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

The average rating for Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga... based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-03-06 00:00:00 Matthew Biro About a year ago, I got myself a mat (eco friendly, of course), some stretch pants (organic cotton, duh), and went to a yoga studio to investigate what this bottle-nursing, teeny-tiny-spandex-wearing, mat-bag-dangling gang of people that I observed roaming the streets of my neighborhood were up to. Now, after a year of actually sticking to a regular practice, (Insert applause here. Actually, forget that. Because, you see, I don't need that external validation. No offense.), I have discovered that yoga is the antidote to the drama in my life. Maybe you can relate? I am learning how to be a mindful, grateful, patient, disciplined, respectful and healthy human being. Seriously. One little upside down topsy-turvy epiphany at a time. Transformation. It is happening. Finally! Oh, and did I mention that my body never looked and felt better? Ooops. Oh, yeah. Yoga makes me feel strong and supple, too. Yoga makes me feel goooooood. Blissful, in fact. But, this is supposed to be a book review not a confesional memoir, right? Right. I use this book daily as a reference in my practice. As I mentioned, I've only been seriously at this for a year and I'm no expert, but of all the stuff that I've read about yoga, if I had to recommend only one book, this would be it. The introduction itself is a fascinating and thorough description of yogic philosophy. You'll also get: awe-inspiring photos, incredibly detailed instructions for performing 600 (!) poses, sequences for specific intentions, precautions, contradictions, helpful hints, and therapeutic effects. Wow-zers! That's a lot for just one little book! A book can't replace the hands-on guidance of a good teacher and the support of a community of yogis, but it can certainly inform and complement your practice. It's also good for sticking under your front-leg hip (as in ass) in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. Get used to the Sanskrit, by the way. B.K.S. translates the names at the beginning of each asana (pose) to help illustrate its nature, but then subsequently refers back to it using the traditional Sanskrit designation. Good luck. Thank you. Namaste.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-06-21 00:00:00 Tammy Stevenson I have been wanting to read Light on Yoga for a long time now, and The International Day of Yoga gave a good pretext for finally doing so. Iyengar's work is a must read for all serious practitioners. It gives perspective, and it gives direction. Even if someone is only interested in the yoga poses as a mere workout, reading about those poses, their interconnections, derivations and interlinked effects, would be of great help. However, the main value of the work is in placing the modern practice of Yoga in its proper context. A concise form of this understanding can be gained by just understanding the seven stages of Yoga as laid out by Patanjali. The Yoga poses that we normally focus on is just one of the stages of Yoga and it is not even the place to start: THE STAGES OF YOGA Patanjali helps us focus on the ends mand means of Yoga - He enumerates the means as the eight limbs or stages of Yoga for the quest of the soul. They are: 1. Yama (universal moral commandments) 2. Niyama (self purification by discipline) 3. Asana (posture) 4. Pranayama (rhythmic control of the breath) 5. Pratyahara (withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the domination of the senses and exterior objects) 6. Dharana (concentration) 7. Dhyana (meditation) 8. Samadhi (a state of super-consciousness brought about by profound meditation, in which the individual aspirant (sadhaka) becomes one with the object of his meditation - Paramatma or the Universal Spirit). Of these, the first two - Yama and Niyama - are the starting points - they control the yogi's passions and emotions and keep him in harmony with his fellow man. According to Patanjali these two stages are the prerequisites to further practice of Yoga: Without firm foundations a house cannot stand. Without the practice of the principles of yama and niyama, which lay down firm foundations of yoga, further progress is not possible. Practice of asanas without the backing of yama and niyama is mere acrobatics, according to Iyengar. Then comes the Asanas - which keep the body healthy and strong and in harmony with nature. Through them the Yogi conquers the body and renders it a fit vehicle for the soul. These first three stages are the outward quests (bahiranga sadhana). The next two stages, Pranayama and Pratyahara, teach the aspirant to regulate the breathing, and thereby control the mind. This helps to free the senses from the thraldom of the objects of desire. These two stages of Yoga are known as the inner quests (antaranga sadhana). Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi take the yogi into the innermost recesses of his soul. The yogi does not look heavenward to find God. He knows that HE is within, being known as the Antaratma (the Inner Self). The last three stages keep him in harmony with himself and his Maker. These stages are called antaratma sadhana, the quest of the soul.