From the Vedas to Vinyasa: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Yoga Paperback – August 11, 2016

This is a really succinct and easy read about the history and rise of Yoga everywhere. I would recommend for any person delving into how Yoga came to be in the present.

Learning what major ideas came first and then were added or expanded later over a 5000 year history gives me a larger picture of what yoga study might entail and expand on going forward.The author is a great teacher who leads your thoughts into an initial comprehension of what are basic teachings. This book really helps take the mystery out of yoga for a western mind. I can see the path traveled thru history and gained enough insight to slightly understand the meanings of core yoga concepts.The author's careful explanations do lead to aha moments. I grasp the direction she is going even if it an incomplete newbie insight. Also, now I know the many major parts/words/concepts within yoga, even if I have no real depth of insight.

If you love yoga, and want to learn more (a LOT more) about its history, this book is an outstanding place to start! Amy Vaughn has written a marvelously researched, intelligent, and totally accessible tale of the history of yoga from the first hint of its beginning to the present day. Along the way, she takes the time to explain countless concepts and nuances of yogic practices, and she offers insight into how the evolution of peoples and cultures influenced yoga along the way. She does all of this with easy-to-read, understandable language; occasional humor; and an evident love of her subject that is contagious. I plan to add this book to the required reading list of the 200-hour teacher training of which I am a Lead Trainer.

I am always interested in learning the background of different religions, belief systems, and cultures. This book offers a great overview of the history of yogic philosophy. I enjoyed reading this book because Amy's writing style is like having a conversation with her. This was a fun and captivating read. I am generally not a history enthusiast but her book kept me fascinated and absorbed by the stories referenced. I also appreciated the highlighted reference points and cross references. I can't wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this book. I love to earmark and make notes in the margins of books that I feel have information that appeal and pertain to my life. I feel this book has it. Amy does not overwhelm the reader and leaves me wanting to discover more about the Hindu texts.

This book is fantastic! When I first started practicing yoga, it was like high school all over again and I was not the cool kid! I always felt like the instructors were talking down to me, kind of “yoga snobs”. But this lady talks so sweetly simple. I get it! I mean, she had me when she used the word, “badassery!”. Thank you, Amy for your super smart, easy to understand way of writing and explaining a very complex subject. Einstein said, “if you can’t explain something simply, you must not understand it...” or something like that, well you must understand it and now I do too.

How I wish this insightful book had been available while I was in yoga teacher training classes! This publication is a concise, in-depth and easy-to-read gem. It covers all that I needed to learn about the history, philosophy and background of yoga during my classes and training, and I believe it to be a treasure chest of informational jewels for both students and teachers alike. A 'must have' on every yoga lovers bookshelf, or even in one's yoga bag; enabling quick referencing to answer philosophical questions during class and discussions. Thank you, Amy, for putting all this information into one accessible and beautiful book!

As a Yoga teacher and life-long student, I have read dozens of yoga books. This book does the best job, by far, of summarizing the vast history and diverse philosophies of yoga into one simple narrative. The author writes from an objective place and lays out the facts without proselyting any particular viewpoint. Some many pieces of yoga that I couldn’t fit together now make sense! I’m truly grateful for this book!

This was not exactly what I was looking for in a history of yoga. I knew that yoga came in some way from Hinduism and I wanted to know how that happened. But, primarily, I am interested in the history of Hatha yoga as it has been used to enhance one's physical and mental well being. In the book, Hatha yoga is covered in the last three chapters, but the first eight are an overview of the history of Hinduism. Also, the author points out that she is covering over 11,000 years of history and that necessarily her review is not going to be able to go into depth, and that is a fair warning. Even though the first 8 chapters deal with the evolution of Hinduism along with brief discussions of its holy books, I feel that she is just scratching the surface. And I would have preferred that Hinduism be covered MUCH more briefly, so that the development of Hatha yoga could be looked at more carefully. However, I give the author credit for seeming to have a thorough understanding of her topic, and she includes a very good bibliography for those wanting to continue research into Hinduism. But I did not get enough of the information I was looking for.