Moreover, there are plenty of people who, after taking a yoga class or two, will want to learn more about a practice from which they experience meaningful benefits. There are also students and scholars in universities studying yoga from a scientific or medical viewpoint, as well as through a theological, philosophical, psychological, or literary lens. For many, the initial draw is undoubtedly the fitness benefits of yoga postures (asana)-in terms of flexibility, balance, strength, and even cardio (if you do them fast enough), as well as its contributions to stress reduction. The continuing and growing popularity of yoga of all sorts around the world speaks to the universal impulse people have to be well. In this way, yoga is likely to remain relevant and vital, now and into the future.

As for contemporary yoga, it borrows from earlier traditions and texts as it also continues to evolve into new styles and systems. Its modern resurgence can be traced from the mid-nineteenth century, when it was popularized by Indian yogis and Western transcendentalists fascinated by Eastern philosophy and religion.

First introduced by Vedic priests to northern India five thousand years ago, the earliest yoga texts are two thousand years old. It is about the mind and the body, as well as the meaning of life and the nature of the universe. Yoga is a living practice of popular appeal, as well as an age-old tradition of scholarly interest. The author has compiled an excellent list of sources for both the practitioner of this ancient art and those curious about the philosophy behind it. Beth Posner is head of library resource sharing, the Graduate Center, City University of New York.Ĭorrespondence concerning this column should be addressed to Mark Shores email: you want to update your library’s shelves of yoga books or support academic research in Eastern spirituality and Hinduism, this issue’s column on yoga resources should be of great benefit.

Light on yoga written by