The Truth of Yoga

Much of what is said about yoga is misleading. To take two examples, it is neither 5000 years old, as is commonly claimed, nor does it mean union, at least not exclusively. In perhaps the most famous text - 'The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali' - the aim is separation, isolating consciousness from everything else. And the earliest evidence of practice dates back about 2500 years. Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it. Scholars have learned a lot more about the history of yoga in recent years, but their research can be hard to track down. Although their work is insightful, it is aimed more at specialists than at general readers. Daniel Simpson's 'The Truth of Yoga' draws on many of their findings, presented in a format designed for practitioners. The aim is to highlight ideas on which readers can draw to keep traditions alive in the 21st century.