New book to chronicle history of Yoga

From the caves and forests of ancient India to the gyms, studios and village halls of the modern West, a new book unravels how the practice of Yoga reached its present-day ubiquity.

Touted to be the "first definitive history" of Yoga, "The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World" has been written by Scottish cultural historian Alistair Shearer, and will hit the stands later this month, announced publishing house Penguin Random House.

"This is not a 'how to' book -- there are already more than enough of those -- but a 'how come?' one. How come a time-honoured road to enlightenment has turned into a $25 billion-a-year wellness industry? What have the original teachings of the sages lost, or perhaps gained, while being transplanted onto foreign soil?