Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha

Rating:
Summary: A compendium of knowledge - Essential Reading
Review: A book to read and re-read for many, many years... an amazingly concise and complete resourse for the yoga practitioner - this is an excellent textbook featuring over 400 practices.

The description of each practice are presented in a methodical and specific manner - each technique comes with set-by-step directions on the practice; breathing awareness during the practice; benefits; contra-indications; variations and so on.

The illustrations are line drawn rather than photographs: This is an advantage, as it stops the reader from over-identifying with the photo; & becoming too dispirited by comparisons to glossy photos.

If there is a drawback to the book, it's that it can be a little overwhelming - there's a lot of information here! Fortunately it's well ordered, and well presented.

Another point is that it doesn't try to replace role of a competent teacher : it's a textbook of practices rather than a specific course of instruction.

But this doesn't detract from the book at all - merely indicates the level that the book is aimed at.

If you're looking for a distillation of authentic yoga knowledge, this really is a book to have by your side.

Rating:
Summary: Asana pranayama
Review: As an Integral yoga tutor, I would recommend this book as perfect for teaching and learning. It describes class progression in a very simple way, developing sequences and postures as the book progresses into the advanced sections.

It is also a very popular book amongst the students of my beginners and improvers classes - they can directly refer to sections aimed at their ability.

I was very lucky to be given this book as a gift by a friend and would recommend it as an excellent book to introduce and cover the subject of Yoga.

Rating:
Summary: Great instructional yoga book
Review: Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, line drawings and diagrams, pp543.
Suitable for all teachers and practitioners.

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha is recognized internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals available today. This enlarged and revised edition provides clear illustrations and step by step directions which smoothly guide the practitioner through the simplest to the most advanced practices. In addition, it includes the benefits and contra-indications of each technique along with focal points and breath awareness, to deepen the benefits and experience of the practices. A therapeutic index has been included for use by doctors and yoga therapists which incorporates the findings of yoga research.

Rating:
Summary: Asana pranayama
Review: Excellent book which explains to some degree the "inner posture" with each asana discussed. Unlike most books, you can actually perform the asana from the instructions in this book alone.
Stops short of explaining the effect of the various asanas on the Doshas (in Ayurveda) but does list the benefits of the poses.
A must have book for any student of hatha yoga