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[SOVIET SAMIZDAT OF THE NEW THOUGHT BOOK] Hatha Yoga

[Atkinson, W.] Ramacharaka

Item #1831

N.p., [1960s]. 32, 32-46 pp. 19,5x20 cm. In contemporary wrappers fastened with staples, with title glued. Wrappers and first leaf faded, tears of covers and spine, with small fragments of edges lost, otherwise very good internally. Due to a typist’s misprint, two pages were numbered as 32nd.

Extremely rare.
This Soviet self-published edition includes selected excerpts from a Russian translation released in the pre-revolutionary period. The copy contains a reduced version of the book ‘Hatha Yoga or the Yogi Philosophy of Physical Well-Being’ (1904) written by occultist William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932). Being an American pioneer of the New Thought movement, William Walker Atkinson wrote about 100 books, mainly under various pseudonyms.
Atkinson started writing a series of books under the name Yogi Ramacharaka in 1903, ultimately releasing more than a dozen titles under this pseudonym. The Ramacharaka books were published by the Yogi Publication Society in Chicago and reached more people than Atkinson’s New Thought works did. In fact, all of his books on yoga are still in print today (Wikipedia).
Atkinson’s books weren’t officially published throughout the Soviet period, but Riga editions of 1920-1930s might be illegally imported and spread.
At the end, this samizdat copy contains an adapted excerpt “Ancient Egyptian Breathing Exercises” reprinted from a Polish magazine “Review” (1966, No. 1095-1996).

Price: $450.00