Living Within: The Yoga Approach to Psychological Health and Growth

by Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, A. S. Dalal (Introduction)

Western psychotherapy and the personal growth process has gained considerably from the experience acquired within Eastern traditions. Living Within makes it apparent that there is a great deal more to learn that is of both practical and theoretical value.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Sri Aurobindo (Bengali: শ্রী অরবিন্দ Sri Ôrobindo) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, major Indian English poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905–10), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution.

The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."

The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri: a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse.

Reviews

[Indu]

a wonderful book, especially if you are on your spiritual journey!! it's an anytime read.

[Natasha Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for anyone on a spiritual journey and trying to connect deeply with inner self.

[Kiran Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It seemed to be a great introduction to Aurobindo's thinking and makes me curious to read his other works. A lot of his insights on anxiety, management of temper, the conditioned self, the way we are struggling to be seem to have come to me at the right time. Particularly Aurobindo recommends writing angry thoughts on a piece of paper and then ripping them once done... a lot of practical advice like this I find really useful and I could see a lot of his philosophical insights being easy to understand and practical to apply to daily life.

I could see myself re-reading this book time and time again. I think Aurobindo's work is really under-rated, as he deserves just as much appreciation as Krishnamurthy and Vivekananda as some of modernist India's most important philosophical teachers.

[Parul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice self help book nothing more to add in here.

[Aigul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good insight

[Nish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful! It took me a bit to get through the first few pages, but once I got through the initial hiccups, I found it to be a really meaningful read :)

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it twice. Interesting.