The Truth of Yoga“I wrote what I wanted to read when I startedasking questions 20 years ago. I was intrigued byyoga philosophy after visiting the Kumbha Melain 2001, and encountering ascetics doing difficultthings like holding an arm in the air for years. Iwas also confused when I turned to texts such asthe Yoga Sutra and found nothing like thepostures that seemed to be the basis of mostmodern classes. It seemed philosophy andpractice were separate, and it took me a while tounderstand what connects them. Even studyingin India still left me confused. However,combining traditional knowledge with what Ilearned from academics provided answers. Asthings became clearer, I wanted to share that.”www.yogaallianceprofessionals.orgThe Truth of Yoga refreshingly demystifies some key concepts. For example, the word “yoga” can holdmany meanings and does not always mean union (among otherdefinitions, it describes a one-pointed focus that isolates consciousness,detaching it from matter, includingthe body). I was also fascinated toread that yoga might not be fivethousand years old, since the earliestevidence of practice dates backabout twenty-five hundred years.This revelation was balanced by noting that yoga may well be older, butthat no one can prove it. Daniel’sscholarship is lightly worn, and if youwant an authoritative and practicalguide to the where, how, when, andwhy of yoga, avoiding the pitfalls ofgetting lost in philosophy, look nofurther. I use the book as a primer onparticular themes before I exploredthem in more depth once I have afirm grounding. I asked Danielwhether writing this book hadhelped him reach his own studentsin new ways.AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021 81
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