Accessible Philosophy and History

By Daniel Simpson

The Truth of Yoga provides a clear overview of yoga’s evolution for modern practitioners – as well as anyone else who wants to know where it comes from, what it was for, and how ancient objectives relate to today’s.

The book is subtitled “A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices.” Its concise and engaging chapters describe the key themes that have influenced practices over the centuries, while also dispelling misconceptions.

Online courses go a step further, diving deep into yogic texts to present what they teach in an interactive format. You can find out more about these below. Overall, they’re a light-hearted mixture of scholarly knowledge and traditional wisdom.

COURSES

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The Truth of Yoga – Online Course
The Truth of Yoga – Online Course

Join me online for a 12-hour course to accompany my book, The Truth of Yoga. It's an overview of yoga's evolution in four modules, from the earliest history to modern debates about authenticity. The format combines group discussion with video lectures, and the style is engaging without oversimplifying. If you've ever felt confused about yoga philosophy, this course is for you. And even if you've studied for years, you'll still find something new – an accessible guide to the latest research, and a comprehensive overview of how today's yoga relates to the past.

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The Early Upanishads – Online Course
The Early Upanishads – Online Course

Join me online (Apr 29 – May 26) to get immersed in the Upanishads, exploring foundations of yoga philosophy as well as the earliest frameworks for practice. This engaging course relates timeless wisdom to modern priorities. Over four modules, we'll cover a selection of early Upanishads, tracing key themes in a series of videos. We’ll also look at links between the Vedas and Upanishads, as well as their influence on later traditions. Each module combines live discussion with pre-recorded lectures. You can also ask questions at any time via the course website.

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The Yoga Sutra – Online Course
The Yoga Sutra – Online Course

Join me online for an in-depth guide to the Yoga Sutra. Together, we’ll explore why yoga doesn’t always mean union, why Patanjali’s system has more than “eight limbs”, and why its overall objectives are often quite different to modern priorities. Together we'll read the full text, with reference to commentaries that help to explain its traditional meaning. You can study on demand, so you set your own pace. Each module has a series of videos, including recorded Q&As, and you can ask questions at any time via the website. The approach is insightful and fun without dumbing down.

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The Bhagavad Gita – Online Course
The Bhagavad Gita – Online Course

Join me online for a four-week immersion in the Bhagavad Gita (Sep 25 – Oct 22, 2023). It's a text with a timeless message about social engagement, and it explains how to find peace of mind by serving others. One can live in the world and attain liberation – a goal that speaks directly to modern practitioners, in contrast to the more ascetic aims of other texts, such as the Yoga Sutra. The course format is engaging and clear, without oversimplifying. Together, we’ll explore the whole text through a mix of live discussions and pre-recorded videos. Join us today!

BOOK

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The Truth of Yoga
The Truth of Yoga

Subtitled “A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices,” this book gives an overview of yoga’s evolution from its earliest origins to what it is today. Structured in concise and accessible chapters, it outlines key themes that have influenced practices over the centuries, quoting widely from traditional texts and putting their teachings into context, while also dispelling misconceptions. The Truth of Yoga draws on the latest scholarly findings, and presents them with practitioners in mind, highlighting ways to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century.

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Here’s the TLDR version – The Truth of Yoga in under a minute. An unabridged audiobook is also available! :)