A recent discussion about my forthcoming book, The Truth of Yoga, with Jacob Kyle, who hosts the Embodied Philosophy podcast. To quote the show notes, we discussed: “Differentiating yoga history and yoga philosophy as evolutionary systems of ideas; Debunking commonly misunderstood concepts and myths; Connection points to tradition within modern practices; Postural practice and being definitive about the unknown; Reinterpreting yoga traditions, cultural appropriation and exploitation of yoga; The nature of ultimate and relative truths in yoga.”
A wide-ranging interview about the origins of yoga and how it developed, people’s search for meaning, finding one’s way by taking wrong turns, and why getting slaphead stoned didn't get me enlightened. As broadcast on the SenseSpace podcast (March 23, 2020). The show notes call it “a conversational journey with the eccentric and insightful Daniel Simpson through hash smoking Indian yogis, the history of meditation, 'woo woo', 'McMindfulness', Tantra and Spiritual Bypass,” as well as “the importance of embodied acceptance.”
I was invited to give a presentation to the Independent Yoga Network conference in 2019. All speakers were asked the same question: “What is Yoga?” My response, based on traditional texts, suggested that yoga means self-inquiry. Therefore, conclusions can only be drawn from direct experience. As a result, attempts to police others’ practice and declare it “not yoga” are themselves “unyogic”. A longer essay based on the talk was later published in the journal Spirituality Studies. Entitled “Yoga Police? No Thanks!” it’s available here.
What exactly is yoga, and how did it evolve from transcending the world to a global industry worth billions of dollars? This workshop explores where yoga comes from, and how its practice relates to philosophy over the centuries. We begin with ancient texts, tracing the development of yogic teachings, and seeing how ascetics from different traditions exchanged ideas. We then focus in depth on the physical practice known as hatha, and see how priorities changed to transforming the body, eventually developing into modern forms of yoga.
