Modern Yoga

This comprehensive history sets yoga in its global cultural context for the first time. It leads us on a fascinating journey across the world, from arcane religious rituals and medieval body-magic, through muscular Christianity and the British Raj, to the Indian nationalist movement and the arrival of yoga in the 20th-century West. We discover how the practice reached its present-day ubiquity and how it became embedded in powerful social currents shaping the world's future.

Meta Modern Era is a compelling and powerful book that introduces a tangible spiritual breakthrough for the twenty-first century—spontaneous self-realization through meditation—which opens a new dimension in human awareness. A Nobel Peace Prize nominee and one of the greatest voices on spirituality, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi offers deep insights into the crises of our modern times and the solutions to their root problems.

Grounded in investigative research and real survivor stories, Surviving Modern Yoga uncovers the physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by Ashtanga yoga leader Pattabhi Jois—and reckons with the culture, structures, and mythos that enabled it.

Although modern science has unraveled some of the mysteries of our sleeping, dreaming, and waking states and age-old yoga practices are helping us enjoy better sleep, clearer minds, and healthier bodies, over 65 percent of U.S. adults are still sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation causes and aggravates ailments like stress, heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. Master yoga teacher, trainer, and best-selling author Mark Stephens provides easy-to-do, effective yoga activities for better sleep, no matter your age.

Kori Hahn has always done life her way - living off the grid as a young woman in Alaska; studying with spiritual teachers and soul guides in Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Morocco; surfing around the world. Whether she was seeking adventure, sunshine, or the perfect wave, her primary, perennial quest has been an inner one. To that end she evolved the practices she shares here, simple daily steps that create a veritable "stairway to heaven" and allow any listener to do life their own way, with maximum meaning and joy.

Yoga is so prevalent in the modern world - practiced by pop stars, taught in schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping malls - that we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. But how did the current yoga boom happen? And is it really rooted in ancient Indian practices, as many of its adherents claim? In this groundbreaking book, Mark Singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga (asana) and suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions today.

Living a healthy, happy, and purposeful life starts with a clear and focused mind. A Seeker’s Guide to the Yoga Sutras is an easy introduction to the lessons of Patanjali - graceful, concise explanations of spiritual truths. With short chapters that show you how to adapt these yoga sutras to modern life, you’ll be on an accelerated journey of the soul.

Practical and insightful, The Sacred Tradition of Yoga begins with a clear and deep inquiry into the human condition, reminding us of true purpose of Yoga. The second half of the book focuses on the yamas and niyamas, the personal disciplines and social ethics of yoga. Throughout, Dr. Jois’ teachings honor ancient traditions and underscore the benefits we can gain from adopting a yogic way of life in the modern world.