Skip to product information
1 of 1

State University of New York Press

Yoga and the Luminous: Patañjali's Spiritual Path to Freedom

Yoga and the Luminous: Patañjali's Spiritual Path to Freedom

Regular price $43.42 USD
Regular price Sale price $43.42 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Format
Winner of the 2008 Rajinder and Jyoti Gandhi Book Award for Excellence in Dharma Studies presented by Taksha Institute

In Yoga and the Luminous, a book that emerges from more than thirty years of practice, study, and reflection, Christopher Key Chapple addresses the need for an accessible explanation of Yoga's difficult philosophy and its applications in daily life. Yoga practice takes an individual on an inward journey, and through Yoga, one enters a rarefied state of consciousness, a transparency and luminosity described by its great philosopher Patañjali as being like a clear jewel. Exploring Yoga through the prism of practice, Chapple begins with a historical overview of the many Yogic traditions in Indian religions. He continues with Yoga practice and the philosophy of Sāṃkhya, and then, in step-by-step fashion, he brings the reader to an understanding of the ethics of Yoga, the role of movement and breath, and the processes of concentration and meditation. Finally, building on the root metaphor of luminosity and light, Chapple explains the applications of Yoga in daily life.

Yoga and the Luminous also includes a word-by-word translation of Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra, the foundational text of Yoga philosophy and a system of ethical practice and bodily purification. The translation is accompanied by an analysis that traces key ideas through the text, such as the reversal of mental and sensory outflows and the theme of spiritual discernment. Chapple also gives special attention to the feminine in the description of Yoga practices.

Author: Christopher Key Chapple
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 10/30/2008
Pages: 317
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.80h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780791474761

Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2009

About the Author
Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. He is the author or editor of many books, including Reconciling Yogas: Haribhadra's Collection of Views on Yoga and Ecological Prospects: Scientific, Religious, and Aesthetic Perspectives, both also published by SUNY Press.

View full details