Light on Yoga : The Bible of Modern Yoga...

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening
Review: I learnt yoga through another teacher. I wanted to use this as a reference book. Well, as it turned out it was not a reference, but the bible. All nuances which I missed while learning are clearly mentioned. Exact details of the postures involved along with photographs are clearly shown here. This book has helped me beyond my imagination. It is also very well patterned because, it tells you what is the posture and its characteristics. The steps involved. References to related postures and ultimately, the effects and precautions. Throughout the book, he has mentioned that a guru's presence is very important. It should not be ignored. It is better to take some classes first and after that, this is the only book you will ever need. The postures are given in the sequence of easiest to the most difficult. All in all, THE BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: Where has this book been all my life?
Review: I love this book. Iyengar gives every possible detail on every posture. Not only does he tell you where each body part should go, he also tells when to pause, how to breathe, and what you're stretching or tightening or whatever. This is a great book for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

Rating:
Summary: A Bargain at Five Times the Price
Review: I own a slew of large format, glossy, full-color yoga books. If I had to choose between the lot of them and this smaller format, non-glossy, black and white book, I would toss them all and keep this book without hesitation.

The Introduction is 36 pages long and explains the basic philosophy behind B.K.S. Iyengar's yoga practice. I was very glad to see that this wasn't the usual pop, new age, "feel the white light enter your navel" kind of philosophy common to many yoga books. And of course, you can always skip the introduction entirely if you don't care about the philosophy and just want to get to the poses.

Each pose is illustrated in pictures (black and white) and explained in great detail. I have had no difficultly at all in following the instructions for the poses--an amazing feat which speaks for the clarity of the writing.

After the section of yoga poses, there is a section of instruction for pranayama. This is a section for very advanced yoga practitioners and deals with controlled breathing. Being a yoga novice, I haven't tried anything out of this section. Pictures and explanations appear to be the same in presentation as the yoga section.

The first Appendix lays out "Asana Courses," or more simply put: What Poses to Do When. This section lists each week of yoga practice from the first week to the 275th week, and lays out what poses would be appropriate for each.

The second Appendix recommends poses for specific health ailments.

This is by far the best yoga book I have ever encountered. It would be a bargain at 5 times the price. The instruction is so good, you won't miss the glossy color pages one bit. I consider this to be one of the best book purchases I've ever made.

Rating:
Summary: The authority
Review: I regard this book as the true arbiter of the correct way to perform all yoga asanas. LIGHT ON YOGA has many things going for it. First of all, Iyengar goes into great detail about the positions. I've never seen another yoga book that goes into such detail. He doesn't make any assumptions. He also gives valuable advice such as "persons over forty should not attempt this asana for the first time" for some of the asanas. (I wish I had read this book before attempting the Scorpion for the first time at age 45!) The second thing I really like about the book is that it is Iyengar, an older man, who demonstrates the postures in the hundreds of photographs, rather than a trim 30-year old woman in a leotard like 9/10ths of all other yoga books. There are zillions of books out there on yoga, many with profuse illustrations and photographs, but none of them even comes close to LIGHT ON YOGA. This is a very valuable reference book. Any person who is serious about yoga should have this book.

Rating:
Summary: The authority
Review: I regard this book as the true arbiter of the correct way to perform all yoga asanas. LIGHT ON YOGA has many things going for it. First of all, Iyengar goes into great detail about the positions. I've never seen another yoga book that goes into such detail. He doesn't make any assumptions. He also gives valuable advice such as "persons over forty should not attempt this asana for the first time" for some of the asanas. (I wish I had read this book before attempting the Scorpion for the first time at age 45!) The second thing I really like about the book is that it is Iyengar, an older man, who demonstrates the postures in the hundreds of photographs, rather than a trim 30-year old woman in a leotard like 9/10ths of all other yoga books. There are zillions of books out there on yoga, many with profuse illustrations and photographs, but none of them even comes close to LIGHT ON YOGA. This is a very valuable reference book. Any person who is serious about yoga should have this book.

Rating:
Summary: Important difference in later edition.
Review: I second all positive comments so far, but please note: the pictures are no longer all together at the end of the book; they've been well- placed throughout, in proximity to the appropriate descriptions. No more going back and forth between text and pics. A meaningful improvement to a book already so very close to perfection.

Rating:
Summary: Sequences for Yoga
Review: If you are a devoted Iyengar student, and would like to start self/home practice, the sequences at the back of this book are detailed and excellent. For a less intensive sequencing program, refer to Yoga - the Iyengar Way by Mira Metha.

Rating:
Summary: Gross
Review: If you like pictures of a bald, tubby, Indian man doing yoga poses in a speedo, this is the book for you. If you just want a simple Yoga book, look elsewhere. I bought this book for my yoga-loving fiancee for Christmas, and after looking at all the pictures and chortling at the ridiculousness of it all, we decided to return it.

Rating:
Summary: If I could have only one yoga book this would be it.
Review: If you want to know all the important yoga asana and have photographs and descriptions of them all, this is it. I would suggest you buy this book and memorize it. Mr Iyengar is a master of his art and even though this book is now quite old and the illustrations would be considered weak by modern standards, this is the one. There is nothing to beat it. I am not unbiased here. I am a certified teacher, but you did ask to see my opinion!

Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: If your budget will allow only a few books on the subject of Yoga, then this should be one of them. The reading at the beginning of the book is just as useful and informative as the pictures of the postures. I began my love for Yoga with this book. Because most of them require extreme flexibility, You won't be able to do all the postures. A close approximation suited to your own body type will do. I guarantee you will fall in love with this book as I did.