Writing
Yoga
As a yoga teacher in the UK I have been particularly interested in writing about the journey yoga has made from being an esoteric practice in ancient India to being a discipline that has found a place in modern western culture.
history and philosophy of yoga
As well as teaching practical yoga classes and courses I teach the history and philosophy of yoga on yoga teacher training courses; this experience forms the basis of my first book (in progress) which is designed to be an accessible introduction to yoga history and philosophy for Western students with little or no previous knowledge.
yoga has a broad knowledge base
Yoga is an incredibly wide ranging discipline. In the West many of us have become accustomed to viewing yoga as largely a sophisticated system of exercise and relaxation. In India, its country of origin, yoga refers to any practice or activity that leads to a settling of the mind and a returning to a sense of ease and connection with our deeper Selves [sic]. The broad spectrum of the practice means that it covers a lot of ground including :
- Anatomy, physiology and biomechanics
- Health, well-being and lifestyle
- Philosophy and ethics
- Psychology
- Meditation and spirituality
- Social and political activism
Over the years my writing has reflected an interest in all these areas both in their historical context in India and in their interaction with contemporary societies.
I am also keen to express the idea that yoga offers a fantastic range of life skills which can be universally applied and needn’t be overly complex and esoteric. More on yoga and my teaching schedule at http://www.nevyogamassage.co.uk