Q. Why were you started?
A. Most books on Yoga are not very good. Books published in the West tend to be highly repetitive introductory works churned out by publishers attempting to cash in on Yoga’s current popularity. Books published in India are often reprints of books originally published many decades ago, full of all kinds of errors, and only sporadically available. Our books have none of these shortcomings.
Q. When were you started?
A. Our first title went on sale in 2002.
Q. Why “YogaVidya.com”?
A. Yoga you know, and .com you know. Vidya is a Sanskrit word meaning wisdom, knowledge, lore, or science. So YogaVidya.com is the place to discover the wisdom of Yoga.
Q. Why “Read the Originals”?
A. Our books take you straight to the source. They’re authoritative.
Q. Are you connected with anybody else?
A. No. We are completely independent of any commercial, governmental, educational, or religious institutions.
Q. Can I have a free sample?
A. Yes! Free samples are available here.
You can also read what Dasgupta wrote about Yoga practice, Yoga meditation, the Gita and Yoga, and a second, longer piece on Yoga practice.
We also have what Danielou wrote about the technique of Yoga, the object and method of Hatha Yoga, yama and niyama, asanas, bandhas and mudras, purificatory acts, pranayama, pratyahara; dharana, dhyana, and samadhi; chakras and kundalini; and the siddhis.
Q. I liked the book. Where can I share my opinion of it?
A. Write a review for an online bookstore. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to post a review on Amazon:
1) Go to Amazon.com and search for your book’s title. Click on the link and go to your book’s page.
2) Click on the customer reviews link, located just beneath the title and author.
3) Click on the “Write a customer review” button and follow the directions.
Q. What’s the cheapest way to get your books?
A. Order directly from us, either six or more at 40% off or a complete set. You can also ask your library to add books to their shelves.
Q. I want to read your next book. How do I sign up for an alert?
A. Click here: New Book Alert
Q. I teach a course. How do I obtain desk copies?
A. Fill out and submit our Desk Copy Request Form.
Q. I teach a course. How do I incorporate your chapters into my custom textbook?
A. It’s easy! Just go to Professor’s Choice.
Q. I would like to excerpt your book(s). How do I request permission?
A. Fill out and submit our Permission Request Form.
Q. I would like to write a book for you. How do I go about it?
A. Go to Submissions.
Q. How do I contact you?
A. Go here.
Q. How did you make your web site so fast?
A. Mostly it’s our host.
Q. Why don’t your hardcovers have dust jackets?
A. A dust jacket would add well over three dollars to the price of the book. The hardcovers are bound in a durable laminate cover, so they don’t really need extra protection. Also note that online booksellers tend to show the paperback’s colorful cover image on the hardcover’s page, but the hardcovers are blue with a gold-stamped spine.
Q. Are all your books printed on acid-free paper?
A. Yes. The paper used in our books meets the requirements of the American National Standards Institute/National Information Standards Organization Permanence of Paper for Publications and Documents in Libraries and Archives, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
The paper is also uncoated, has a low brightness rating, and is elemental chlorine free—all environmentally friendly traits.