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The complete illustrated book of yoga
Since 1960, more than 1 million people have used this classic guide to tap the incredible power of yoga. The attractive new edition, in a new size, will appeal to a wide audience of contemporary yoga students.
411 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
161 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
About the author
Vishnu-Devananda
13 books18 followersVishnudevananda Saraswati (31 December 1927 – 9 November 1993) was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams. He established the Sivananda Yoga Teachers' Training Course, one of the first yoga teacher training programs in the West. His books The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga (1960) and Meditation and Mantras (1978) established him as an authority on Hatha and Raja yoga. Vishnudevananda was an activist who rode in several "peace flights" over places of conflict, including the Berlin Wall prior to German reunification.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 2, 2019
One of the best popular books on yoga
This book was my first yoga book; as such it is close to my heart. I read it (in another edition) in 1974 and used it as a guide to my practice for many years thereafter. It is not, of course, "complete." No "complete book of" ever is. That is a publisher's fiction. It is however, very thorough in presenting the yoga of Patanjali and the classical Hatha Yoga Pradipika to the English speaking reader. Much of the book is devoted to asana, highlighted by 146 photos of demonstration by an unidentified young man, who is as good as, if not better than (if that is possible), the accomplished and illustrious B. K. S. Iyengar in showing the sort of suppleness and precision that can achieved. The photos really are extraordinary. There is an excellent and lengthy chapter on pranayama and several on the philosophy and spiritual aspects of yoga. Consequently this goes beyond hatha yoga and becomes a treatise on raja yoga, the so-called "king's yoga" or "ashtanga yoga," or "eight-limbed" yoga--the yoga codified and outlined by Patanjali about eighteen hundred years ago. Raja yoga, which is a continuation of hatha yoga, is to be distinguished from the three other yogas of the ancients, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga, respectively the yogas of selfless action, devotion, and knowledge. (There is also tantric yoga, the so-called "left-handed path," the beginnings of which are lost in antiquity. Following the example of the Bhagavad Gita, tantric yoga is not mentioned in this book.) Raja yoga is sometimes called "the science of mental control," as it is here on page 220.
There are many experts on asana; and there are many academics whose knowledge of yoga and yoga culture is extensive. But there are few public teachers of yoga who have mastered all aspects of yoga and can be said to be truly accomplished. Vishnu-devananda is one of them, that is clear from this book. B. K. S. Iyengar is another. I have read nearly a hundred books on yoga in English, and I would not be able to identify more than a handful of other authors as "siddhas," or "accomplished ones." Usually, a yogi who realizes samadhi ceases to be a public person. It is only the few--perhaps taking their inspiration from the Buddha, who returned from bliss to instruct humankind--that actually take the trouble to write books. I believe that Vishnu-devananda may be one of them. Certainly the knowledge and wisdom emanating from these pages suggests as much. Incidentally, "Vishnu" is one of the deities of Hinduism ("the Preserver"); a "deva" is a personal divine (such as Krishna, a manifestation of Vishnu); and "ananda" is bliss itself.
Yoga, fully realized, is a mystical and religious practice--be sure and understand that it is a practice: mere knowledge will not be efficacious. Its ultimate purpose is the realization of the Absolute, or to be joined with the Ineffable, or to live continually in the state of samadhi (three ways of saying what is essentially the same thing). Nonetheless, physical health and well-being can be gotten along the way (indeed they are prerequisites to samadhi), and sufficient in themselves as reasons for taking up the practice.
One of the auxiliary strengths of this book is in its presentation of the Vedic and Hindu viewpoint through the study and practice of yoga. Swami Vishnu-devananda reveals himself here as an accomplished jnana yogi as well as a master of raja yoga. While I do not agree with everything written here, and could easily point to some exaggerations (hyperbole, of course, is part of the tradition of yogic literature, fulfilling an "intentional" purpose) as well as to some ideas that are perhaps more central to Hinduism than to yoga itself, I nonetheless believe that what Vishnu-devananda writes is wise and measured and worth careful study. I don't think one can really understand yoga or appreciate its place in our world without not only a long practice but also a concomitant study of its origins and historical development in the Hindu, Buddhist, Tantric, Jainist and other traditions. This book is an excellent beginning.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)”
This book was my first yoga book; as such it is close to my heart. I read it (in another edition) in 1974 and used it as a guide to my practice for many years thereafter. It is not, of course, "complete." No "complete book of" ever is. That is a publisher's fiction. It is however, very thorough in presenting the yoga of Patanjali and the classical Hatha Yoga Pradipika to the English speaking reader. Much of the book is devoted to asana, highlighted by 146 photos of demonstration by an unidentified young man, who is as good as, if not better than (if that is possible), the accomplished and illustrious B. K. S. Iyengar in showing the sort of suppleness and precision that can achieved. The photos really are extraordinary. There is an excellent and lengthy chapter on pranayama and several on the philosophy and spiritual aspects of yoga. Consequently this goes beyond hatha yoga and becomes a treatise on raja yoga, the so-called "king's yoga" or "ashtanga yoga," or "eight-limbed" yoga--the yoga codified and outlined by Patanjali about eighteen hundred years ago. Raja yoga, which is a continuation of hatha yoga, is to be distinguished from the three other yogas of the ancients, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga, respectively the yogas of selfless action, devotion, and knowledge. (There is also tantric yoga, the so-called "left-handed path," the beginnings of which are lost in antiquity. Following the example of the Bhagavad Gita, tantric yoga is not mentioned in this book.) Raja yoga is sometimes called "the science of mental control," as it is here on page 220.
There are many experts on asana; and there are many academics whose knowledge of yoga and yoga culture is extensive. But there are few public teachers of yoga who have mastered all aspects of yoga and can be said to be truly accomplished. Vishnu-devananda is one of them, that is clear from this book. B. K. S. Iyengar is another. I have read nearly a hundred books on yoga in English, and I would not be able to identify more than a handful of other authors as "siddhas," or "accomplished ones." Usually, a yogi who realizes samadhi ceases to be a public person. It is only the few--perhaps taking their inspiration from the Buddha, who returned from bliss to instruct humankind--that actually take the trouble to write books. I believe that Vishnu-devananda may be one of them. Certainly the knowledge and wisdom emanating from these pages suggests as much. Incidentally, "Vishnu" is one of the deities of Hinduism ("the Preserver"); a "deva" is a personal divine (such as Krishna, a manifestation of Vishnu); and "ananda" is bliss itself.
Yoga, fully realized, is a mystical and religious practice--be sure and understand that it is a practice: mere knowledge will not be efficacious. Its ultimate purpose is the realization of the Absolute, or to be joined with the Ineffable, or to live continually in the state of samadhi (three ways of saying what is essentially the same thing). Nonetheless, physical health and well-being can be gotten along the way (indeed they are prerequisites to samadhi), and sufficient in themselves as reasons for taking up the practice.
One of the auxiliary strengths of this book is in its presentation of the Vedic and Hindu viewpoint through the study and practice of yoga. Swami Vishnu-devananda reveals himself here as an accomplished jnana yogi as well as a master of raja yoga. While I do not agree with everything written here, and could easily point to some exaggerations (hyperbole, of course, is part of the tradition of yogic literature, fulfilling an "intentional" purpose) as well as to some ideas that are perhaps more central to Hinduism than to yoga itself, I nonetheless believe that what Vishnu-devananda writes is wise and measured and worth careful study. I don't think one can really understand yoga or appreciate its place in our world without not only a long practice but also a concomitant study of its origins and historical development in the Hindu, Buddhist, Tantric, Jainist and other traditions. This book is an excellent beginning.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)”
February 23, 2011
I have owned this book for around 40 years and continue to view it as the "Bible" for yoga practitioners. It covers a multitude of items, including the philosophy of this ancient discipline, to complete details in acheiving postures, as well as complete illustrations. The value for me, because I have done yoga for so long, is these asanas are
classic and do not involve the use of props or support. Many of those postures are beyond my current ability, but it is good to view photos of those who have such flexibility.
classic and do not involve the use of props or support. Many of those postures are beyond my current ability, but it is good to view photos of those who have such flexibility.
May 26, 2021
I can’t get my head around the indifference to science in the yoga community, particularly when it comes to the functioning of the human body. You might think that yoga teachers would be fascinated by human biochemistry and biomechanics. You might think that our commitment to satya would extend beyond just telling the truth to seeking it. You might think that we could let go of obsolete understandings like the “winds of prana,” replacing them with the infinitely more profound, interesting and useful understandings of cellular respiration, to take one example. The ancient sages did remarkably well, but we have organic chemistry now.
I like the pictures in this book. I was tempted to give it an extra star for that reason. I agree with its nutrition advice. But this book is mostly junk science. (I should have quit reading after the paragraph about how a nineteenth-century scientist created insects by heating rocks.) These days it is especially important to stop disseminating false information. We can do better.
I like the pictures in this book. I was tempted to give it an extra star for that reason. I agree with its nutrition advice. But this book is mostly junk science. (I should have quit reading after the paragraph about how a nineteenth-century scientist created insects by heating rocks.) These days it is especially important to stop disseminating false information. We can do better.
October 3, 2012
I happen to find this book in a thrift-store when I was 15, and I've been a moderate Yoga-practitioner since.
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu
August 10, 2013
One of best on yoga , must read atleast once to simple straight forward yet with depth regarding yoga by one of most famous authority on hath yoga " Swami Vishnudevananda".
January 9, 2023
Книгата въвежда незапознатите в йога философия, но изобщо не е написана с мисълта за начинаещите. Освен описанията на асаните, липсват каквито и да било инструкции за правилно изпълняване на позите ако човек не е достатъчно гъвкав. Което прави по-голямата част от позите и практиките за напреднали и силно напреднали. В описанията също липсва също какво да се избягва да се прави, за кого е противопоказно изпълнението и как да се коригират позите. Няма подредба по начинаещи, средно напреднали и напреднали.
В един момент дори се споменава, че снимките са показ за това на какво е способно човешкото тяло. Привкусът на самолюбието на автора изобщо не ми допада, да не говорим, че е недопустимо в духовната сфера. Критикува психолозите и философите, защото лесно се ставало такъв и нито един философ не е докоснал човешката душа. На същата страница цитира философ.
Не е посочен нито един източник за "факт", анекдотен пример, псевдо-научни и медицински изказвания, което пречи на читателя да направи адекватна справка. Е, аз разбира се, реших да си направя няколко такива справки, които тотално ми промениха мнението за достоверността на каквото и да е написано в книгата.
Първи пример: Някакъв човек живял 152 години и умрял, защото взел да яде месо и пие вино. Първо, не е бил на 152, пошегувал се е с хората като показал акта за раждане на дядо си. Умрял е защото е бил стар и с пневмнония като се е преместил в Лондон, където мръсният въдух го е довършил.
Втори пример: Смело изказване, подкрепено с "цитат" от "проучване" направено в някой знаменит университет. Сега, може да се пошегуваме, че каквото го няма в интернет, значи то не съществува. Но ако такова стабилно и значително (ground-breaking, eath-quaking, mind-shattering) проучване наистина съществува, нямаше ли още някой да го цитира? Да е качено някъде? Да има следи от него? Може наистина да го има! Но затова хората слагат източници, за да не може никой да оспори откъде е взета информацията. Защото иначе всеки може да си измисли "факти", за да си продава книгата и уроците. :)
Живеем в 21-ви век и вече не е допустимо подобно нещо. Видяхме на какво са способни гурутата, които си позволяват да използват наивните, но добродушни хора. Поставянето под въпрос на достоверността е нужно, за да се предпазят хората от шарлатани. Нито един йоги не би трябвало да е против качествените дискусии.
За да завърша с нещо поне малко позитивно - инструкциите за дихателните практики стават.
В един момент дори се споменава, че снимките са показ за това на какво е способно човешкото тяло. Привкусът на самолюбието на автора изобщо не ми допада, да не говорим, че е недопустимо в духовната сфера. Критикува психолозите и философите, защото лесно се ставало такъв и нито един философ не е докоснал човешката душа. На същата страница цитира философ.
Не е посочен нито един източник за "факт", анекдотен пример, псевдо-научни и медицински изказвания, което пречи на читателя да направи адекватна справка. Е, аз разбира се, реших да си направя няколко такива справки, които тотално ми промениха мнението за достоверността на каквото и да е написано в книгата.
Първи пример: Някакъв човек живял 152 години и умрял, защото взел да яде месо и пие вино. Първо, не е бил на 152, пошегувал се е с хората като показал акта за раждане на дядо си. Умрял е защото е бил стар и с пневмнония като се е преместил в Лондон, където мръсният въдух го е довършил.
Втори пример: Смело изказване, подкрепено с "цитат" от "проучване" направено в някой знаменит университет. Сега, може да се пошегуваме, че каквото го няма в интернет, значи то не съществува. Но ако такова стабилно и значително (ground-breaking, eath-quaking, mind-shattering) проучване наистина съществува, нямаше ли още някой да го цитира? Да е качено някъде? Да има следи от него? Може наистина да го има! Но затова хората слагат източници, за да не може никой да оспори откъде е взета информацията. Защото иначе всеки може да си измисли "факти", за да си продава книгата и уроците. :)
Живеем в 21-ви век и вече не е допустимо подобно нещо. Видяхме на какво са способни гурутата, които си позволяват да използват наивните, но добродушни хора. Поставянето под въпрос на достоверността е нужно, за да се предпазят хората от шарлатани. Нито един йоги не би трябвало да е против качествените дискусии.
За да завърша с нещо поне малко позитивно - инструкциите за дихателните практики стават.
July 7, 2019
Mind opening book with a wealth of esoteric as well as practical information. This book covers the physical and metaphysical aspects of yoga as well as the physical, mental and astral bodies. This book would require multiple readings because it is dense with metaphysical information. Further, the information must be put into action to be of use to the practitioner.
January 4, 2023
Започнах отскоро да се занимавам с йога.
Това ръководство е много полезно и оодробно обяснява филосфията на йога, основните й направления, защо е хубаво да се занимаваме с йога и практически насоки за изпълняване на асаните и техниките за дишане.
Страхотна книга. Ще ми помогне много в практиката. Препоръчвам я на всички, занимаващи се с йога и изучаващи я и особено на начинаещите като мен.
Това ръководство е много полезно и оодробно обяснява филосфията на йога, основните й направления, защо е хубаво да се занимаваме с йога и практически насоки за изпълняване на асаните и техниките за дишане.
Страхотна книга. Ще ми помогне много в практиката. Препоръчвам я на всички, занимаващи се с йога и изучаващи я и особено на начинаещите като мен.
May 5, 2017
It was part of my required reading to earn my yoga certification. It wasn't quite as dry as a textbook and I did learn quite a bit.
June 28, 2017
Very helpful to beginners and advanced students
August 17, 2021
Not quite as thorough on the philosophy as his teacher but the hatha sections are far more in depth than Sivananda.
September 7, 2021
Not for me - too esoteric, perhaps useful if there weren't 100 other yoga books now
September 8, 2022
Geriausia skaityta knyga apie jogą.
October 3, 2016
The illustrations in this book are really helpful. I am also pleased by the pranayama details. The chakra meditations, though, are unusual. The colors are not those I've seen in nearly every other chakra description.
July 16, 2013
Definitivamente un libro muy completo y detallado sobre el yoga como método para la realización personal; abarca no sólo las cuestiones físicas (como las posturas, la alimentación y la respiración) sino también toda la base filosófica, espiritual o metafísica que sustenta al yoga. Algo que no me agradó mucho fueron las constantes referencias al cristianismo y a la biblia (no las considero necesarias para nada), pero entiendo que están ahí para servir como "puente" entre el pensamiento espiritual occidental y el oriental. En conclusión, éste un libro al que hay que regresar y consultar periódicamente y que brinda una guía excelente a todo practicante serio de yoga, particularmente de la tradición Sivananda.
April 24, 2015
This is a comprehensive and very useful yoga book, I'll get back to it every now and then for reference on poses. I really liked especially that for each pose it was mentioned the benefit. Also I recognized many of the poses from my yoga class.
June 13, 2016
Great depth of information, but too long. There were times when I read 5-6 pages and thought that they were completely unnecessary for conveying ideas and information.
Some of the science is very outdated.
Some of the science is very outdated.
July 24, 2008
This book helped to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the yoga practice. It's a classic that I'll keep on my bookshelf forever to reference as needed
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September 19, 2008Best and most in-depth yoga reference I've ever used. Great for the western analytical mind too.
September 30, 2013
classic!
July 2, 2010
An all time favorite!
August 2, 2011
excellent guide for yoga
March 5, 2011
Worth the price just for the picture of Swami Vishnu flossing his nasal passage.
August 24, 2012
One of the best older books on the subject of Yoga!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews