Roots of Yoga

The first collection of its kind: a compendium of source texts on yoga, translated, introduced and edited by two of the foremost yoga scholars in the world

'Yoga is to be known through yoga. Yoga arises from yoga. One who is vigilant by means of yoga delights in yoga for a long time'

Yoga is hugely popular around the world today, yet until now little has been known of its roots. This book collects, for the first time, core teachings of yoga in their original form, translated and edited by two of the world's foremost scholars of the subject. It includes a wide range of texts from different schools of yoga, languages and eras: among others, key passages from the early Upanisads and the Mahabharata, and from the Tantric, Buddhist and Jaina traditions, with many pieces in scholarly translation for the first time.

Covering yoga's varying definitions across systems, models of the esoteric and physical bodies, and its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, Roots of Yoga is a unique and essential source of knowledge.

Translated and edited with an introduction by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton

About the Author

Mark Singleton is a long-term research fellow at the American Institute of Indian Studies and teaches at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His publications include Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice.

James Mallinson is a lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical and Indian Studies at SOAS, University of London. He has published eight books, all of which are editions and translations of Sanskrit yoga texts, epic tales, and poetry. His recent work has used philological study of Sanskrit texts, ethnography, and art history to explore the history of yoga and yogis.