The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices

by Daniel Simpson

Succinct answers to nearly any question about yoga's origins, development, key texts, concepts, and practices



Much of what is said about yoga is misleading. To take two examples, it is neither five thousand years old, as is commonly claimed, nor does it mean union, at least not exclusively. In perhaps the most famous text--The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali--the aim is separation, isolating consciousness from everything else. And the earliest evidence of practice dates back about twenty-five hundred years. Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it.

Scholars have learned a lot more about the history of yoga in recent years, but their research can be hard to track down. Although their work is insightful, it is aimed more at specialists than at general readers. Daniel Simpson's The Truth of Yoga draws on many of their findings, presented in a format designed for practitioners. The aim is to highlight ideas on which readers can draw to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century. It offers an overview of yoga's evolution from its earliest origins to the present. It can either be read chronologically or be used as a reference guide to history and philosophy. Each short section addresses one element, quoting from traditional texts and putting their teachings into context. The intention is to keep things clear without oversimplifying.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Meditation, Hinduism

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Matthew Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has lectured on the histories and philosophies of yoga for yoga teacher trainings for years, I am always asked by students what non-academic books they could read in order to dip their feet into the subject (beyond the teacher training). For too long, most of the accurate, unbiased histories of yoga were available as academic texts or books only. I am comfortable reading them, but most students are not.

I listened to Daniel Simpson's interview on the Yogic Studies podcast and heard that this book was meant to fill the gap between yoga practitioners' desire to dig deeper and the sometimes overwhelmingly verbose language of academic yogic papers. I had high hopes for the book and it did not disappoint. I will be recommending it to students and will likely be using it as part of the teacher trainings in the near future.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the other perspective that this book brought to the table. In yoga training you feel like your teachers are the end all be all and that their way is the right way, but in reality there are more interpretations. This book shows us yoga from another angle. I liked learning other ways to look at the same teachings. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an early copy of this book.

[Gero · Rating 5 out of 5]

explained a lot of yoga history to me in a concise overview – perfect to dig deeper into different sources from here on

[Abby Truesdel]

Love how he broke the book out - also pretty sitting out.

[Frank Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a wonderful conversation I had the pleasure to share in with Daniel Simpson on his podcast (link below), I thought it might be worthwhile to read his book on Yoga, subtitled "A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices" and the only issue I might have with that subtitle is that it should read "Philosophies" as I assume Simpson might agree. He audaciously called his book The Truth of Yoga while on the very first page of in "Introduction" he points out what prompted him to deeper study, "There were many different versions of yoga, and some of their philosophies seemed contradictory." The very next page he writes: "Much of what is said about yoga is misleading" and it is that which is the motivation for Simpson's writing this book.

I am truly amazed at how much he could pack into such a slim book (just over 200 pages) comprised of 99 short chapters, each of which can be read as a stand-alone essay, broken into five parts: "Introduction," "Early Yoga", "Classical Yoga," "Hatha Yoga," "Modern Yoga" and "Conclusion." Typical essays are about two pages in length and cover varied topics including "Ancient Roots", "Ascetics and Tapas", "Early Upanishads", "Fate and Free Will", "Astanga and Asana", "Rival Theories", "Imaginary Chakras", "Sex and Yoga", "National Pride", and "Yoga Therapy". As you can see, truly wide-ranging and comprehensive.

Perhaps what I most really appreciate about Simpson and his book is that he seems as committed to intellectual honesty and integrity. When I teach Yoga philosophy, I take pains to share what the texts say and then offer a critique which may include what I think is most valuable for contemporary practitioners, what I think needs to be re-imagined and re-worked to align with modernity (for instance, yoga's roots are all world renouncing and there should be no white-washing what Patanjali says about shaucha as it he's talking about showering before class when what he says is that it is the "disgust of one's body and contact with the bodies of others"! I mean, that just won't fly with the body and sex positivity that contemporary culture promotes. And if we wish to revalue brahmacharya as "energy management" we should be honest and share with students that for Patanjali it meant celibacy! Finally, I will also offer my opinions on those aspects of traditional yogic teachings and practices that I think we should completely jettison (prolapse one's rectum into a river as a "purifying technique"? No thank you!).

Simpson writes: "Mixing and matching has always been part of how yoga evolves, but it is important to be clear that what "Patanjali says" is not always the same as how teachers present it. In fact, it is just that which has led me into arguments with teachers who, in order to popularize the teachings make all sorts of changes without honestly letting students know. I once blurbed a book by a popular teacher who had written a wonderful book about the deeper psychology of The Yoga-Sutra. In doing so, he had offered what amounts to a Buddhist madhyamaka interpretation mixed with western psychological concepts, but offered them as what Patanjali says." I wrote that the writer "details a practical and pragmatic psychology of yoga.... this creative interpretation may not be what Patanjali offered, but it is certainly what we need now. I was perturbed -- and let him know -- that that middle phrase was excised for the book cover.

I am so grateful to Simpson for writing this badly needed book that presents what the various yoga traditions have to offer along with historical accuracy, and skeptical critical thinking. It's short and accessible and I believe this text should be mandatory reading in any yoga teacher training or immersion.

Here's the link to my conversation with Daniel Simpson for his podcast:
https://ancientfutures.substack.com/p...

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very simple, practical explanation of what is yoga and related parts.

Cultivating tapas / vedic fire / heat = disciplined alchemy -- manipulating matter to open the mind to higher truths, leading to purification. Turning away from the body's demands and sensory input >> less concerns with desires and dislikes >> easier to focus within and on the infinite.

Gayatri - starts with om (sound of unity in everything) > bhur, bhuwah, svah (cosmos) > celebrating sun for facilitating life with head and light --- therefore leading to inner wisdom and reminder of reliance on natural forces.

____ gayatri matra translated ____

Heaven, earth, and all between.
May we contemplate the radiant power
Of the sun's divide light and energy;
May this inspire our understanding.
________________________


Caste system origin: the gods cut a man into parts to create the world, along with 4 main social classes. The sun was made from his eyes, moon from his mind, brahmin from his mouth, warrior from his arms, people from his thighs, servants from his feet.

Hindusim: indian majority whose religion was not the others defined

Brahmanism: the ancient religion from the Vedas

Karma: "action" -- human life ends in reincarnations (we are stuck in samsara - infinite lives) -- with no apparent way out we are destined to suffer, so we take karmic actions to lead to karmic results in hopes of severing the chain of karmic consequences -- and setting one self free

Renunciation: liberation from world attachments, communing directly with the cosmos (reaching moksha / mukti / living liberated)

"Renunciation and the yoga of action both lead to ultimate bliss" "but of the two, the yoga of action is better than renunciation of action" - Gita

Mahabharata: oldest yoga manual (gave rise to yoga having 8 qualities derived from oldest vedic scriptures)

Yoga is defined as meditation: concentration (one pointed clarity) and control of breath (steadying the mind)

Practitioners are urged to cultivate kindness, peace, charity, truthfulness, modesty, honesty, patience, cleanliness, sensory restraint, and purity of diet. These enhance one's energy, which destroys ones sins.

Kirtana: narrating or repeating. Goal to lose oneself in love, praise, celebration to cleanse

Gods (ishvara): Shiva and Shrishna. Lords that are seen as powerful through self-control, manipulating nature to reach liberation

The meaning of life:
1) Dharma - virtue, law, duty
2) Artha - well-being
3) Kama - sensory pleasure
4) Moksha - spiritual freedom **if everyone sought it at once (renouncing of worldly commitments), the world might collapse

!!!!! Begging the question -- do I want to be freed from reincarnation? do i want to be living liberated - devoid of wants and feelings in this world? do i want to be free from suffering and eternal life? to becoming unliving??

Krishna says: without attachment, always do what ever action has to be done; for it is through acting without attachment that a man attains the highest


Reaching meditation: For the sage who is beginner in yoga, action is said to be the means, but for the advanced, tranquility is said to be the means.

Brahman: consicous oneness. the omnipresent. is Om.

3 Gunas: sattva, rajas, tamas ---- arise from prakriti. They bind the changeless, embodied entity within the body. Yoga allows us to go beyond this matter and transcend from prakriti to purusha (pure consciousness)

Tamas = dark. Rajas = creative. Sattva = wholesome

PATANJALIS SUTRAS = 195 threads that identify yoga as a state beyond thought. Yoga is the stilling of the changes states of the mind. So that the seer abides in its own true nature through absorption of samadhi (meditative state). Premise is that life makes us suffer because of desire + misunderstanding -- ain't that the truth.

Kaivalya = Witness perceives no object but itself = aloneness, withdrawal from material existence

Kleshas (Afflictions aka desires and misunderstandings) = attachment, aversion, urge to not die, ego, ignorance


"there is no fault in eating meat, drinking liquor, having sex; that is the natural activity of creatures. abstaining from such activity, however, brings great rewards"

Kriya yoga = eliminate mental obstacles --- asanas (which are not hierarchical)

Chitta (mind) = manas (cognitive), ahamkara (storyteller), buddhi (intelligence)

Hatha = stubbornness / force -- using effort to have powerful effects. Union of sun and moon.

Tantra = using a framework to purify, emphasis on ritual, chanting, visualizing

Creator = Brahma. Teacher = Vishnu. Destroyer = Vishnu.

Nadies = channels (72K)

Guru = remover of darkness

"yoga has evolved into a globalized business based on postures" -- yeppp

Asanas based on 8.4M living creatures -- 84 postures as per Shiva

Many yogic experiments seem inconclusive even with many scientific studies, however, can never really quantify the impact of servicing a greater reality than the ego

"pizza affect" of commercializing yoga.

Sexual cohersion a problem -- Yoga Alliance banned all reference to "therapeutic yoga" in 2016

The practice of yoga comes down to relationships--as much with each other as ourselves.

!!!! "Yoga is a spiritual discipline, with practical approaches to self-understanding and even transcendence. The idea of enlightenment might sound elusive, but mental burden can still be "en-lightened"."

"yoga helps us to see from a different perspective. other worldly objectives appear less important than trying to be present in everyday life. With little more awareness of thoughts, words, actions, I notice their impact on me and on others. As a result, I can try to be clearer, becoming less entangled in unhelpful ways. I also try to inquire: what is this "me" that the mind seems obsessed with? Is it just an idea? is there something beyond that? however fleetingly that is perceived, it can still be transformative"

[Genevieve Singzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE TRUTH OF YOGA by Daniel Simpson

From the yoga that we know of today, Simpson, through his studies and research, has preseted in this book how it came to be -what inspired it, its earlier forms, the principles behind it, and ultimately, how it became a global practice.

For a casual reader like me whose only exposure to yoga is that one time I tried following a yoga for spine correction youtube instructional video and watching a Netflix docu about the controversial guru Bikram, I found it hard to grasp a lot of what was being said in the book as it mostly includes a lot of technical terms. Well, it did say in the introductory chapter that the book is designed to help practitioners, so I was able to brace myself. 😁

In spite of what I’ve said above, I did really enjoy the book. I love how it gave me a glimpse of early Indian culture, about the ascetics (I am really fascinated by their extreme discipline), the deities (although I’m still confused of their names), and that how the original goal of yoga is not good posture, relief from stress, or fitness, but “rebirth”.

When I came upon a question of “What’s Appropriate?” as posted by the author in the last chapter, I paused for a while to reflect. Having learned that the original yoga has been criticized, rejected, and modified to suit the western lifestyle, I think what’s appropriate really varies based on the goal of each individual practitioner. Due to difference in belief, lifestyle, and even the time of existence, the goal may not be the same. The answer shouldn’t be a single way, but a lot of ways depending on that goal.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is what I would consider a primer regarding the study of the history (and story) of yoga. The book is dense with information and the author frequently cites the texts he mentions. The author’s intent is to make the traditional philosophies accessible to modern practitioners, which I think he has accomplished. This is not a book you read to become an expert. It is a book you read to spark more interest to seek out the texts he cites throughout the book. One thing I do commend in this book is that it creates a timeline of a more linear view of the yoga traditions. I had initially feared this book would be full of opinion of what yoga is and isn’t. In fact, the author makes no assertions or claims of what yoga is and isn’t. I appreciate the objective tone of the book and how it contains a wealth of knowledge and research. The hefty notes section clearly shows the amount of research that went into creating this book.

[Mary-Louise Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every yogi, yoga teacher, and Yoga Teacher Training Academy needs to know about this book! In fact, I would also recommend this book to those who know very little about yoga and feel they want to gather an overview of the subject. Daniel's experience as a yoga teacher, journalist, academic, and foreign correspondent has afforded ample opportunities for him to hone the art of condensing sometimes complex material down to the essentials. It is authoritative, approachable, and no nonsense. What I love about the book is that I can see, in one page, the truth about one aspect of Yoga at a time. I know that, should I wish to read the full texts relating to any of these informative overviews, there are easy to follow references I can return to. Daniel Simpson seem able to grasp and deliver the concepts in no-nonsense, engaging language and I wish I had been presented with this book during my Yoga Teacher Training! This is a do not miss book - what a gift!

[Carmen Maya Posta · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a yoga practitioner and teacher I found this book to be very refreshing and useful!

Understanding the origins of yoga and how the practice shaped to what is nowadays it is a complex task to achieve, but Mr. Simpson did great.

This book is a comprehensive organised book that will leave you with a more clear view of how yoga has evolved through time and it’s many points of view. Definitely a recommended reading, although don’t expect it to be spiritual in any way, this text aims to guide you through the academic known facts about yoga and it must be taken that way ;)

In my opinion, there is only one part missing in the ideas and facts exposed on this book: supposedly yoga was taught through the experience and the teachings of the guru for years living by his side, this is probably why there is no much written material about its origins and neither asanas and just in contemporary age some texts started to emerge.

[Amy Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly, highly recommend this book for a brilliantly structured breakdown of all and everything to do with yoga. Have you been wondering what on earth the Bhagavad Gita has to do with your asana class? You might be pleased to hear that you are not alone, and that this book may be a way for you to begin piecing it together. I think there has been a distinct lack of yoga books that bridge the gap between yogic academia and books that are written for the complete beginner, or specifically focused on postures. I would encourage all students who are interested in diving a little deeper below the surface of their regular classes and especially for teachers to read. It is broken down into lots of short essays on each topic so it is very easy to digest too!

[Jaymi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very broad and relatively fair minded overview of the cultural and historical aspects of yoga. Like any scholarly work on yoga, the ideas presented can be a bit skeptical of the actual transcendent experience, but many yoga scholars have trouble transcending their IDEAS about yoga to actually experience a state of yoga.
Overall, this healthy amount of skepticism is applied to many aspects of yoga (including lineages, practices, histories, cultural contexts, and individual teachers). The ultimate conclusion? “We don’t and maybe can’t know” what authentic yoga is, was, or will be. That practices that work for us are the ones we should engage with. But this is not presented in a careless, haphazard way; but through mindful consideration and by consulting our inner knowing.

[Cara Wood]

I've been practicing yoga for more than 25 years but was only marginally aware of its history (i.e. some of the Sanskrit and Iyengar's influence). This book delves far beyond that. While it does not provide a whole truth of yoga (what book could?), it sheds light on a lot of the threads of yoga's evolution and how it became a global movement.

This an interesting read for anyone who has a daily practice and wants to understand the religious and cultural influences. Don't expect to pick up any new poses, but there's plenty here for those who treat yoga as a meditation. My copy is now dog-eared on the quotations, translations and concepts I know I'll revisit on future visits to the mat.

[julia!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

A valuable read if you’re in any way interested in Yoga and/or Indian religions and philosophies!

I’ve been consistently doing Yoga for a bit more than two years now and it’s gotten a pretty important part of my routine. However, I realized a while ago that my understanding of Yoga is very westernized and that I don’t really have an idea where it actually comes from. That’s why I picked up this book as a means of introducing me to the history of the practices. I’m definitely going to read up on it more and immerse myself into ‘Yoga scholarship’.

[Omid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much-needed book about yoga history and philosophy for modern practitioners. Enjoyable and easy to read, and packed with insights and context that help a practitioner make sense of yoga through traditional texts. This book is almost certain to change your perspective on what yoga is, what it has been and what it might become. I loved reading it and I hope you will too.

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book from a practitioner-academic, obviously skilled in translating and discerning complicated philosophical texts. Daniel cuts through much of the woo-woo tainted ego dribble we get so much of in this scene. Keep up the good work Daniel. I look forward to more evidence based yoga philosophy insights from you!

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really important, but even as a serious yogini, I didn't want to sit right down and read this. But it's not meant to be a straight shot read. This book is more for YTT students or those looking to have things dissected, step by step.

[Reeve Klatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how much Simpson brought in the ancient yoga texts - lots of references to the sutras and Gita. Some of his info was confusingly laid out and at times a bit dry, but overall it was a good resource!

[Mikky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me find clarity on subjects that I had really questioned during my yoga teacher trainings.

[Anjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting but the main thing I learned allot, very good information

[Flowers4Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating read. As always the philosophy leaves my dim brain in a spin even though the explanations are put into plain everyday language. Definitely recommended

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it says on the label, really worthwhile read on the background of Yoga.

[Lbs Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessable summary survey of some of the more prominent historical documents that under-pin modern day yoga practices. Must read for serious students. It's not what you think.

[Belén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bastante riguroso pero para mi gusto o lo que esperaba, se va demasiado por las ramas y me parece demasiado teórico y poco práctico.

[Eleanor Radcliffe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t understand a thing

[Ivana Amidzic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sapere aude!

[John Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear, concise and highly readable analysis of Yoga which is both informative and entertaining. In a word, excellent. Academically sound, it's also suited to readers without any specialist knowledge. It's unusual to find a work that so fluently bridges the highly specialised and the general. As someone with an MA in Buddhist Studies and a long-term meditator (Samatha and Vipassana), I am now much better informed on something I knew next to nothing about and I've a much better perspective on the historical background. Highly recommended.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth of Yoga by Daniel Simpson

243 Pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Biroux, North Point Press
Release Date: January 5, 2021

Nonfiction (Adult), Health, Mind, Body, Spirit, Yoga

The book is divided into the following parts.

Part 1: Early Yoga
Part 2: Classical Yoga
Part 3. Hatha Yoga
Part 4. Modern Yoga

The author discusses the history of yoga. He details that yoga is not the ancient practice since there is no written history of it before the seventeenth century. The author does an amazing researching for this book. I found the information very interesting and believable. If you are interested in yoga and its history, you will enjoy reading this book.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, truthful summaries of yogic history that I’ve read.