Product Description

Here is an authentic portrayal of a rich and complex spiritual tradition of India. The over two thousand entries cover Yoga's history, its many approaches, schools, teachers, scriptures, as well as its technical terminology. The book is arranged and written in a manner that will inform rather than overwhelm the lay reader, while at the same time offering valuable references for the professional researcher and the historian of religion.

The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga offers the following features:

Each entry has cross-references providing pertinent conceptual links.

Entries are in English alphabetical order, unlike comparable reference works that follow Sanskrit alphabetical order, which is difficult for the lay reader to follow.

Orientational entries provide an overview of central aspects of the Yoga tradition, such as history, psychology, and major branches.

Many entries cite or even quote original sources, shedding light on how a given term is used by traditional Yoga authorities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185625 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-11
• Released on: 2000-04-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, 1.32 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 357 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781570625558
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Any student of Yoga will want to know more about not only the practices of Yoga but also its history and spirituality. One of the best places to turn is to Georg Feuerstein's acclaimed Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga. With more than 100 illustrations (such as the many asana postures and chakra centers) and entries on everything from the Bhagavad Gita to Swami Vivekananda and from the Aryan invasion theory to biofeedback, you can't go wrong. Extensive cross-references also facilitate searches for both English and Sanskrit versions of terms. The Shambhala Encyclopedia is a complete yet concise guide to the galaxy of Yoga.

Review
"Sound, discerning, and endlessly useful. No serious student of Yoga can afford to be without it. A splendid introduction positions the subject lucidly in the global history of the human spirit."--Huston Smith -- Review

Georg Feuerstein's "The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga" wasoriginally published 10 years ago, in an abbreviated version called "The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga." This updated and greatly expanded offering is destined to become a classic. The more than 2000 entries are organized in Sanskrit with easy-to-use English cross-references and the text is interspersed with many wonderful illustrations.

Virtually anything that one wants to know about yoga is contained in these pages, from biographical listings (Sri Aurobindo, the founder of Integral yoga) to ancient gods (Kali, the destroyer of illusion) and simple poses (Bhujanga-asana, the Cobra). Feuerstein's research is exhaustive, impeccable and fascinating--"Duhkha originally meant 'having a bad axle hole,' but early on came to signify 'sorrow,' 'suffering,' or 'pain.'" The writing is lively despite all the detail, and overflows with the author's unbounded enthusiasm for his subject. It reads like a good story not, thank God, like an academic tome.

'The Shambhala Encyclopedia' is a must for anyone interested in this complex and lively tradition, and will be a valuable reference by which to gauge the ongoing invention of American yoga. (Beliefnet, May 2000) -- From Beliefnet

Review
"Many books have been written on Yoga, but Feuerstein's is perhaps the best ever published."—Choice

"Sound, discerning, and endlessly useful. No serious student of Yoga—the most protracted human effort to explore the limits of consciousness—can afford to be without it. A splendid introduction positions the subject lucidly in the global history of the human spirit."—Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions



"All Westerners interested in Eastern philosophy and religion will soon wonder how they ever did without this volume at their side."—Jacob Needleman, author of The Heart of Philosophy

Customer Reviews

Indispensable, lively and a pleasure to read
This book stands alone in English. There is simply nothing else like it. Feuerstein is the leading academic expert on yoga in the United States while Shambhala is the leading publisher of books on yoga, so it is not surprising that this is clearly a superior work that fills a void. As such it is a boon to scholars and practitioners alike.

It is also very well cross-referenced so that a reader may, by following the starred words, begin or expand his own study of yoga. There is a guide to pronunciation of the Sanskrit words, numerous bits of black and white artwork and photos, and an engaging and informative introduction by Feuerstein. This handsome book has all those words that you won't find in even an unabridged English dictionary, defined and given their expression in an historical and spiritual context. Anyone with more than a passing interest in yoga will find this book invaluable.

I should add that this is a revised and greatly expanded edition of Dr. Feuerstein's Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga (1990), and that it dwarfs both Ernest Wood's Yoga Wisdom (1970) and Harvey Day's Yoga Illustrated Dictionary (1971), which I have enjoyed, but which are also very much out of date.

For Dr. Feuerstein's revision (due circa 2010, I would imagine) perhaps some entries on Westerners (and contemporaries) who have contributed to the study and practice of yoga would be appropriate, including, e.g., Theos Bernard (I was pleased to see eleven photos herein of Bernard demonstrating asana), Richard Hittleman, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Vishnudevananda, and others.

Bottom line: this is an up to date, thorough, and lively work of reference without peer.

A magnificent book of reference and daily use
An invaluable resource book for all lovers of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and human potential. Dispels many common misconceptions about yoga and reveals its true message. A great buy!

A Must Resource Book for Yoga Teachers/Students
As a yoga writer, teacher and PhD, I still use this Dr. Feuerstein's Encyclopedia of Yoga daily as I study yoga. The precise explanations help me understand the subtle points of yoga. The references to other Sanskrit terms is invaluable. This book is worth it, especially to help when reading other texts. I write this as a thanks for this great book!