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Yoga Mala
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- GenresNonfiction
156 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 6, 2020
Vinyasa yoga is typically what we think about when we think about yoga in the west. Down dog, plank and warriors. Vinyasa yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is a style of yoga taught by Pattabhi Jois who learned his practice from his guru and teacher, Krishnamacharya. Ashtanga Yoga is an absolutely exquisite but intense style of yoga based on set sequences (Primary, Intermediate, Advanced Series) that are sandwiched between sun salutations (surya namaskars) and opening and closing chants in Sanskrit.
Jois wrote Yoga Mala as a guide to Ashtanga Yoga. This edition is quite beautiful. I enjoy the cover and the feel of the book, as well as the images. If you have or are thinking of developing an Ashtanga practice, Yoga Mala should be on your bookshelf. Eddie Stern, an Ashtanga yogi, wrote the Foreword and he has also written a good and useful book about the vagus nerve called One Simple Thing.
Vinyasa yoga is a breathing and movement system based on breath retention and exhalation (pranayam), concentration gazepoints (drishti) and body locks (bandhas). Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed yoga) can trace its philosophical roots to the Raja (royal) school or branch of yoga expounded in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Patanjali lists an eight-limbed path to yoga and I am using the word 'yoga' now not to refer to asanas or physical poses but the union of mind, body and spirit, which can be awakened and felt upon mastering the mind.
Jois lists the first three limbs, yama, niyama, and pranayam before moving on to discussing the asanas in the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. Yamas and niyamas are considered moral guidelines to follow when it comes to how to treat others and the self. Pranayama refers to breathing techniques and exercises. Jois does not list out the rest of the limbs, interestingly enough. Some of the moral instructions are quite literal such as brahmacharya, the retention of vital fluid, as one of the yamas. Jois is very clear this is about not having excessive, or really any, sex, and is quite detailed about best practices for householders who have to conceive. I remember in my teacher training my teachers were very hesitant to say brahmacharya was about not having sex, instead, they interpreted it as being more aware of your creative impulses and knowing if your energy is depleted or replenished.
There are lovely black-and-white images of Jois' grandson practicing each pose. I wish the images were placed with the corresponding text during the asana portion of Yoga Mala. It is not the best reading experience to read about an asana shown five pages earlier.
For anyone who has not practiced Ashtanga Yoga, I would recommend practicing first and then reading Yoga Mala. If you were to read this without having taken an Ashtanga class, it might be confusing as much of the method and instruction is written like so "The 8th vinyasa then follows the method of the 4th vinyasa. The 9th vinyasa follows the method of the 5th vinyasa. The 10th vinyasa follows the method of the 6th" and it goes on and on like that. As Jois says, practice and all is coming. While learning from books and scriptures can help guide and point us in the right direction, we must practice in order to receive the real benefits of yoga.
Jois wrote Yoga Mala as a guide to Ashtanga Yoga. This edition is quite beautiful. I enjoy the cover and the feel of the book, as well as the images. If you have or are thinking of developing an Ashtanga practice, Yoga Mala should be on your bookshelf. Eddie Stern, an Ashtanga yogi, wrote the Foreword and he has also written a good and useful book about the vagus nerve called One Simple Thing.
Vinyasa yoga is a breathing and movement system based on breath retention and exhalation (pranayam), concentration gazepoints (drishti) and body locks (bandhas). Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed yoga) can trace its philosophical roots to the Raja (royal) school or branch of yoga expounded in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Patanjali lists an eight-limbed path to yoga and I am using the word 'yoga' now not to refer to asanas or physical poses but the union of mind, body and spirit, which can be awakened and felt upon mastering the mind.
Jois lists the first three limbs, yama, niyama, and pranayam before moving on to discussing the asanas in the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. Yamas and niyamas are considered moral guidelines to follow when it comes to how to treat others and the self. Pranayama refers to breathing techniques and exercises. Jois does not list out the rest of the limbs, interestingly enough. Some of the moral instructions are quite literal such as brahmacharya, the retention of vital fluid, as one of the yamas. Jois is very clear this is about not having excessive, or really any, sex, and is quite detailed about best practices for householders who have to conceive. I remember in my teacher training my teachers were very hesitant to say brahmacharya was about not having sex, instead, they interpreted it as being more aware of your creative impulses and knowing if your energy is depleted or replenished.
There are lovely black-and-white images of Jois' grandson practicing each pose. I wish the images were placed with the corresponding text during the asana portion of Yoga Mala. It is not the best reading experience to read about an asana shown five pages earlier.
For anyone who has not practiced Ashtanga Yoga, I would recommend practicing first and then reading Yoga Mala. If you were to read this without having taken an Ashtanga class, it might be confusing as much of the method and instruction is written like so "The 8th vinyasa then follows the method of the 4th vinyasa. The 9th vinyasa follows the method of the 5th vinyasa. The 10th vinyasa follows the method of the 6th" and it goes on and on like that. As Jois says, practice and all is coming. While learning from books and scriptures can help guide and point us in the right direction, we must practice in order to receive the real benefits of yoga.
October 24, 2019
This is one of those deep and difficult to read books when you are new to Yoga.
It is a manual of constant consulting for me. As time goes by, I grasp more and more of the knowledge that is transmitted.
It is a manual of constant consulting for me. As time goes by, I grasp more and more of the knowledge that is transmitted.
January 24, 2020
Love this translation by Eddie Stern and his simple language and useful insight into the history and nature of yoga. As for the legend Pattabhi Jois, the illustrations and the information related to each asana is very well explained.
May 31, 2020
It was nice to read about Ashtanga yoga from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’ perspective. I know I’ll be coming back to the descriptions of the individual asanas as I progress through the Primary series. Very informative.
December 30, 2020
This quick read feels like two books: a short yet thorough introduction into the limbs of yoga and a detailed instruction of yoga asanas. I personally enjoyed the beginning more. It begs the question, are practicing yoga if only practicing select limbs? Sri K. Pattabhi Jois left an impression in a short amount of time.
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October 26, 2021Perfect book to gain an understanding of Ashtanga Yoga
December 16, 2022
This short book outlines the principles of yoga,including the method, vinyasas, and benefits of individual asanas of the ashtanga yoga, along with the philosophical concepts. The author stresses the importance of systematic practice under the guidance of a guru as described here. To do yoga, one must have the zeal and devotion, and follow the method precisely.
For a present-day westerner, some of the claims written in the Scriptures may come across as unsubstantiated, based on pure assumptions and lacking scientific proof,though.
As for the layout, the book contains figures accompanying only some of the asanas. The reader thus ends up reading about an asana without an illustration or with an illustration too far behind or ahead in the text, which makes it a bit harder to visualize since the asana titles are provided only in Sanskrit,not in their English equivalents or descriptive names.
For a present-day westerner, some of the claims written in the Scriptures may come across as unsubstantiated, based on pure assumptions and lacking scientific proof,though.
As for the layout, the book contains figures accompanying only some of the asanas. The reader thus ends up reading about an asana without an illustration or with an illustration too far behind or ahead in the text, which makes it a bit harder to visualize since the asana titles are provided only in Sanskrit,not in their English equivalents or descriptive names.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews