Myths of the Asanas: The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition

by Alanna Kaivalya, Arjuna van der Kooij, Shiva Rea (Foreword)

The ancient lore behind yoga “Transports us to a world where gods and goddesses, saints, and enlightened animals serve as our teachers.” —MC YogiPractitioners around the world reap the physical benefits of yoga, assuming poses frequently called by their Sanskrit names. While many know that hanumanasana is named for the deity Hanuman, few know why. But behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop’s fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is the first book to collect and retell these ancient stories. The myths behind yoga’s spiritual tradition have the power to help students of all levels realize their full potential. Meditating on the tolerance of trees while standing in tree pose can help one become more tolerant. Learning how the disfigured sage Astavakra came to be the teacher of a king can liberate us from anxieties about our external appearance and our self-imposed limitations. Marveling at Hanuman’s devotion to Ram can serve as a source of spiritual strength and determination. With more than sixty beautiful illustrations to frame the stories, Myths of the Asanas will add a new dimension to your practice and study of yoga.“Truly enhances our yogic lessons. Some of the nuances of ethics, posture, breath, and meditation can only be touched through metaphor and mythology and we thank them for taking us on this journey.” —Rodney Yee, author of Moving Toward Balance

Genres: Spirituality, Mythology, Nonfiction, Health, Religion, History

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of mythic stories drawing from Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and the asana postures that are inspired by them. Kaivalya and van der Kooij compiled a lovely book that I will use over and over again for my own practice and sharing with students.

[JoAnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three-line review: The first of four books I have to read for my yoga teacher training class, this was an easy introduction into the physical poses combined with the myths associated with yoga. I've always enjoyed myths and fairy tales, and these easy-to-read stories were new to me – though no less fantastical than Greek, Roman or Norse mythology. The book did a great job of tying each pose to its respective myth and a larger theme or lesson, so there was something applicable to take away from the reading.

[Hester]

Wat een tof boek! Bij allerlei yogahoudingen wordt in verhalende vorm de achtergrond of de bijbehorende mythe verteld, waardoor je echt beter begrijpt waar de houding voor bedoeld is. De verhalen bij b.v. matsyasana (vishouding) en bakasana (kraanvogel) zijn afwisselend vermakelijk en ontroerend. Een aanrader.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read which likely will add a dimension to my yoga practice; the book is attractively designed. 3 1/2 stars

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. I would have liked even more asanas and their myths!

[Esmé Boom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek is een geweldige verzameling van de mythen waar de asana's op zijn gebaseerd. Stylistisch is er het één en ander aan op te merken, de duiding bij elke mythe is soms wat abrupt of zou wat dieper uitgewerkt mogen worden, maar als introductie op de hindoeïstische mythen is dit een waardevol boek. Ik heb in het bijzonder genoten van het verhaal over Krishna als kind dat modder eet (Balasana, kindhouding) en van het verhaal over Matsy, de vis.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read! This book covered a good variety of yoga poses, and the stories and myths associated with them. I loved learning more about the ancient stories in the yoga tradition. This was the first time I had read/heard most of them. It takes learning about yoga poses to a deeper level. As a new yoga teacher, there is really good information for me to leverage in my sessions.

However, I wish some of the connections between the poses and the stories were clearer. I didn't feel as touched by the writing as I expected.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice yoga reference with beautiful formatting. It was interesting to learn some of the mythology behind the yoga poses, and the book is nicely organized. I liked that it was a light read, which made the material feel accessible, but some of the explanations felt a bit disjointed or surface-level and the writing was just ok. Still, I’m sure I’ll refer back to some of the stories for inspiration!

[Jennifer Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is another to assist in deepening the practice of yoga. Defining the mythic meaning behind many asanas (poses) helps to bring further awareness and meaning to our daily physical practice.

Highly recommend for all teachers and students of yoga

[Kate Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

so fun! i was given this as a birthday gift and i'm shocked at how often i open it up. i'm not completely sure of it's accuracy, but it sure is fun. :)

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there had been some worked cited or a bibliography in order to do some further research.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the myths behind some of the yoga poses! They were easy to understand and told in an interesting way.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treat yourself and get this in the physical copy. It has that amazing book smell and the pages are nice and thick. But enough about how it looks. If you like myths and do yoga, you will have fun with Myths of Asanas by Alanna Kaivalya and Arjuna van der Kooij.

This book was created for all that have ever wondered about the backstory to the asanas we practice. Myths of Asanas divides the poses into four sections, that of the yogi, gods, sages, and animals and earth, with an introduction for each section. There are 30 poses, give or take. Sometimes, 3 poses are grouped under the same header. For example, in the gods section, Hanumansana, anjaneyasana and virasana are grouped as one section. I have counted it as one.

It is an inspiring text that you will refer to again and again. I particularly loved the explanation of the chakras in wheel pose, of the crazy story behind Hanuman and warrior pose. I loved the discussion of samsara and fear of change in Dancer’s pose, of the theme of how we are entitled to action but not to the fruits of that action in Plank pose, as well as the value of healthy detachment from our external appearance in Eight Angle pose.

Highly recommend adding this to your yoga bookshelf. The only thing is, I wish there were more asanas and myths. If there is a part 2 to this, I would be all over it.

[Elisa Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vedas teach that everything is spirit. From the Vedic scriptures came yoga, tantra, Ayurveda, Hinduism, and Buddhism. A friend asked me recently what kind of mythology this book contains, and I guess you would have to call it Vedic mythology! Yes, it starts with yogic postures as the springboard… but then the legends and teachings branch out. What is at the core is something akin to Aesop’s Fables or the parables of Jesus…stories and myths used to communicate deeper meaning to those with the patience to mine them for truth. I enjoyed reading this updated and expanded edition of Myths of the Asanas.

[Knit Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce livre est découpé en plusieurs catégories :
– les postures des yogis
– les postures des dieux
– les postures des sages
– les animaux et la Terre
Pour chaque posture, il y a d’abord un dessin de celle-ci avec une introduction générale et ensuite un texte (plus ou moins long) sur le mythe dont elle est issue.
J’ai adoré découvrir le mythe derrière chaque asana, c’est clair, concis et passionnant ! C’est sûr que je relirai régulièrement ce livre, notamment pour pouvoir raconter certains passages à mes élèves.

[Reading Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fast read, that I've re-read several times. I knew most of the legends she references, but somehow I never made the connections between the characters and the asanas she lists. They are, of course, not ALL the asana in yoga. But there are plenty of common ones, and it's a lovely way to add some depth to a class, to consider the story behind the asana--the story of Hanuman's courage, driven by his love of Ram, that made him make that incredible leap. What a great story to inspire!

Not the deepest book ever, but a great and approachable read to deepen any yoga practice.

[Pili · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really loved how the connections between myths and asanas were explained, and how easy to read the language used for explaining the myths were. It is true that at times the myth devolved into more mystic/religious territory than this atheist is comfortable with, but that's just my perspective. All in all, a very interesting read!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gentle yoga teaching

reading this book is like sipping a warm cup of tea made with love. I actually csn feel how much love is flowing in between the pages. I want to remember all the wonderful stories here but I think what I will remember the most is the warmth emanating from holding and reading it.
Truly glad that I read it

[R. Kilgore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I earned my yoga teacher certification and was interested in where all the poses got their origins and names. This was a short, sweet, and fun way to begin learning the stories of the asanas and Hindu traditions in general. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to learn more about their yoga practice, or for anyone interested in the Indian culture.

[Aimee Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book! It was suggested reading for my Kid’s Yoga Teacher Training and it was wonderful! Anyone intrigued with the history and stories of yoga will enjoy this book — I’m glad to give it a place of honor among my other yoga reading. ❤️

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book that expanded my understanding of many asanas. My only criticism is the writing could've been heightened in some areas, but I enjoyed this immensely and will return to it over and over again to deepen my practice.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish they included more of the asanas I'd love to talk about and that I do more often, but this is a guide to the stories behind the asanas. Didn't love how it was organized.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book for everyone who is interested in learning The stories behind The asanas.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

[Niki Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful in all ways. It was the easiest to understand depiction of yogic myth and philosophy that I have ever read, the art is stunning and it's filled with wisdom bombs.

[Sinimalism · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a mystical stories that I always want to get back to read maybe one for evening. So much we can learn from the deepness of these stories.

[Keisha Adinkra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written! I enjoyed learning about the myths behind the asanas. I recommend reading all or some parts of the stories to your yoga students!

[Logan Streondj · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is what it claims to be, plenty of good stories in easy to understand narrative fashion conveying a variety of moral lessons. Can be good for reading to children also.

[Rachel Wrubel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! It inspired me to look more deeply into yoga myths. There were a few annoying typos that were distracting, but wonderful content.

[Magdalena Moszynska · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, inspiring bedtime read. This book can also be used as supporting material to draw ideas for themes in your yoga class.