The Spiritual Teachings of Yoga

by Mark Forstater, Joanna Manuel

The Indian term Yoga encompasses much more than the health and fitness regime that is largely practised in the West. Ideal for yoga teachers in training, this book explains the philosophy and teachings behind Yoga in a fresh and accessible way, and also includes clear and poetic translations of the key yoga scriptures: the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads. These ancient texts contain instructions for the philosophy, method and practise of yoga and are guides to inner wisdom.

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2008

Reviews

[Alison S ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a useful complement to my weekly yoga class. Recommended for anyone wanting to find out more about the philosophy underpinning the physical aspects of yoga. A nice selection of passages taken from three different texts. I listened to the audio version which was greatly enhanced by the three narrators.

[MRS Y M SOMERVILLE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative

I read this book prior to starting a yoga teacher training course. For me it challenged some of my beliefs and helped me to question these. I found d I do I g this I identified with lots of aspects of the book and struggled with other aspects. I look forward to a group discussion to deepen my understanding. Sometimes I found the language in the book meant it did not flow for me and I would have to read a chapter or paragraph again to fully comprehend which is why I rated it 4

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read chapters of this book while going through my yoga teacher training. This book was clearly written and easily read and a great help to understanding the philosophy underpinning yoga

[Jane Thomsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First part was good for me, but as the book went on, I found I was not gaining anything from it.

[Pauly Morphous · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone only one year into their yoga practice, this was the right book at the right time for me.
Mark Forstater distills a lot of the teachings in the first half into a very effective overview of the main aims and broad history of yoga, articulating in effective terms many ideas and feelings you will have likely had along the course of your own journey.
The second half of the book deals with the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. While the Upanishads again offer many pertinent lessons, they do tend to repeat themselves a lot as presented in this section of the book but the portion relating to the Bhagavad Gita shifts back up a gear at the end and offers some more context and insight.

In summation, a wonderful overview I would recommend for anyone but especially for yoga neophytes.