 On the book's cover, a yogi practises tapkāra āsana, the ascetic's pose. | |
| Author | James Mallinson Mark Singleton |
|---|---|
| Series | Penguin Classics |
| Subject | History of yoga |
| Genre | Anthology |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
Publication date | 2017 |
| Publication place | London, UK |
| Pages | 540 |
| OCLC | 928480104 |
Roots of Yoga is a 2017 book of commentary and translations from over 100 ancient and medieval yoga texts, mainly written in Sanskrit but including several other languages, many not previously published, about the origins of yoga including practices such as āsana, mantra, and meditation, by the scholar-practitioners James Mallinson and Mark Singleton.
Critics unanimously welcomed the book, noting that it was surprising given yoga's popularity that many of its key texts had never before been translated. They described the book as scholarly, unprecedented, and admirably unbiased, making available a wealth of material in far more accessible form than ever before, and revealing yoga to consist of many strands rather than having a single definite philosophy and interpretation.