In short, if you're going to own one yoga book, make this the one -- its pictures are MUCH better than either "Yoga for Dummies" or the "Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga." In fact, if there's a yoga book with better photography and presentation, I haven't seen it.


Attractive, sound, and a good beginning   May 3, 2002
 60 out of 62 found this review helpful

Such is the celebrity and influence of B.K.S. Iyengar as a teacher of yoga that a book with his name in the title virtually guarantees publishing success.

This book is a fine example of the phenomenon. It is an attractive, coffee table type yoga book for the nineties written by students of Iyengar. Perhaps the most important feature is the beautiful (and non glamorous) photos that illustrate the asanas with an almost mystic power. There's some irony here because it was the photos of Iyengar himself demonstrating asana (over six hundred of them) that more than anything catapulted him to fame some years ago with his now classic Light on Yoga, which I highly recommend as an extension of this book.

Obviously this is a different sort of book, aimed at beginners, but with some depth. It is more generic in a sense as it delves only lightly into the ideas underlying yoga while concentrating on the practical. Indeed its philosophic stance is succinct, and perhaps that is best for an approach focused on the physical health aspects of yoga. One weakness is that it is a little short on pranayama, and consequently on meditation.

Iyengar does contribute a foreword, however, and his spirit is apparent throughout. Overall this is excellent of its type, reminding me of something by Richard Hittleman from some years ago.


One of my favorite yoga books   January 2, 2000
 51 out of 52 found this review helpful

This book is great for anyone who is interested in learning yoga. I have been doing yoga for a couple of years now, and this was the first yoga book that I bought. The book is well illustrated and contains more poses than any other yoga book that I have seen. Each illustration shows the correct form for each pose and also gives modifications for those who are not quite as flexible as the people in the illustrations. The book also contains a section with over 60 different yoga routines from begining levels to advanced, so you don't have to try to plan out which poses to do in what order. For those of you who are more interested in a "Power Yoga" routine, I have also found that adding a sun salutation as a transition between the standing poses in the routines adds a little more spice to the practice.


Thorough introduction to yoga poses at various levels   November 17, 2003
 38 out of 44 found this review helpful

This book provides excellent information on a wide variety of yoga poses, or asanas. Each asana is clearly illustrated and accompanied by step-by-step instructions on how to complete the pose; the information provided is detailed and straight-forward. The asasas are broken up into groups--standing poses, seated poses, etc.--and each individual pose is clearly labelled for level of difficulty, from one star (beginners) to four stars (advanced). At the end of the book, suggestions for various yoga practices are provided based on the the four levels of difficulty.

Although the information contained in this book is exemplary, there are several reasons why I do not feel it would be appropriate for beginners. First of all, I found the tone to be somewhat snobbish at times, such as when it suggested that if you have difficulties in a pose, you might need to go to a yoga teacher for "correction." Secondly, I have been practicing yoga for two years, and many of the poses labeled as either appropriate for "beginners" or "general practice" are still quite challenging to me. Third, throughout the book, poses are referred to by their traditional Indian names rather than the common names which are used today--ie, Tadasena rather than Mountain Pose. This is not a problem when you're looking at the actual pose, but the practices at the end of the book refer to the Indian name only and without photographs, which necessitates flipping back and forth through the book in order to attempt a practice. Finally, although modifications are suggested for each pose, many of these are not illustrated, which would make it difficult for beginners to follow along.

I think this book would probably be most appropriate for intermediates looking to further their practice. For beginners, I would recommend Rodney Yee's "Yoga: The Poetry of the Body" as an alternate yoga book, or Patrica Walden's video "Yoga Practice for Beginners," which also closely follows the Iyengar method.


Great Book! The Second Best Book On Hatha Yoga!   November 4, 1999
 30 out of 31 found this review helpful

This is a wonderful book based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. The poses are explained in an easy-to-understand way, with large, color pictures. Highly recommended, especially for beginners who may be intimidated by Mr. Iyengar's more comprehensive book "Light On Yoga."

Buy both books. Study them daily, do the poses, and in every way your life will begin changing for the better.