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Summary: Best Yoga Book I've Ever Read....
Review: ....and I've read alot of them.Art and Science of Raja Yoga has everything from easy beginner routines, to more advanced postures. And this book doesn't make you feel like some couch potato just because you can't do advanced pretzel poses. I also enjoyed the pranayama breathing exercises and meditation practices. I had never 'got' meditation until I began practicing some of the simple meditation techniques in this book. You can also contact the publishers of the book for followup support with your practices- everything from retreats, to other books, and more. I've never, ever heard of anything like this. Check it out!
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Summary: It is all about Raja Yoga!
Review: I was amazed at the beauty and simplicity of this text. It told me much of what I needed to know to start my journey on my Spiritual path. I felt that Swami Kriyananda's insights were clear and blended Christianity and Raja Yoga in a way that made sense to my Christian upbringing! Being rather skeptical by natural, I found the step-by-step process that Swami offers perfect for someone with a science/medical background (nursing) to gain the knowledge needed to open my heart and start on my true Path. There is even a page offering Student Support with a phone number and email address to contact someone with the questions that inevitably arise. Each unit is broken down into 'do-able' pieces. One can read through the entire book then go back at anytime or take one chapter at a time and absorb as much as necessary. I especially like the sections on Breathing (Pranayama)- offering many different techniques that can be incorporated into daily life at any time! There is also Philosophy, Meditation, Diet, Postures and Routines for every section or unit. I am not a Hatha Yoga expert but am very much the amateur! I do Hatha Yoga to open my heart, to stretch my sometimes rather stiff body, and also to prepare myself for meditation. I like the Affirmations offered by Swami for each posture (asana). They help me to go deeper into the postures, and to direct my energy into a calm and positive direction. I appreciate being able to read a book and develop my own thoughts on that subject - not having someone's beliefs shoved down my throat. I feel that the approach taken in this book offers me just that, a way to read and decide what works and what does not work for me. I really believe that this course in the Art & Science of Raja Yoga is great for everyone, beginners and those already committed to their Spiritual Path alike!
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Summary: A Truly Universal Book on Raja Yoga
Review: If you want the true teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, read the books published by Self-Realization Fellowship, the organization founded by Yogananda for the dissemination of his teachings.
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Summary: Primarily for devotees of the Swami
Review: Raja yoga--the "royal" yoga, or the "king's" yoga--is traditionally the yoga that comes after hatha yoga. In the Patanjali sutras it is sometimes associated with the limbs of yoga beginning with pratyahara (sense withdrawal) and concluding with samadhi, with the earlier limbs of yama, niyama (ethical considerations), asana (physical posture), and pranayama (breath control) understood as preparatory. However nothing in yoga is that clear cut, and some see the initial limbs of yama and niyama as part of the essential teachings of raja yoga, while others (myself included) see raja yoga as a continuation of hatha yoga and in no way separate. Swami Kriyananda (who was J. Donald Walters) presents in this book an elaborate yoga program that includes the Patanjali canon and much besides. Unfortunately (for me at least) much too much of the book is devoted to Kriyananda's personal and highly religious, mysterious, pseudo-scientific and murky ideas that are essentially extraneous to the ancient art and practice of yoga. To give you an idea of how Kriyananda's perceptions and mine differ consider this: In an "Author's Prefatory Note" Kriyananda explains why he uses "he" throughout the text instead of "he or she" or the often non-grammatical "they." He finds such usages "cumbersome" noting that he refuses to think in terms of "pants" or "skirts" when he is addressing the "human being, stripped of sexual considerations." This is fine, indeed, admirable. However on page 23 he writes, "Primitive peoples, as all men are believed to have been..." when he could have just as easily have written "...as all people are believed to have been..." I am persuaded that Kriyananda's text, which serves as the basis for what he calls "Part II of the Ananda Course in Self-Realization" is a text that he didn't want to change, perhaps for practical reasons, and found a justification for the sexist language instead. Since the text was apparently written many years ago (Sheila Rush in her Foreword, indicates on page 13 that she read it 21 years ago) and considering that Kriyananda has been teaching yoga for over fifty years, his reluctance is understandable. However other parts of the text suffer from a similarly antiquated and no longer viable view of yoga and its history. For example he speaks of the superiority of the ancients in terms of their having attained "far greater heights of knowledge than we have reached so far in our civilization." He gives as examples, "ancient, supposedly mythological, accounts of flying vehicles, even of interplanetary travel." And he refers to "an ancient manuscript in India that has survived to this day, in which the lives of many thousands, perhaps millions, of people were recorded in detail." He notes that "most of these people had not yet been born." He adds, "I found my own life accurately described--even to my correct name and birthplace--in this work, including predictions of future events that have since come to pass." (All of this on page 25.) On the following page, Kriyananda informs us that as the sun moves closer to the galactic center "mankind as a whole becomes more enlightened." In addition to this sort of unnecessary mysticism, the text is also highly religious in a way that I find inimical to the spirit of the yoga of Patanjali or the yoga of B.K.S. Iyengar, or that of the Gheranda-Samhita and the Hathayogapradipika, or that of the Katha Upanishad, or even that of the sacred Bhagavad Gita. The postures demonstrated throughout the book by a sometimes smiling adept, are captioned with what are prayerful exaltations. Above the Supta-Vajrasana (what he calls "the Spine Firm Pose") on page 265 are the words, "With calm faith, I open to Thy Light." Or on page 335 captioning Sirshasana (the headstand) are the words, "I am He! I am He! Blissful Spirit, I am He!" So be aware that this is a religious book as much as, or even more so, than it is a work on raja yoga. The religious orientation is Hindu which is understandable since it is very difficult to separate yoga from Hinduism; however Kriyananda does not try. That is not his intent. Indeed he tries to show that yoga is an integral part of other religions including Christianity. For example on page 402 he writes, "In Genesis 3:24 we read of the tree of life. The reference is to the spine." This yogic interpretation is a bit forced and typical of much of the world view presented herein. All of this is not to say that there is not much of value in this work. It is just that the insights and understanding that Kriyananda has of yoga are eclipsed by the intent of his religious message, a message primarily intended for the resident students of his Ananda Village near Nevada City, California. Instead of this book, as always I would recommend Iyengar's Light on Yoga for the serious student. And for those wanting to know more about the history and culture of yoga, I would recommend works by Georg Feuerstein and Mircea Eliade.
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Summary: A superb starting guide for yoga beginners
Review: The Art And Science Of Raja Yoga by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Waters) is an exhaustive, "user friendly", self-tutorial featuring black-and-white photographs of yoga postures, detailed descriptions of yoga philosophy and affirmations, instruction in the art of meditation and breathing techniques, chakras, chanting, prayer, fasting, energy, magnetism, and more. Of special note is the accompanying full length audio CD providing a complete accompaniment to the text. A superb starting guide for yoga beginners, with basic, easy-to-understand instructions for a better exercise regimen, improved health, and greater tranquility of the mind, The Art And Science Of Raja Yoga is strongly recommended for those new to yoga exercise and meditation techniques and practices.
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Summary: A First Rate Personal Investment w/ Big Dividends!
Review: This is a very helpful, and enlightening manual on the art of yoga - more specifically, "Raja Yoga" which is a balanced and comprehensive approach to yoga practice. Knowing very little about yoga, but wanting to blend meditation with physical exercise on my own at home, I found an old record called "Yoga for Self Awareness" by Sri Kriyananda. It's a four sided set that includes a full hour and a half of yoga postures, meditation, and chants. It was pretty easy to follow along at first, but I realized that I desired to learn more and wanted to be sure I was doing the postures correctly. I was pleasantly surprised to find "Raja Yoga" by Kriyananda (aka Donald Walters) on Amazon, and ordered it right away. The manual is divided into 14 chapters, each chapter into 7 subsets: Philosophy, Postures, Breathing, Routine, Healing, Diet, and Meditation - all treated with equal gravity, although meditation does figure prominantly throughout Raja Yoga. Yoga is rooted in religion, and so if meditation and religious sentiment don't appeal to you, you might just want to go find a local "hatha" yoga class at the YMCA, or gym. However, I will say that if you open yourself up to the basic philosophy presented here, and surrender skepticism towards Kriyananda's medical advice (which seems rather incredulous at times) you'll find yourself believing instead of doubting. The world is full of mystery (travel and see for yourself!), and to perpetually wrap oneself up in self-protective doubt is unproductive, and ultimately, harmful to spiritual (and physical) growth. Skepticism, okay; but yoga teaches one to trust, and open oneself up to incredible possibilities, and I think this lesson in itself makes Raja Yoga invaluable. I too didn't think I'd be able to do half of these postures when I first listened to the record (the cd that comes with the book is its one mediocre flaw, as it only contains an abbreviated version of the Yoga Postures record I found, along with a lecture by Kriyananda that you may or may not find inspiring. You don't need an audio supplement to do yoga, but it really helps to hear Kriyananda's magnetic voice. I suggest contacting the "student support" e-mail address provided in the introduction for records and cds). Once you begin reading and practicing you'll quickly became impressed with just how comprehensive and easy to use "The Art & Science of Raja Yoga" is. I was able to jump right in and start making yoga a part of my daily routine. Ever since doing so, I've been amazed how my health and overall mind-set has strengthened to the point that I feel more balanced, positive, and in tune with nature. You will be too - enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A First Rate Personal Investment w/ Big Dividends!
Review: This is a very helpful, and enlightening manual on the art of yoga - more specifically, "Raja Yoga" which is a balanced and comprehensive approach to yoga practice. Knowing very little about yoga, but wanting to blend meditation with physical exercise on my own at home, I found an old record called "Yoga for Self Awareness" by Sri Kriyananda. It's a four sided set that includes a full hour and a half of yoga postures, meditation, and chants. It was pretty easy to follow along at first, but I realized that I desired to learn more and wanted to be sure I was doing the postures correctly. I was pleasantly surprised to find "Raja Yoga" by Kriyananda (aka Donald Walters) on Amazon, and ordered it right away. The manual is divided into 14 chapters, each chapter into 7 subsets: Philosophy, Postures, Breathing, Routine, Healing, Diet, and Meditation - all treated with equal gravity, although meditation does figure prominantly throughout Raja Yoga. Yoga is rooted in religion, and so if meditation and religious sentiment don't appeal to you, you might just want to go find a local "hatha" yoga class at the YMCA, or gym. However, I will say that if you open yourself up to the basic philosophy presented here, and surrender skepticism towards Kriyananda's medical advice (which seems rather incredulous at times) you'll find yourself believing instead of doubting. The world is full of mystery (travel and see for yourself!), and to perpetually wrap oneself up in self-protective doubt is unproductive, and ultimately, harmful to spiritual (and physical) growth. Skepticism, okay; but yoga teaches one to trust, and open oneself up to incredible possibilities, and I think this lesson in itself makes Raja Yoga invaluable. I too didn't think I'd be able to do half of these postures when I first listened to the record (the cd that comes with the book is its one mediocre flaw, as it only contains an abbreviated version of the Yoga Postures record I found, along with a lecture by Kriyananda that you may or may not find inspiring. You don't need an audio supplement to do yoga, but it really helps to hear Kriyananda's magnetic voice. I suggest contacting the "student support" e-mail address provided in the introduction for records and cds). Once you begin reading and practicing you'll quickly became impressed with just how comprehensive and easy to use "The Art & Science of Raja Yoga" is. I was able to jump right in and start making yoga a part of my daily routine. Ever since doing so, I've been amazed how my health and overall mind-set has strengthened to the point that I feel more balanced, positive, and in tune with nature. You will be too - enjoy!
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