Yoga books - what do you think of these ???

[portinfer]

HI everyone - I was looking to post this under the 'Yoga' section but didn't see one - so next I thought under 'freediving equipment' .. and settled here - anyway...

I was looking to buy some books from amazoon and have been dabbling on the fringes of yoga for a year without really getting my teeth into it.

I was going to order the Pelizzari book (Manual of Freediving) and thought why not buy a couple of books on yoga too.

I have dabbled with yoga and mainly do a twenty minute session maybe once a week - simple stuff like basic warm ups and a poor sun salutation followed by some breathing excercises like kabalabathi or the one where you suck your stomach in or some of the bandhas etc - as you can see all very unfocussed. Anyway I borrowed some books from the library but feel like buying some books now so I don't have to return them to the library (and winter is looming).

(I think I borrowed 'Astanga Yoga' by Jean Hall and a yellow covered book that was more of a novel sized book with a bit of history and illustrations of all the poses - it covered an introduction to yoga and all the different forms and historical context).

I saw these on amazon and was wondering if some of our more yogically inclined lurkers had an insight into recommending any of them.

++ The Five Tibetans : Yoga methods of Power by Christopher S. Kilham.
++ Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson
++ Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati


Maybe there are better recommendations to start out with ? I'm looking for some information on pranayama and also I am interested in practicing some positions along with practising pranayama - ideally working up to a daily routine that I can follow and develop. I am undecided on which style to start out with - hatha seems quite conventional but I am drawn to the more dynamic astanga.

Ignorance is bliss

If you have any advice then I would be most grateful.
Edward

[Fondueset]

'Ashtanga' is not to be mistaken with Patanjali's Ashtanga - or eight limbed yoga - of which Hatha was only one branch. (though the ashtangis would argue - which is in their nature)

Ashantanga as we mean it here is a form of traditional Hatha.

Nonetheless - On the plus So-called Ashtanga provides structure, clear sequencing and a progressive sense of accomplishment as well as a difficult workout. Swenson's book is good.

On the dark side -There is often - not allways - a very competitive/aggressive mentality associated with 'ashtanga' as you can see from visiting any bbs dedicated to this practice - 'ashtangis' are known for forcing their bodies to conform to the asanas - and regarding injuries as purification crises. This can be really bad if your teacher takes that approach.

The five tibetans are internal qigong-type exercises - I recall that book as being a bit light - but still a useful introduction.

BKS Iyengar's light on yoga deserves mention. Iyengar Yoga is meticulous about alignment and Iyengar himself is very good at adapting asanas for individual needs. His instructors, however, are often dogmatic and intellectual. And the approach in general tends to involve a great deal of instruction right down to the most minute details. For some people this can be suffocating and may undermine actually developing your own relationship to the practice. Something often seen, in my experience, with Iyengar instructors. Still, they are generally well-trained and good to learn asana from. His book is encyclopedic - I like it as a reference.

That said - one of the best teachers I've ever studied with was a student of Iyengar.

Personally I favor the Krishnamacharya/Desikachar lineage - Gary Craftsow has written several very good books on this approach - which favors flow and adaptation and originates with the teacher of both Iyengar and Pattabi Jois (ashtanga) - Desikachar's father - Krishnamacharya.

Pranayama is really the backbone of hatha Yoga practice - and the best book I've seen on that so far is Andre Van Lysebeth's.

My remarks are limited by my experience, and just to give a very general overview of pluses and minuses - you really have to check it out yourself.

In my opinion it is important, and most effective - to regard asanas as conscious energetic gestures - and to favor quality of attention/awareness over physical extension. The balance, of course, is a function of time, place and person.

[portinfer]

Thanks Fondue - I have ordered the Swenson book; the one called "Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha"; the Manual of freediving and "Light on Life".
I guess this is a good place to start.
I also found a video on the web that shows a guy doing pranayama excercises (he is in an orange robe and has long hair and a long beard with a guy on either side in white robes - in India - by the side of a river - not sure of the name but very useful to see the pace that they are doing the excercises like kapalabhati - hard to see in a book.)

I was planning on building on this foundation and then hopefully progressing - so if you have any recommendations let me know Cheers Ed

[robbyzuniga]

I'd say go to www.umaatantra.com you can buy some videos with Tao doing some alternate nostril breathing, or nadi shodana and some kapalabhati. He also has a cool video of bandhas that I haven't bought yet because I need some extra cash. I personally met Tao here in Miami where I live and Santiago and they are very very good.

Eric Fattah once also recomended me: "The path of fire and light" by Swami Rama. Although is advanced yoga I think it explains alternate nostril breathing for any freediver, much better than any other book I've read. Hope this helps.

Roberto

[2A1GPS]

If you are really looking for introduction to Yoga and Pranayama I would recommend 3 books of Andre Van Lysebeth, to my opinion the most efficient teacher (threw books...) for occidental spirits. As well these are an excellent books for people searching for techniques more than spirituality (as a first step...):

Start with "Yoga Self Taught" you will find an introduction to basic Asanas and learn a very detailed sequences, pictures and texts.
Than you could upgrade your knowledge with "I improve my yoga" (the title in French is "Je perfectionne mon yoga", hard to find...)
At the end, the pranayama introduction with "Pranayama, the yoga of breathing" ("Pranayama la dynamique du souffle").

Those 3 books are translated in many languages.

A

[Fondueset]

Van Lysebeth actually mentions the dive reflex in his pranayama book - which is one of the most practical I've seen. Most contemporary Yoga books replace 'Gross to Subtle' progression with 'Gross to more detail' and statements like 'just keep practicing and all will come'.

Swami Rama is definitely one of the heavyweights.

In asana practice quality of attention is much more important than dramatic physical accomplishments. Observe the very simply yet powerful postures used in Qigong.

One thing though - Van Lysebeth is wrong about the lemmings

[portinfer]

Well I have received the following :

++ Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson
++ Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
++ Light on Yoga by Iyengar

(++ Manual of Freediving by Pelizzari)

First impressions are that the orange book (Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha) is a good comprehensive primer for yoga in general. Seems to be from the Bihar school of yoga. The text is easy to read and pitched at the right level (for me - I have read a bit so it is interesting enough to follow but not too esoteric nor specific for me to get confused).

Seems to be a progressive practical guide and hopefully it will compliment other books and help me build a good foundation.

The ring bound book (Astanga/Swenson) seems good too - I have not delved too deeply into it but like that it is ring bound and it seems to have good pictures and relevant text... more later.

The Iyengar book has been reviewed on another thread and seems to be a good read on the why's behind yoga. Have yet to read it...

The Pelizzari book seems to be clear and comprehensive - looking forward to reading more !

Who knows maybe it will help me to reach a slightly deeper depth this spring

Anyway - I read in a book in the library that bhastrika can be dangerous (the author mentioned that the dangers were related to kundalini and from what others have previously mentioned this is something to take care with (I think Eric F. might have touched on the dangers of kundalini ? Can't remember...) - but I assumed that bhastrika practice was more of a purification process rather than an awakening process ? Can anyone with more experience shed some light on this ?)
Cheers
Ed

[naiad]

This is the thread where Eric F. warned of the dangers of kundalini awakening...
http://forums.deeperblue.net/forum15/thread57955.html

[samdive]

Light on Pranayama is also good if you get on with Light on Yoga

and someone will flame me for it - but honestly I found Yoga for Dummies a great place to start!

[portinfer]

Just an update on the books I ended up buying and a heads up for another one

++ Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson
I have dipped into this but didn't get on with it too well - since then I recently acquired a DVD that accompanies the book which makes things easier and will no doubt motivate me more to use this book.

++ Asana, Pranayama, Mudra & Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Read this the whole time ! Really clear and easy to use and seems progressive - I seem to start with the beginner set and keep repeating them ! Not quite got a quarter way through the book but happy with a 45 min set that sets me up for the day if I remember.

++ Light on Yoga by Iyengar
Read this and liked it alot - will re-read it this winter I think - deceptively clear ... I found myself reading it and being lulled into a sense of thinking "yeah, yeah he's said that already.." when all of a sudden you get a glimpse of something fundamental and thought provoking. Kind of a zen slap !

++ Manual of Freediving by Pelizzari
Haven't read this as much as I thought I would ... tend just to go diving when I can. I'm sure that when I have more time next year and put into practice some of the excercises it will have a beneficial impact on my diving skills.

And a heads up for this book (Amazon.co.uk: Pranayama: The Yoga of Breathing:... ) I think it has been out of print for a while and I think some people on this forum recommended it - anyway I have just ordered a copy...
Cheers
Ed