A note on Philosophy

If Philosophy is “the love of wisdom,” and can be understood as the pursuit to understand the truth about oneself, the world we live in, and our relationship to ourselves and one another, I do not believe that such an understanding of philosophy can be confined to any particular geography. As a PhD student in Philosophy, I was always taught that philosophy started in ancient Greece and developed in Western Europe. Whatever exposure I had to Indian or yogic philosophy came from the teachings of my Indian grandfather and parents. I’ve always been uncomfortable with the idea that there is a defined “Western” philosophy and a defined “Eastern” philosophy. Of course, there are certain distinctions that can be made between, for example, Abrahamic and Dharmic religions, but the East and West have always been in constant communication. Trade and conquest enabled a flow of ideas.

The purpose of this newsletter is not to regurgitate the philosophy and history that I learned in yoga teacher training. Instead, I will be writing about philosophy as a philosopher who also happens to be a yoga teacher. I will bring in other philosophical traditions, as well as historical events that have helped shape the way we think and practice today. One of the most important things that I always like to remind myself of is the value of being able to think independently. I don’t live by what is written in any particular book, or what is said by any particular guru. I believe we need to find our own paths and learn our own lessons. Philosophy does not only exist in a book, it exists in the why, the why we think the way we think, the why we choose what we choose.

I want to bring you a fresh take, and I hope you will come on this journey with me.