ABSTRACT
I have written An Introduction to Yoga Philosophy to reveal Yoga's appeal at the scholarly, scientific, practical, personal and popular levels. The first two parts address the needs of scholars and students whose interest lies in the theoretical aspects of Yoga. The third part dealing with Yoga's connection to health, healing and wholeness is directed at the general reader whose interests are practical in nature. At present there are close to 10 million Americans practising some form of Yoga involving physical exercises for improving bodily health, or breathing exercises for cultivating emotional control, or meditation exercises for gaining spiritual strength. The number of Yoga practitioners worldwide is also growing. What appeals to people at the grassroots level is Yoga's view of the whole person in possession of total physical, psychological and spiritual health. This is an intriguing model for the medical and humanistic sciences to imbibe during the twenty-first century and the new millennium. I have added the fourth part of the text to show that the major practical and spiritual themes of Yoga, which have enchanted human beings from all strata of society during its 2,500 year long history, are still inspirational for the likes of George Lucas in the twentieth century. Through the Star Wars films, where he presents his version of spirituality for the technological age, Lucas makes liberal use of some of the essential elements of the Yoga philosophy and themes from the Hindu epics. The incorporation of the central issues of Yoga into the Star Wars films is a clear indication that Yoga is going to be with us for a long time. This is certainly good news for seekers of spiritual health and wholeness who would be delighted to see Yoga become the favourite of humanity during the new century and the new millennium.
