I’m a sucker for books. Yoga books. Chinese Medicine Books. Books on spirituality, the mind, body, shamanism – TAKE MY MONEY! The end result being that I end up with a lot of books that I haven’t read yet. The Inner Tradition of Yoga, by Michael Stone was revised in 2018 and is one such book. I bought the book in 2021 but only in the past two months have I finally got around to reading it.
Michael Stone was a Yogi, Buddhist teacher and author. He also founded and was a Director of the Centre of Gravity Sangha which was a community of Yoga and Buddhist practitioners based in Toronto.
The Inner Tradition of Yoga gives exactly what it says on the tin – a detailed look at the philosophy that the physical practise of Yoga is built on. It is refreshing to see a book of such detail and covering a broad reach of subject matter. From the basic Yamas and NiYamas to the Kosas, the book guides the reader deeper into philosophy, explaining the Samskaras (the webs of the mind) to Prana (energy) and Yoga in Death and Dying.
The book will suit both beginner and the more advanced student. The author takes time to explain the concepts so even for the advanced Yogi, there is always an interesting insight offered. The book is easy to read and includes Sanskrit names for everything but always translated into English. There is also a glossary (Well used in my case) at the back of the book that is extremely helpful.
The flow of the book is well thought out – it seamlessly flows from introducing concepts the reader may be familiar with and continues delving deeper and deeper into Yogic philosophy. The progression is natural, there is nothing advanced covered without the preceding concepts having been covered. The Author obviously took great time and care to ensure concepts were covered in a way that allows the reader progress rather than having to hop back and forth in the book to look up information.
The book itself isn’t long – c. 209 pages but it is packed with detail, all presented in a gentle and patient manner. It’s a book I’ve taken my time reading, a few pages today, a chapter tomorrow – that kind of progress, because I needed to digest and ruminate on the information passed on. It’s a book that will will be staying on my bookshelf.
Unfortunately, when I went googling the author, I got a shock because Michael (https://michaelstoneteaching.com/about/) had passed away in 2017.
Reading about him, there was theme that resonated with me and probably many yoga teachers out there – Michael struggled with whether to reveal he had his own problems.
It’s a theme that recurs time and again. We look to a teacher for guidance. I don’t expect them to know everything, how could they? I don’t expect them to be superhuman, that they would not suffer the same problems that the rest of us in the world are faced with. Unfortunately, it’s an inner pressure that often develops on any type of teacher depending on the field they are in – where they have to appear steadfast, solid, knowledgeable on all matters, healthy, be able do all the yoga poses (Asanas), never be sick and so on. If you are a teacher and suffer from any of these issues, reach out for help. It is a self imposed condition that is plaguing you
Overall, The Inner Traditions of Yoga is a worthwhile book with deep insights. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get deeper into the philosophy behind Yoga.