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Summary: The Best Thing You'll Ever Do for Your Personal Practice
Review: Desikachar does and excellent job of providing an overview of yoga and adds enough depth to come away with some practical techniques. I read this book after having a fair amount of yoga experience and it really solidified my sense of direction. I would also highly recommend it for someone new to yoga because they will get a good sense of the more complete traditional yoga. It provides a context of understanding about the true goal of yoga which is not just a glorified body.
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Summary: Rich with information
Review: I have read many books on developing a serious yoga practice. However, this book is the most realistic, down-to-earth, and comprehensible out there. Desikachar believes that the practictioner of yoga should "start from where he stands." Rather than getting caught up in doctrines and dogma, cleansing rituals, and rules... Desikachar helps the modern yoga practictioner integrate their spiritual life with their mundane existence, so that the mundane becomes infused with the spiritual. It is truly a rich and inspiring book that has deepended my practice and encouraged me during my moments of doubt.
Rating:
Summary: Rich with information
Review: I have read many books on developing a serious yoga practice. However, this book is the most realistic, down-to-earth, and comprehensible out there. Desikachar believes that the practictioner of yoga should "start from where he stands." Rather than getting caught up in doctrines and dogma, cleansing rituals, and rules... Desikachar helps the modern yoga practictioner integrate their spiritual life with their mundane existence, so that the mundane becomes infused with the spiritual. It is truly a rich and inspiring book that has deepended my practice and encouraged me during my moments of doubt.
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Summary: forget the rest, this is the best!
Review: Many yoga books and classes these days overly emphasise the asana, the postures. As a consequence the idea of achieving perfect postures has become synonomous with Yoga. Desikachar lays out in simple and easy to follow writing, the idea that the postures are but one of the many tools of yoga. Furthermore he emphasises the concept of adapting the yoga to suit the individual, rather than the individual attempting to force themselves to suit the yoga. An absolutely brilliant book that demystifies asana, pranayama, and bandha, and gives an excellent account of what yoga actually is. Desikachar's approach applies to everyone no matter what 'style' of yoga you are doing. The concepts he discusses are universally applicable.
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Summary: How to understand yoga?
Review: No introduction is needed for the author (son of famous yogacharya Sri T Krishnamacharya). I got interested in yoga after reading his series of articles in Indian magazines in late 1980s. First of all, this book is not an explanation of yoga poses (I recommend Light on Yoga for that). I first bought the book thinking its another book about yoga poses. But I was wrong. This book is exactly what the title says - how to develop a personal practice. The emphasise of the book is for the practitioner to observe himself/herself and see how he/she can augment the benefits of the poses. This is an invaluable and a very important step in learning yoga. Now, everytime I read it I find it throws more light on understanding yoga. I used to do yogic poses mechanically, but now I have a different perspective. The book really makes you think about an asana and how to improve yourself to benefit from it (the term for this is viniyoga). The emphasis is on gradually learning and enjoying each pose instead of hurrying to accomplish some asana. There are several tips for maximizing the benefits of asanas - for eg counterposes, developing breathing techniques by observing oneself etc. The explanation is lucid, the writing is so simple and effective. Several common questions are answered in Q&A format which is very helpful. The second part of the book contains Patanjali's yoga sutras in Sanskrit and followed by explanations in English. (Yoga sutras are the foundations of yogas in other words - the heart of yoga). The explanations are very simple and easy to understand.
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Summary: Yoga is more complex then just poses. This book shows you!
Review: This book is a great starting point for an understanding of yoga and what it really is.
Yoga is more then just poses to get skinny. Yoga is a way to make you happier, healthy, and strong.
If you start yoga in a class at a gym you will not learn as much as you could if read his book. Most yoga in the US is the non threatining version. An ex-aerobics instructor who took 20 hours of yoga teaching classes is not fit to teach the real yoga.
This book is not trying to change your religion. Hindus are not expected to do yoga. Any god of your choice (or no god) will do.
Yoga is a philosophy not a religion. This book gives you the why and the how. Holding poses is not yoga. You need this book to know why you do things in yoga. If you read this, your practice of yoga will be better and you will get 100 times more out of it.
Buy the book before you buy any other yoga book.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is outstanding in its presentation of yoga. I love it and use it 5 days a week.
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Summary: A Must Have Book for Serious Yogis and Yoginis
Review: This book is outstanding in its presentation of yoga. The book gives outstanding and in depth detail of every aspect of yoga from asana to pranayama and lifestyle to mantra. This book is not one you read from cover to cover at one sitting but rather read, digest, intregrate into your practice and reflect/journal about what you have learned before returning for more. I recommend this book to all my serious students and to fellow practioners as well. Broaden and deepen your practice with this book. You will be rewarded for your efforts. Namaste!
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Summary: Distills ancient yoga teachings to insightful fundamentals
Review: This book, for me, has been wonderful. The author's tone of voice is fully inclusive, non-judgemental, and open. It invites all people to come to know the eternal meanings through study of self through yoga. He emphasizes that the most effective way to know what is the right action for yourself, in any situation, is to follow the paths of yoga to learn more about yourself and your inherent motivations. He sees yoga as being approachable from unlimited directions. Some people will prefer pranayama (breathing) or mediation over asanas (postures) and he believes that yoga can be as unique as the yogi. In the end, all the paths of yoga lead to awareness, so it doesn't matter how you begin. As for being non-judegmental, if you smoke, for example, he would never condemn or judge you. If that is what arises truly from within you, then so it is. He would add, i'm sure, that yoga would likely make it less necessary to smoke, but that preoccupation is not his. He is razor focused on helping the reader clarify his or her own place in the universe through yoga. This book will likely help anyone take their yoga practice to a higher level.
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Summary: Best translation of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali.
Review: This is an excellent book. Be advised that this book contains an incredible bonus - the best, and most understandable translation (actually a translation/interpretation) of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali that I have ever read. After years of searching for a translation that I could actually use in my personal practice, I am very grateful to have found this one. This alone is well worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.
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