The Truth of Yoga

A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices

By: Daniel Simpson

Narrated by: Tim Bruce

Much of what is said about yoga is misleading. To take two examples, it is neither 5,000 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 2,500 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 a general audience. 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 listeners can draw to keep traditions alive in the 21st century. It offers an overview of yoga's evolution from its earliest origins to the present. It can either be listened to chronologically or be used as a reference guide to history and philosophy. Each short section addresses one element, quoting from traditional texts and putting their teachings into context. The intention is to keep things clear without oversimplifying.

©2021 Daniel Simpson (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Excellent overview of yoga

Very hard to do - to cover “all” of yoga - but the author does a very nice job of balancing depth with content. While not simple material, I’d say this is one of the more accessible books in yoga (and perhaps the only book I know of that covers yoga in such breadth).

A MUST for anyone interested in the History of Yoga

Daniel Simpson is an incredible scholar, teacher & practitioner - this book is a great summary of the history of the Yoga tradition which makes it accessible to the general public without being too academic. I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in or teaches Yogāsana to listen to this book ASAP!