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The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind
The world of yoga is astonishingly rich in its array of schools and practices. Yet, as diverse as they seem, they share a common aim: the discovery of the essence of existence that can be found at the core of our being, and the liberation that comes from that discovery. With this worthy goal in mind, Richard Freeman presents an enlightening overview of the many teachings, practices, and scriptures that serve as the basis for all the schools of yoga—hatha, bhakti, jnana, karma, tantra, and others. He shows how the myriad forms are ultimately related, and can even be perceived to make up a vast, interpenetrating matrix, symbolizing the unity, profundity, and beauty of the ancient tradition.
Richard's wide-ranging discussion includes the Upanisads and Samkhya philosophies, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the eight limbs of astanga yoga, the process and purpose of hatha yoga, and much more. He also explores the role of the guru, chanting, meditation, and the yogic imperative of offering service to others. All of this is applied to the actual practice, giving the reader the tools to digest and apply the wealth of information to daily life. The Mirror of Yoga will be a welcome resource to all yogis who wish to better practice the profound philosophy underlying their practice.
To learn more, visit MirrorofYoga.com.
Richard's wide-ranging discussion includes the Upanisads and Samkhya philosophies, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the eight limbs of astanga yoga, the process and purpose of hatha yoga, and much more. He also explores the role of the guru, chanting, meditation, and the yogic imperative of offering service to others. All of this is applied to the actual practice, giving the reader the tools to digest and apply the wealth of information to daily life. The Mirror of Yoga will be a welcome resource to all yogis who wish to better practice the profound philosophy underlying their practice.
To learn more, visit MirrorofYoga.com.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 2010
111 people are currently reading
884 people want to read
About the author
Richard Freeman
11 books21 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 22, 2013
I had a tough time trying to write a proper review of this book. On the one hand, this is one of the best books on yoga that I have ever read. At a slim 233 pages, the depth of it's content can not be found anywhere else in so small a space. On the other hand, attempting to distill over forty years of practice and knowledge of yoga into such a small space seems a daunting task. So while the content of the book is excellent, the delivery of that content was not always optimal and could have used some more refinement.
The general theme of the book is to try to find the root similarity or underlying pattern between all the different types and styles of yoga. On page 9 he writes, "The purpose of this book is not to make you a premature eclectic. It is not to confuse you with the great variety of yoga philosophies, traditions and practices you may encounter, nor is it to make you into an armchair enlightened being. Instead it is to allow all of us to slow down a bit so that we can delve deeply into the subject rather than skidding along the surface side to side, from one school back to another." The book then goes into a brief overview of the different methodologies and practices of; hatha, tantra, bhakti, jnana and astanga yoga. By the books concluding chapter, he largely succeeds in the stated purpose, yet the path taken to get there is not laid out well for the reader. The choice of topic and ordering of each succeeding chapter can seem almost random at times.
The content of first four chapters is excellent. It is in these beginning chapters that we are treated to a synthesis of the multiple meanings and viewpoints of what yoga is as taken from many angles. The concluding chapter of the book is also excellent. The other middle chapters in the book, go on to summarize and cover topics such as; The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Samkhya philosophy, and the fundamentals of tantra. While Sanskrit is used throughout the book, it doesn't feel overwhelming, as each Sanskrit word is given several possible English meanings. A glossary is also provided at the back of the book. Perhaps the most difficult chapter to digest is chapter five, the chapter on buddhi, which attempts to summarize samkhya philosophy. This is a very difficult topic to cover and it is here where the book starts to grind to a halt. Many sections must be read over and over again as the number of foreign terms start to overwhelm the reader.
One reoccurring theme from the book that stood out to me, and that I thought was covered well, was the topic of impermanence. Over and over again we are reminded of the constant of change and the mind's attempt to grasp at impermanent objects as if those objects were permanent. They are not, and this is one of the root causes of our suffering. It is thought that one of the many things that an asana practice is meant to teach the practitioner is a visceral feeling of this impermanence. By noticing the constant change of feelings and sensations that occur in the body while in the postures, we learn over time and by repetition the very nature of impermanence. Even the flow of moving the body from one posture to the next can be taken as a lesson for the body and mind of constant change. This topic is brought up throughout the book and was covered well.
Overall, the book is deep, and it might take several readings in order to digest it all. There are times where you might feel as if the author has gone off on a tangent, and you might be scratching your head wondering how one paragraph relates to the previous one, or the next one. I feel that some more effort could have been made on laying out the basic structure of the chapters, and how one topic leads into the next. Instead, at times it can almost feel like an endless brain-dump from the author. This is a minor complaint though, considering the vastness and depth of the content. However, this is the one sticking point that is keeping me from giving the book five stars. As it is, the book must be read several times in order to finally get what he was talking about. I know that I do plan in reading it several times. And on that note, one way to judge a book, is by how eager you are to want to read it again, and in this instance, I rate the book high.
On page 66 he writes, "Today we are very fortunate to be able to draw on the experience of millions of people who have inquired into their hearts and, in so doing, have developed yoga as a way of penetrating into the heart of reality." I feel that we in the west are truly fortunate to have someone such as Richard, who, in our lifetime has gone east and spent so much of his life immersed in the world of yoga. And who is then able to return to the west, and largely disseminate that knowledge so that we in the west can digest it. Consider yourself lucky if you are fortunate enough to have the time read this book.
The general theme of the book is to try to find the root similarity or underlying pattern between all the different types and styles of yoga. On page 9 he writes, "The purpose of this book is not to make you a premature eclectic. It is not to confuse you with the great variety of yoga philosophies, traditions and practices you may encounter, nor is it to make you into an armchair enlightened being. Instead it is to allow all of us to slow down a bit so that we can delve deeply into the subject rather than skidding along the surface side to side, from one school back to another." The book then goes into a brief overview of the different methodologies and practices of; hatha, tantra, bhakti, jnana and astanga yoga. By the books concluding chapter, he largely succeeds in the stated purpose, yet the path taken to get there is not laid out well for the reader. The choice of topic and ordering of each succeeding chapter can seem almost random at times.
The content of first four chapters is excellent. It is in these beginning chapters that we are treated to a synthesis of the multiple meanings and viewpoints of what yoga is as taken from many angles. The concluding chapter of the book is also excellent. The other middle chapters in the book, go on to summarize and cover topics such as; The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Samkhya philosophy, and the fundamentals of tantra. While Sanskrit is used throughout the book, it doesn't feel overwhelming, as each Sanskrit word is given several possible English meanings. A glossary is also provided at the back of the book. Perhaps the most difficult chapter to digest is chapter five, the chapter on buddhi, which attempts to summarize samkhya philosophy. This is a very difficult topic to cover and it is here where the book starts to grind to a halt. Many sections must be read over and over again as the number of foreign terms start to overwhelm the reader.
One reoccurring theme from the book that stood out to me, and that I thought was covered well, was the topic of impermanence. Over and over again we are reminded of the constant of change and the mind's attempt to grasp at impermanent objects as if those objects were permanent. They are not, and this is one of the root causes of our suffering. It is thought that one of the many things that an asana practice is meant to teach the practitioner is a visceral feeling of this impermanence. By noticing the constant change of feelings and sensations that occur in the body while in the postures, we learn over time and by repetition the very nature of impermanence. Even the flow of moving the body from one posture to the next can be taken as a lesson for the body and mind of constant change. This topic is brought up throughout the book and was covered well.
Overall, the book is deep, and it might take several readings in order to digest it all. There are times where you might feel as if the author has gone off on a tangent, and you might be scratching your head wondering how one paragraph relates to the previous one, or the next one. I feel that some more effort could have been made on laying out the basic structure of the chapters, and how one topic leads into the next. Instead, at times it can almost feel like an endless brain-dump from the author. This is a minor complaint though, considering the vastness and depth of the content. However, this is the one sticking point that is keeping me from giving the book five stars. As it is, the book must be read several times in order to finally get what he was talking about. I know that I do plan in reading it several times. And on that note, one way to judge a book, is by how eager you are to want to read it again, and in this instance, I rate the book high.
On page 66 he writes, "Today we are very fortunate to be able to draw on the experience of millions of people who have inquired into their hearts and, in so doing, have developed yoga as a way of penetrating into the heart of reality." I feel that we in the west are truly fortunate to have someone such as Richard, who, in our lifetime has gone east and spent so much of his life immersed in the world of yoga. And who is then able to return to the west, and largely disseminate that knowledge so that we in the west can digest it. Consider yourself lucky if you are fortunate enough to have the time read this book.
May 27, 2025
At first I thought this book was abstract and technical. But in the course of explaining all eight limbs of yoga, Freeman modulates his presentation to address people at all levels of familiarity or experience. Much of it was clearly over my head. But it gave me a fuller picture of how little I know, and it offered basic, powerful insights that I could get. Here’s one example:
Contentment is the ability to be happy right now for no particular reason at all. You can actually cultivate this feeling by simply deciding, “Right now I am going to be content.” This may sound overly simplistic but what it actually means is that right now you are going to temporarily suspend your worries, your cares and desires, and you are going to temporarily suspend your theories and conclusions about what is happening and simply experience the radiance of pure being as it is.
Contentment is the ability to be happy right now for no particular reason at all. You can actually cultivate this feeling by simply deciding, “Right now I am going to be content.” This may sound overly simplistic but what it actually means is that right now you are going to temporarily suspend your worries, your cares and desires, and you are going to temporarily suspend your theories and conclusions about what is happening and simply experience the radiance of pure being as it is.
June 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Richard Freeman was my yoga teacher for 7 years and I am filled with respect and admiration for him. He is the real thing. His dedication to yoga and his deep of understanding of the what it is, is unparalleled in my experience. And I have practiced yoga for 25 years. Anyway, this tome is a true treat for yoga aficionados who need to dive deep in yoga philosophy. I look forward to re-reading this book in the years to come.
July 16, 2013
I rarely give a book 5 stars. This one deserved every one of them. It was accurate and interesting.
April 2, 2018
I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this book up from the library although the cover does get some stares and glances in public.
Many of my teachers adore Richard Freeman, I can see why.
I would primarily recommend this to someone who has studied yoga significantly (read Pradipika, Yoga Sutras, the Gita, etc) or who just loves philosophy. It could be interesting to also read this as you prepare to read some of the primary texts I just shared. Freeman’s work is a lovely compliment to the texts many yogis study and presents a contemporary American take on it.
Many of my teachers adore Richard Freeman, I can see why.
I would primarily recommend this to someone who has studied yoga significantly (read Pradipika, Yoga Sutras, the Gita, etc) or who just loves philosophy. It could be interesting to also read this as you prepare to read some of the primary texts I just shared. Freeman’s work is a lovely compliment to the texts many yogis study and presents a contemporary American take on it.
April 3, 2024
We found this book to be very helpful- definitely introductory, but with enough depth to sink some significant thought into; topical and opinionated but seemingly balanced. We listened to a few of these chapters quite a few times!
November 17, 2022
Succinct, funny, loves.
January 16, 2020
This book helped me to understand the true depth of yoga. How it consumes your inner soul. How it guides you. How it talks to you. How it fluid it is. How easy it is to incorporate into one's life.
December 5, 2021
Interesting content delivered in a dry, academic manner.
December 25, 2018
It’s so difficult to comments on this book, as it’s so complex and I have a mixed feeling about it. On the one hand - it’s obvious that’s it’s a lot of valuable information and experience put together to outline various aspects of yoga practice, however I got lost in the way the info was structured. Somehow could not find a flow of info given most of the time and can not say that I learned much from it, in spite of me reading and re-reading some chapters few times. Well, my take away from it - practice and all is coming!
January 2, 2021
The first two chapters really resonated with the lessons I’ve learnt since I became a more committed yoga practitioner. The next two chapters were really esoteric and difficult for me to grasp. They are written very accessibly, in plain language, about really deep philosophy that I was unfamiliar with and I would love to revisit these chapters in a year or so. I really appreciated the last chapter, which talked about how yoga is about relationships, and the discussion on yoga teacher-student relationships in particular. Overall, a fantastic introduction to yoga philosophy.
March 2, 2024
So boring. It gets 2 stars instead of one because it does have very good information. I just couldn't grasp or understand half of the information because it was so poorly organized. So much is packed within each chapter with no headings or anything to differentiate between topics. There are no pronunciations for the Sanskrt words, not even in the glossary in the back. So I have no idea if I'm reading the words correctly, I know I'm not. I love yoga and I was excited to really learn about it and I did not get what I was hoping to get from this book.
September 7, 2021
Excelente libro, que aborda algo de Historia pero mayormente Filosofía de Yoga. La respuesta a la pregunta, que es yoga? cual es su objetivo? se responden en este libro, lleno de imágenes evocadoras de la profundidad de esta antigua disciplina. Lleno de metáforas sobre la mente, sus propiedades y características son sumamente útiles para quien desee profundizar en el conocimiento yogico, mas allá de la practica postural.
March 31, 2022
Freeman is very knowledgeable about all limbs of yoga. He writes illuminating analogies to explain yoga concepts like prakriti and purusha, pranayama, asanas, the guru and more. This book is broad and expansive. I learned a lot. His writing is clear as is his teaching style. When he teaches, he uses wonderful analogies and succinct descriptions and imagery. I wish the audio version had been read by him as he has a very even, soothing voice.
December 17, 2025
Recommended reading for upcoming Buddhist retreat. Reading this book I discovered that, as much as I enjoy doing yoga, I really don't care for reading about yoga. It was kind of a slog. But I did appreciate Freeman's overview of different yoga lineages and sacred texts. I especially appreciated his summary of the Baghavad Gita.
December 1, 2018
Chock full of information about yoga philosophy and understanding the Upanisads and yoga sutra. But very heady and philosophical. Perhaps one to come back to and reread at another point along my yoga journey again.
June 9, 2019
One of the best, most comprehensive texts I have read on yoga. The author does not espouse any particular agenda, but goes deeply into the nuances of the practice beyond the physical asanas and offers a wealth of information on the various types of yoga practice as well. Very much worth a read.
September 14, 2019
This book is written for highly evolved and intelligent people. If you don't understand it yet, practise more yoga :D
Today, in a fake world full of celebrity and fake yogis, only few people understand certain books and those who don't they give a low rating...
Today, in a fake world full of celebrity and fake yogis, only few people understand certain books and those who don't they give a low rating...
June 18, 2021
This book is a comprehensive guide to understanding Eight Limbs of yoga and Freeman briefly introduces readers to various school of thought (of yoga).
There were parts of the book where I am unsure what author is driving at, however not due to the language or expressions, rather believe I was limited by my experience/practice. It is not hard to move past "the unknown", will read again! :)
P.S Love the reminders about resetting mindsets of students and teachers (or if you are BOTH) when approaching a consistent practice/teaching journey.
There were parts of the book where I am unsure what author is driving at, however not due to the language or expressions, rather believe I was limited by my experience/practice. It is not hard to move past "the unknown", will read again! :)
P.S Love the reminders about resetting mindsets of students and teachers (or if you are BOTH) when approaching a consistent practice/teaching journey.
August 28, 2018
A stunning output which seem to properly introduce the complexety of the whole field of yoga (not just asanas). A fascinating and deep read, albeit sometimes quite verbose.
August 31, 2020
Good book. Enjoyed learning more about different types of yoga. The narrator has a lovely voice in audiobook form.
October 17, 2020
Great way to learn about samkhya philosophy. Kinda advanced if you're not foamier with the vocal. A lot of passages I had to read twice.
January 13, 2021
A fantastic dive into the true meaning of yoga
February 3, 2021
One of my very favorite books. An eloquent and enlightening read.
December 26, 2022
couldn't finish it
like so man of his peers Freeman whaffles in unstructured manner
basically how he does his workshops and talks....
some interesting bits,.sure, but really needs some structure
like so man of his peers Freeman whaffles in unstructured manner
basically how he does his workshops and talks....
some interesting bits,.sure, but really needs some structure
July 10, 2023
To keep and re-read from time to time.
October 29, 2024
A really clear and interesting book about yoga philosophy and teachings. It was easy to digest and an excellent way of deepening my practice. Definitely a book I'll return to.
November 9, 2024
wonderful book 🙏🏻
November 22, 2024
Quizá no era el mejor libro para empezar con el tema. Super denso.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews