides sample readings. The treatment of the classic yoga, the post-classical period and the flowering of the tradition is interesting and informative. It also talks about tantric traditions and modern movements and scholars such as Sri Aurobindo. The author also provides a great framework and organizes all of this information in an easy and enjoyable read. If you have ever been confused over the historical details of the various yoga traditions, the overlap or relationships between them, this text will set you on the right path. It also has an excellent glossary, comprehensive index and an above average bibilography. For about $20.00 this book delivers a lot of value. I recommend it without reservation to anyone interested in the evolution of yoga at any level of practice.

This is by far the most comprehensive overview of the Yoga tradition available. Clearly the fruit of a lifetime of dedicated labor!

This extraordinary work represents a lifetime of devotion to yoga by its preeminent Western scholar. It is at once a distillation and compilation of all that Georg Feuerstein has gleaned in his extensive travels both academically and spiritually. It greatly broadens the usual scope of yoga to include its manifestation in other religions and goes back in time to the edge of the prehistory. Feuerstein understands that yoga is both an ancient practice, and, by itself, a profound and venerable religion. More than anything, however, it is a salient expression of the culture and philosophy, the lifestyle and history of the Indian subcontinent where it was the midwife of the great religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism and of course that great body of belief and practice known as Hinduism. Feuerstein is in one sense a true believer. He has devoted his life to the study of yoga and attendant phenomena, in particular Hinduism and the broad Tantric tradition. One gets the sense that even here in this lengthy work, he knows much more than he is conveying; that there is a synergistic power in his extensive knowledge that allows him to know things that he cannot express. One feels his intense desire to say something that perhaps cannot be said, something spiritual and personal that can only be experienced. In another sense he is a hard-working scholar who reports on what he has learned without passing unnecessary judgments or drawing unwarranted conclusions, although he does interpret. He is, in this sense, the American expression of the great Romanian scholar Mircea Eliade (who wrote in French) with perhaps a pinch of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, on the one hand, and the English tantrist Sir John Woodroffe, on the other, folded in. The book begins with a thorough definition of yoga and then an overview, and then its inescapable conjoining with Hinduism. This is "Part One: Foundations." Then Feuerstein looks at "Pre-Classical Yoga" and overviews the entire Vedic tradition including the yoga of the earliest Upanishads, culminating in its expression in the Bhagavad Gita. Then in "Part Three: Classical Yoga," he comes to Patanjali and the yoga of the eight limbs, the famous yoga of the aphorisms. Part Four is "Post-Classical Yoga" from the later Yoga-Upanishads from the Middle Ages in which the focus is on bhakti, technique, mantra and meditation. It is here that Western readers will find much that is new, or at least not readily available in English. And it is here that a non-dualistic yogic philosophy (as opposed to the dualism of Patanjali) holds sway. Part Five is on tantrism and "Yoga as Spiritual Alchemy." It is in this last part that the so-called "subtle body," with its nadis and pranas, its cakras ("psychoenergetic centers") and the mysterious serpent power of kundalini, is explored in depth. Here too we have the ritualistic practice of the five forbidden things from tantra yoga, the infamous "left-handed path." Here is Feu

Being a long time student of various yoga and related traditions, I humbly bow to the author for his vast and accurate knowledge of the subject. This work gives exceptionally unbiased, clear and insightful treatment of the diverse spiritual traditions. A result, I believe, of open mindedness and deep understanding. This is extremely rare for works in this category. Actually, there are no other books like it, period. The volume, clearly the distillate of many years of diligent study and practice, contains abosolutely no fluff, and everything is backed up by authoritative materials. In one easily understandable reference work, it makes available the many wisdom teachings spanning a great time period and geographical locations. Not only does it provide a bird's eye view of this vast and complex field, it also provides a rich historical context, which greatly aids our understanding. If I had access to the information contained in this book years ago, it would have saved me much grief and helped me to progress further and sooner. A must read for any serious student on the spiritual path.

It is very refreshing to see a westerner who really understands the heart,soul,and original pupose of all yogas. Most westerners assume Yoga to be a merely stretches and postures. In reality, there are many different paths of yoga--all invented to ultimately lead the soul to complete liberation, although a lot of people (even some self-designated "gurus") don't know or lose sight of this. I was very sceptical as to whether a westerner giving an honorable representation of this majestic science, and to give an honorable IN-DEPTH presentation at that! As Ken Wilber states (in other words) in the foreword...we DO have in Feuerstein the perfect and necessary blend of a scientifically minded scholar and devoted practitioner.HUGE BOOK!!! The size of an actual encyclopedia. But, if you have any clue as to how deep and rich the yoga tradition is, and if you also appreciate it's beauty...or even if you think it's a bunch of hooey and want to know whether you are right or not, it is an immensely scholarly--yet readable sourcebook. MUST HAVE!(p.s.--I like old george now.)