Thomas Hettich’s Reviews > Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health > Status Update

4th and 5th asana added today (read and now in my morning routine): Extended Side Strech and Intense Chest Stretch - I cannot bring my palms together in the latter. Instead of adding many more asanas. I might put a brake on this book while I I practice these asanas first.

A third asana Virabhadrasana 2 / Warrior Pose 2

First two asanas: Tadasana / Mountain Posture and Utthita Trikonasana / Extended Triangle Pose. Even doing the simple Mountain Posture I feel my body wavering and once during Extended Triangle Pose I lost balance entirely. I will work on both.

Chapter on classic poses with explanations what to focus on and what benefits the different kind of asanas have.

Chapter Chakras describes 7 of the 11 chakras as being crucial. All are invisible and their effects can only be accessed once all eight aspects of yoga have been achieved. To achieve self-actualisation with practise you can overcome the 6 main obstacles to happiness - desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy.
Chapter The Guru and the Yogi.

Chapters 'States of Mind', 'Eight Limbs' and 'Pranayama'. I especially appreciate Eight Limbs with it's explanation of the 8 steps to attain self-realisation. The initial steps seem very basic and sound (the later are harder to understand) and I would like to add all to my B Torch app to guide people who want to go on this journey.

Note: Pranayama shouldn't be done, before asanas are mastered.

In Chapter 3, Philosophy of Yoga, many aspects are discussed so briefly that I don't give it any particular thought. (Another book which I am reading presently Upanishades allows for more reflexion and understanding of the same topics.)

Read the chapters "Benefits of Poses", "Yoga & Stress" and "Yoga & Fitness". Especially the last two chapters resonate with me - these are the insights I have had after attending yoga sessions and especially comparing these to my most recent Crossfit experiences. Yoga is calming and regenerates energy without the wear and tear of, for example, Crossfit.

The chapter 'Aims of Yoga' is more interesting: "obstacles in the path of our self-realisation indicate themselves I physical and mental indisposition". Practising yoga helps overcome the imbalance.
Soe nice bits on history, i.e. yoga sutras were compiled between 300 BC to 300 AD and describe the philosophy and practices of yoga.
The chapter 'The Way to Health' is full of hyperbole about the effects of yoga. Hmmm.

The two sections 'Yoga for Women' and 'Yoga for All' are rather repetitive, offer no scientific backing and one wonders, if this book indeed had one author. Lack of editing and lack of science makes this book seem very out-of-date.