An Introduction to Yoga (Deluxe Library Edition)

'An Introduction to Yoga' by Annie Besant gives an overview of Yoga, in order to ready the student to take up, for practical purposes, the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, the chief treatise on Yoga. This book leads to the way where tranquility can be attained that can make life peaceful and healthy.
Annie Besant explains the theory of spiritual development based on the teachings of yoga. In the first lecture, 'The Nature of Yoga', Besant talks about consciousness, what is divine, and how they interrelate. The second lecture views the six Indian schools of philosophy, mostly comparing and contrasting yoga to Samkhya and Vedanta-the schools in that yoga is most closely linked. The third lecture views yoga as applied science. Finally, the fourth lecture discusses the practice of yoga. The book also contains some discussion of diet and statements on purifying the physical body.

Annie Besant (1847-1933) was a British writer, social activist, and spiritual leader who played a significant role in the Theosophical Society, a spiritual organization. Besant was born in London and grew up in a middle-class family. She became interested in social and political activism as a young woman and was a prominent advocate for women's rights, workers' rights, and Indian self-rule. In the late 19th century, Besant became interested in spiritualism and the occult, and she joined the Theosophical Society. Besant was a prolific writer and speaker on a wide range of topics, including Theosophy, Hinduism, and women's rights. She authored numerous books, including "An Introduction to Yoga," and was a popular lecturer in both Europe and India. Besant was also involved in politics and was a member of the Indian National Congress. She was instrumental in the Home Rule movement in India and was later elected as the first female president of the Indian National Congress. Overall, Annie Besant was a complex and influential figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who made significant contributions to social activism, spirituality, and political movements.