The Inner Tradition of Yoga : A Guide to Yoga Philosophy for the Contemporary Practitioner

A wise, accessible guide that makes the spiritual and ethical teachings of the yogic tradition immediately relatable to our practice on the mat—and in our everyday relationships and activities“There is no daily practice without some formal training; and there is no deep spiritual training without the mess of relational life. The two are one,” says Michael Stone. At the root of yoga practice there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect.Innovative teacher Michael Stone draws from numerous disciplines—including Buddhism and psychotherapy—to provide an in-depth, completely clear explanation of yogic philosophy, along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the mat—and through our relationships with others. Yoga, says Stone, is a practice that helps us be more present with the actual, fluid life we are living right now—and there is no yoga without the conditions of your life. This book describes how to work with those conditions and how to fully appreciate yoga as a practice of being intimate with moment-to-moment reality. A practicing psychotherapist and yoga instructor furnishes an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy and beliefs to provide a revealing look at the spiritual side of yoga practice that emphasizes the key link between the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life, as well as yoga's ethics of patience, honesty, and nonviolence.;Avidya : seeing things as they are -- Embracing suffering -- Marga : establishing the path -- Embodying the path -- Lowering your center of gravity -- The eight limbs -- Practicing the yamas -- The yamas beyond dualism -- The five klesas -- Freedom through the klesas -- Stillness and movement -- The five kosas : sheaths of the mindbody : -- I think it's better not to make up new terms unless there really is no English word that would serve -- Working with the kosas -- Samskara : webs of mind and body -- Prana : energetic flow -- Body in mind -- Letting go : asana and meditation intertwined -- Prana and citta -- The empty vessel -- Sunyata : boundless and empty -- Yoga, death and dying : what is most astounding. There is more to the tradition of yoga than toning and strengthening. At the root, there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect. Michael Stone provides an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the matand through our relationships with others. To learn more about the author, Michael Stone, visit his