From the Vedas to Vinyasa: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Yoga

by Amy Vaughn

Love yoga? Want to learn everything you can about it? In this accessible and engaging book, Amy Vaughn applies her decades of education and research to telling the story of yoga. From shamanism to Shakti, from the Vedas to vinyasa, you’ll learn about the history and philosophy of yoga while enjoying Amy’s straightforward and lighthearted style. This book is perfect for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the yoga tradition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Hinduism

308 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2016

Reviews

[Nicci Micco]

Super helpful and fun to read. A timeline would be a helpful addition/appendix!

[bookinglibrarian]

What is Tantra? Who's the Lord of the Fishes? Who brought "yoga" to North America? Get the answers to these questions and many more in Vaughn's informal, yet informatively entertaining survey of the complicated, multiple paths of Yoga over the millennia.

[Heather]

An e-reader was amazing for this book - I don't think I would have been able to take as much away were it not so simple to refresh my memory along the way by searching and looking up terminology with a quick tap.

[Luke Sebree]

This reads like a yoga practitioner writing a casual book on history, not a historian writing a serious book on yoga which is what I'd hoped for. Vaughn presents her chapters on the "Pre-Vedic Age" through the "Tantric Age" with fairly well researched academic narration, but her chapters on the "Empiric Age" and "Modern Age" felt somewhat less formal and academic. I got the impression that she had a more intimate, familiar connection with some of the content in the last third of her book and took her foot off the academic pedal a little bit as a result.

I felt myself questioning Vaughn's credibility and depth of research throughout because she does not always cite her sources and uses unnecessarily casual language that made it hard for me to take her seriously. I often felt like I was jumping between reading a history textbook (this is a good thing) and an off-the-dome blog post.

Despite any inconsistencies/informalities, I definitely finished this book with a firmer understanding of the total context of yoga from its earliest to latest stages.

[Marcella]

2.5🌟
To be honest, the biggest problem with this book is that it was clearly not edited, which is sadly to be expected from a kindle unlimited book. However, I find good formatting essential in non-fiction books with a lot of categorization and names, so that was the first issue. Secondly, I get that the author wanted to provide just "strokes of colour" on yoga, but listing a lot of names and concepts without really exploring what they mean and their implications is not the way to diffuse knowledge in my opinion. It was just a list of names, events and practices - but my brain did not have the time to process any of it. It is a shame because it is clear the author knows a lot and did a lot of research.

[Kim]

This was a pretty good book for the background and beginnings of yoga. I was familiar with many of the references so It certainly helps to have a little background. The concise nature of the chapters was helpful some of the lengthy or heavier subject but the last two chapters felt really rushed and short. I wish she would’ve devoted more pages to yoga in America and the development of asana practice in India.

[Lisa]

As a Yoga teacher and life-long student, I have read dozens of yoga books. This book does the best job, by far, of summarizing the vast history and diverse philosophies of yoga into one simple narrative. The author writes from an objective place and lays out the facts without proselyting any particular viewpoint. Some many pieces of yoga that I couldn’t fit together now make sense! I’m truly grateful for this book!

[Brian Bridson]

Really good if you want a fairly quick overview of yogic history and philosophy. I would have liked it better if it hadn't been quite so chatty and had been a little more formal.

[Mónica Qa]

Great book

Excellent summary of the history and philosophy of yoga.
Well written and documented. Easy to read. I enjoyed it from beginning to the end

[Melanie]

A nice overview of yogic traditions. Crazy to think how much it has morphed into what it is today!

[Sharon Martin]

Interesting book.

[Kelly Morris]

Well written with good reference materials. If you're unfamiliar with the history of yoga, it is a great starting point.

[Josh Marchant]

really great overview and just what I wanted

[Stacey Mauer]

A must read for yoga and meditation teachers. I will read this again in a few years. Superb.

[Callie Norbury]

A Yoga Student's new best friend!

How I wish this insightful book had been available while I was in yoga teacher training classes! This publication is a concise, in-depth and easy-to-read gem. It covers all that I needed to learn about the history, philosophy and background of yoga during my classes and training, and I believe it to be a treasure chest of informational jewels for both students and teachers alike. A 'must have' on every yoga lovers bookshelf, or even in one's yoga bag; enabling quick referencing to answer philosophical questions during class and discussions. Thank you, Amy, for putting all this information into one accessible and beautiful book!

[Emily Voss]

An accessible history of yoga

This book was a great resource to better understand the deep and rich history of yoga. it was written in a way that is accessible for all readers.

[Sally Dershwits]

I liked it. Yoga is amazing