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

I am always interested in learning the background of different religions, belief systems, and cultures. This book offers a great overview of the history of yogic philosophy. I enjoyed reading this book because Amy's writing style is like having a conversation with her. This was a fun and captivating read. I am generally not a history enthusiast but her book kept me fascinated and absorbed by the stories referenced. I also appreciated the highlighted reference points and cross references. I can't wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this book. I love to earmark and make notes in the margins of books that I feel have information that appeal and pertain to my life. I feel this book has it. Amy does not overwhelm the reader and leaves me wanting to discover more about the Hindu texts.

If you love yoga, and want to learn more (a LOT more) about its history, this book is an outstanding place to start! Amy Vaughn has written a marvelously researched, intelligent, and totally accessible tale of the history of yoga from the first hint of its beginning to the present day. Along the way, she takes the time to explain countless concepts and nuances of yogic practices, and she offers insight into how the evolution of peoples and cultures influenced yoga along the way. She does all of this with easy-to-read, understandable language; occasional humor; and an evident love of her subject that is contagious. I plan to add this book to the required reading list of the 200-hour teacher training of which I am a Lead Trainer.

This book is fantastic! When I first started practicing yoga, it was like high school all over again and I was not the cool kid! I always felt like the instructors were talking down to me, kind of “yoga snobs”. But this lady talks so sweetly simple. I get it! I mean, she had me when she used the word, “badassery!”. Thank you, Amy for your super smart, easy to understand way of writing and explaining a very complex subject. Einstein said, “if you can’t explain something simply, you must not understand it...” or something like that, well you must understand it and now I do too.

This was not exactly what I was looking for in a history of yoga. I knew that yoga came in some way from Hinduism and I wanted to know how that happened. But, primarily, I am interested in the history of Hatha yoga as it has been used to enhance one's physical and mental well being. In the book, Hatha yoga is covered in the last three chapters, but the first eight are an overview of the history of Hinduism. Also, the author points out that she is covering over 11,000 years of history and that necessarily her review is not going to be able to go into depth, and that is a fair warning. Even though the first 8 chapters deal with the evolution of Hinduism along with brief discussions of its holy books, I feel that she is just scratching the surface. And I would have preferred that Hinduism be covered MUCH more briefly, so that the development of Hatha yoga could be looked at more carefully. However, I give the author credit for seeming to have a thorough understanding of her topic, and she includes a very good bibliography for those wanting to continue research into Hinduism. But I did not get enough of the information I was looking for.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this history of yogic philosophy and practice. It is written in a manner that is very accessible and entertaining and I would recommend this work to all who are interested in adding to their understanding of where and how yogic thought originated and evolved into what we practice presently. I am very grateful to Amy as, through her diligent research and creative documentation, I have found an accurate and entertaining resource to add to my own spiritual evolution and exploration. With warmest Namaste, Amy.

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!

Amy Vaughn's new book is a really well written overview of the history of yoga written in a plain and direct speaking style of authorship that is engaging and accessible. It is apparent that Amy has studied this materIal for a long time and has wonder and enthusiasm for the lore. She has a modern stand that shares and presents but lets the reader draw their own conclusions. Interesting, and it is a good read.

I love the way this book breaks down the complex history and background of yoga to make it easier to understand. The writing style is unique and occasionally comical, which is extremely appreciated--especially during the more sense descriptions.

Amy Vaughn gives us a pacy and easy-to-read run through the history of yoga.Unfortunately, she has missed out on the latest research, especially on Pātañjala Yoga and Haṭha Yoga, and every now and again is a bit sloppy on Sanskrit and dates.We have had the amazing and game-changing insights of Philipp Andre Maas re Patañjali, and the findings of the Haṭha Yoga Project, headed by James Mallinson. Referring back to Georg Feuerstein a lot is slightly outdated (though Feuerstein, in his time, was brilliant).All in all a good starting point and read for beginners to this topic.I appreciated that recommendations were frequently given for further reading - but there is newer research and books, too.

A fabulous book if you want a clear account of the major historical influences on the many stages of yoga and the mind-body connection. Written in an organised and nicely structured way it provides an objective account and makes the reader want to read further. I encountered all the few bits of yoga history and philosophy I expected to find and learned a lot more new stuff.Like another reviewer I also believe this book will be useful to yoga teachers (and non-teachers like myself), interested in broadening their understanding of the subject. I enjoyed it. It helped that the writer was both a yoga practitioner as well as a scholar.

This is exactly what I was looking for to know more about yoga and its tradition. It's a wonderful book, well-written, really easy to read.

'By the mid 20th century, the sprawling, magical, powerful liberation tradition that was Hatha Yoga is well on its way to being compacted into the format of a P.E. class.'What a great book this is! Super easy to read and yet also comprehensive - the content and level is academic yet it's very much written in a pop style.Perfect for yoga practitioners who want to know the religious, political and market forces involved to bring yoga out of the forests of Vedic India into their local community centre!Can't recommend it enough.

Good condition. Late arrival about 2-3 weeks later