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

There is no doubt that this is the best book on Yoga period. Georg Feuerstein is still one of the most underrated scholars on Yoga and Eastern thought out there. His understanding of classical Yoga is phenomenal. This book has often been referred to as the "Yoga phone book" for its size. But I will tell you, you don't want the book to end once you dive in. Feuerstein explores everything about the Yoga tradition to its nth degree. Actually he covers a lot more than that. He also does a fantastic job in covering Vedanta and Samkhya philosophy. He takes you through the whole history of Hindu thought, not just Yoga. Be careful though, this book is the real deal. It is not about the Western version of Yoga that is a poor rip off of Hatha Yoga. This book explains what Yoga truly is and why it is important to follow the tradition and not its cheap imitations. As a writer I find it inspiring to see the length Feuerstein went to produce a piece of work that will be around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. His scholarship is unmatched when it comes to Yoga. But it is his heart and wisdom that keep the fire of this rich tradition burning into the future. Read it now.

This is a well written, comprehensive view of the panorama of yoga, which is what I was looking for. The book delves deeply into yoga philosophy and history. It's a very passionate resource. The 5,000 year old tradition of yoga has so much to offer. It is so multi-faceted that it's hard to know where to start when you really want to study and practice it, especially for those of us in the West. The Yoga Tradition delves deeply into yoga philosophy and history. It gives readers so much food for thought and growth. It goes into the various areas of yoga - asanas, mantras, mudras, etc. It addresses the texts - Upanishads, Vedas, the yoga sutras of Patanjali, and more. There are chapters on the main types and schools of yoga. Georg Feuerstein has so much to offer. The book is insightful, fun, and fascinating to read. It will definitely remain in my library. Reading it is like sitting in a class with a yoga master.There are plenty of references for further reading too. There's a huge bibliography.

I am so very pleased with Georg Feurstein's The Yoga Tradition. I am a yoga teacher with a long time interest in East-West studies, and this book combines the best of both hemispheres in the sense that objective and erudite scholarship is joined with deep realization and devotion to "the practice." Every word seems to have been carefully chosen in order to communicate the subtleties of this time-honored tradition in the most articulate and effective manner possible. No stone is left unturned and when I read it I know that I can trust that the information is not coming from a closed minded and dogmatic religious perspective, nor does the subject matter suffer from the blighting and spirit-slaying chauvinism of western academic arrogance. A true gem!

I was very fortunate to have come across this book! It is the comprehensive guide to everything yoga. This book will answer every question you have on every form of yoga. The book touches upon aspects of yoga that others don't or just refuse to. This is a scholarly work on yoga and is not geared toward the average westerner who dose his or her hatha yoga a few times a week at the local gym. This book is worth a read cover to cover at least twice and is also a invaluable reference guide as well. Further more the author of this book offers courses on yoga for those who wish to further their knowledge via the internet and correspondence. Anybody who really desires to understand yoga in its fullest should buy this book. The Yoga Tradition by George Feuerstein is worth its weight in gold!!! Don't pass this book up!!!!

This book is good place to start learning about yoga, especially if you are not into yoga for just weight loss. It is full of interesting information on many aspects of yoga - a good guide for all beginners.

If you are interested in Yoga philosophy & history this book is a great place to start and may be all you need. The material is very thorough. You will likely want to keep it as a reference book as well. Page xxiv has a helpful guide to transliteration. Be sure to start at the begining (page xi). You will surely not want to miss pages xv - xix (the Preface). Most people skip those parts. But the preface gives you a great view into the life of a yogi. I am grateful that G. Feuerstein took the time to share his knowledge and experience in such a great work.

Excellent Book for us as Occidentals who were raised in a Judeo-Christian society to understand the philosophy and history of Indian thought. The yoga has its roots in Indian philosophy from ancient times. This book explains the chronology of the history of Yoga. If you are studying the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, the Harha Yoga Paprika and/or the Bhagavad Gita, this book is the perfect companion because it helps us to understand the Historical perspective of the Holy Books of Yoga

There are few works as exhaustive as this one and few in a single volume like this. Although this work should be a standard reference for many yoga teachers, the author does have many unnecessary biases. He draws too many distinctions where they are not necessary. As an example he draws a wide gap between tantra and yoga when in truth, in many traditions and paths, these paths have been influencing and inspiring each other since their beginnings. So while this is a generally great text, it is hampered by some over-mentalism combined with biases that are not founded. Highly recommend that you start with Yoga Unveiled video first.

I purchased this book to round out my yoga education and practice in conjunction with the Tradition Yoga Studies course still offered by Brenda Feuerstein. I find it valuable in understanding the wide variety of viewpoints and traditions that led to and make up Hatha Yoga. Dr. Feuerstein's work encourages critical thinking and reflection. He has also drawn from a wide variety of original and critical resources. I do find that work is quite dense, so it does require time and concentration; which are worth the effort. It often takes on an academic tone; also worth the effort to digest.

Overall history and theory of Yoga

This author is a leading name in the field of yoga history and tradition. The book is on the recommended reading list for my yoga teacher training course. It's not a light read! It's a reference book, and a fascinating one.

Excellente référence en philosophie du yoga. Très dense cependant et format peu pratique. Et en noir et blanc, ce qui est dommage car le livre manque de rythme.

A useful book that throws light on the development and different schools of Yoga.