YOGA and PHILOSOPHY are topics widely discussed together outside of the university classroom and in the wider community of yoga and meditation practitioners. And yet, there is a remarkable lack of research based knowledge on both. 

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Even among academics with an interest in both yoga and philosophy, the prevalent lack of serious sustained research into both results in the circulations of old myths, half truths, and orientalist stereotypes that undermine our appreciation of both yoga and philosophy.  To gain knowledge of both, one must be informed by historical research into Yoga, but also philosophical research into philosophy, according to disciplinary (yogic) considerations of philosophy. To engage in that variety of research is to be a philosopher.  At present, academia is filled with the non-philosophical inquiry into yoga and Indian philosophy (from where we learn about Yoga) , via social-scientific inter-disciplines, such as Religious Studies, or Linguistics (Sanskrit Studies, Philology). Indeed, the lack of serious, pure, philosophical research into Indian philosophy, from where we learn about Yoga, resulted in many stereotypes about Indian philosophy (such as that it is religious, mystical, or unconcerned with practical, moral and political problems), that Dr. Shyam Ranganathan (founder of Yoga Philosophy) has spent 20 years addressing. His research uncovers how these myths come about and how we can avoid such erroneous, stereotypical thinking in the future.  Such myths arise from a combination of politics and a failure of logical thinking on the part of scholars---the kind of logical thinking one learns in basic Critical Thinking classes taught by philosophers. In the end, they arise from a failure to take the yoga (discipline) of Philosophy seriously as its own autonomous means of research and knowledge. 

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Yoga Philosophy provides FREE, cutting-edge, research based knowledge and instructional material on both topics, Yoga and Philosophy, from experts.   

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Yoga Philosophy was founded by Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, a philosopher, researcher, scholar, translator, author and teacher. For more information on Dr. Ranganathan's work,  please see here. 

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He is a member of the Department of Philosophy, and York Center for Asian Research, York University, Toronto. For a selection of relevant publications, see here.