Yoga Gems: A Treasury of Practical and Spiritual Wisdom from Ancient and Modern Masters

by Georg Feuerstein (Editor)

Here is an inspirational and accessible introduction to the deep inner wisdom of yoga gathered from sources both ancient and modern by one of America’s most respected yoga scholars.

YOGA GEMS

For the millions of Americans who now practice yoga regularly, here is the perfect introduction to the rich philosophical and spiritual tradition behind the exercises.

George Feuerstein has drawn short, memorable quotations from the key texts of this five-thousand-year-old legacy, with an emphasis on the wisdom of modern yoga masters.The quotations have been selected and arranged to address the needs of yoga practitioners in the twenty-first century.

Among the many themes touched on in this treasure of a the process of inner growth; the value of silence; how to meditate; how to infuse everyday life with joy; universal kinship; overcoming suffering; dealing with grief, loss, anger, and jealousy; remembering and cultivating one’s true inner self; developing self-discipline; and bringing out the good in all you say and do.

For both new and experienced yoga students alike, Yoga Gems is the perfect travel companion on the road to inner peace.

Genres: Philosophy

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2002

About the author

Georg A. Feuerstein was an Indologist and, according to his associate Ken Wilber, among the foremost Westerns scholar-practitioners of yoga. After doing his postgraduate research at Durham University in England, he moved to the United States, eventually settling in Canada with his wife and sometime co-author Brenda.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enlightening. Good to read a little at a time.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book several years ago from a Starbucks, I think. I've loved some things about Yoga for years now and I try to incorporate some sort of practice even now while on deployment. Five-minute asanas.

However, I wanted to finish the book and brought it as a download on my iPad and kept reading it every day. While the underlying philosophy of Yoga may be at odds with my own beliefs and Western culture, that doesn't mean there isn't a great amount of wisdom to be gained from it. I gained much more from the first 80% of the book than the last 20% as the underlying philosophical ideas of the Self don't jive with my own.

Still, it gave me pause often and I'd consider the few snippets I had read. Good to balance me on deployment while I'm typically running around with various weapons.

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quick takeaway: This is one of the better quote books related to yoga. It's somewhat organized and each quote has a theme. While there are some good quotes in here, I find myself not agreeing with all of the quotes. Very few, if any, of the quotes are written by a female. It definitely has a male viewpoint of the world.

[Sam Buckingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning collection of condensed quotes based on yoga philosophy

[Shuchuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite

[Jeff Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a yogi you will enjoy this book.