New Book: Roots of Yoga

A new book was released in the US a couple days ago: Roots of Yoga, ​edited by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton. (You may know Singleton from his book Yoga Body, and Mallinson is perhaps best known for his critical translation of ancient texts.)

WHAT IT IS
The book provides translations and organization of “core teachings” throughout the history of yoga, including lots of texts in scholarly translation for the first time. It is organized by chapter into the “limbs” of yogic practice, including Posture, Breath-control, The Yogic Body, Yogic Seals, Mantra, Samadhi, Yogic Powers and Liberation. Each chapter includes source texts that deal with the specific topic. 

​WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
This book doesn’t attempt to “explain” or modernize any of the teachings of yogic practice. It only provides original instructions from old texts. And while the texts may differ and even contradict each other at times, it is extraordinarily valuable to see what they actually say. This book brings scholarly translation of rare yoga texts into an accessible and organized format. 

It is widely available anywhere books are sold, including Amazon.