Author Archive

The Art and Science of Raja Yoga

by on Saturday, December 31st, 2011

The Art and Science of Raja Yoga contains fourteen lessons in which the original yoga science emerges in all its glory-a proven system for realizing one’s spiritual destiny. Absolutely unique, this is the most comprehensive course available on yoga and meditation today. The Art and Science of Raja Yoga can be used both by beginning and long-time practitioners of yoga.

The Art and Science of Raja Yoga gives you a complete and detailed presentation of yoga postures, yoga philosophy, affirmations, meditation instruction, and breathing techniques. There are suggestions for daily yoga routines, information of proper diet, recipes, and alternative healing techniques.

The book contains fourteen lessons in which the original yoga science emerges in all of its glory-a proven system for realizing one’s spiritual destiny. This is the most comprehensive course on yoga and meditation available today, giving you a profound and intimate understanding of how to apply these age-old teachings, on a practical, as well as spiritual, day-to-day level in this modern age.

Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) is widely considered one of the world’s foremost experts on yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice. He is the author of more than 80 books that have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide and which have been translated into 24 languages. He was educated at Haverford College and Brown University.

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Yoga for Real People Jan Baker

by on Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

For anyone intimidated by crowded yoga classes, complicated textbooks, headstands, or simply touching their toes, Yoga for Real People offers a year of classes that progress from beginning to intermediate to advanced levels of practice. A down-to-earth guide for yoga teachers and students alike, this book is illustrated throughout with more than 160 photographs correctly demonstrating 100 poses. Each lesson begins with a discussion of an important yogic concept, before presenting a posture to build flexibility and strength, followed by a meditation to inspire mental relaxation and spiritual growth. As students build a routine, they learn to first “do” the postures, then “experience” the postures, and finally “become” the postures. The appendix includes a complete list of the postures along with a helpful summary of the benefits. Jan Baker’s gentle and encouraging style teaches readers how to listen to their bodies, how to stretch without strain, and, most of all, how to find joy in all things. As she writes in the introduction, “If you want to live longer, be healthier, more peaceful – yoga has the answer. How long does it take to accomplish this? That’s up to you.

Book: Yoga for Real People by Jan Baker
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Cat Yoga by Rick Tillotson

by on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

For centuries, people have practiced yoga as a means of improving the body, clearing the mind, and heightening joy. Now your favorite feline can relish the benefits of this ancient discipline with Cat Yoga . Regular practice will help your cat feel more energetic no more three hour naps in the sun for him! Other benefits include: • Improved balance • A sleek waistline • Mental clarity • Fuller, more luxurious whiskers Sixty full-color photographs of cats who have already unlocked the power of yoga guide your beloved pet on this journey, paving the way to enlightenment through Cat Yoga . * No cats pulled a muscle, felt dizzy, or were harmed in any way in the making of this book. Does Fluffy seem stiff and tense? Help him become the lithe and limber feline he was meant to be with Cat Yoga , a hands-on guide to the ancient practice of yoga for cats. From the Hardcover edition.

Book: Cat Yoga by Rick Tillotson
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The Path of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein

by on Saturday, December 10th, 2011

This overview of the essentials of Yoga is meant to both broaden and deepen the understanding of beginning students. It covers all the basic elements of this ancient discipline and philosophy of India—including Yoga poses, diet, breath control, meditation, mantras, Kundalini energy, and more. It also includes newly translated excerpts from the scriptures and pays special attention to branches of Yoga, such as Tantra, that are of great interest to Western students but are frequently misunderstood.

What topics does it cover?

It says the book covers the basic elements of this ancient discipline and philosophy of India: yoga poses, diet, breath control, meditation, mantras, Kundalini energy and more. It also includes newly translated excerpts from the scriptures and pays special attention to branches such as Tantra.

What is The Path of Yoga about?

The description calls the book an overview of the essentials of yoga that is meant to broaden and deepen the understanding of beginning students.

Who is behind The Path of Yoga?

The title credits Georg Feuerstein as the author.

Do I need experience to use it?

The description says it is meant for “beginning students”.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What are the main parts of yoga practice?

Beginners often ask what yoga actually consists of. The NCCIH guidance on yoga gives a plain answer: as practised in the United States it typically emphasizes physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation, and it comes in many styles that range from gentle to physically demanding.

A typical hatha-style class, according to the Harvard Health Publishing article on yoga, begins with breath work, moves through postures and ends with a rest. Philosophy, ethics and diet appear in the wider tradition, but a modern class may include very little of it, so look at the course description if the deeper side matters to you.

When you start, pick one style, learn the basic shapes slowly and treat discomfort as information. Check with a doctor first if you have a health condition, and tell your teacher about it.

More on this blog: Yoga Postures: An Introduction to Asanas and Styles and What Is Yoga?

Book: The Path of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Sexy Yoga by Ellen Barrett

by on Thursday, December 8th, 2011

First revealed over 2,000 years ago in the Kama Sutra, the link between yoga and sex has been generally recognized but widely ignored – until now. In Sexy Yoga, Ellen Barrett, popular author and instructor for New York’s Crunch studios, offers the modern yoga student a specific program designed to transform and heighten sexual pleasure and lovemaking. Barrett’s program includes a series of asanas (postures) that use yoga’s combination of movement, breathing, and focus to release sexual power. Sensual, erotic, and guaranteed to improve sexual performance, the poses are also designed to improve one’s ability to navigate both the physical and emotional demands of intimacy. Rooted in the rich tradition of yoga but far from an esoteric Indian practice, the program in this book is suitable for everyone from new students to experienced yoga practitioners.

Who is the author?

The title credits Ellen Barrett, who the description calls a popular author and an instructor for New York’s Crunch studios as the author.

What is Sexy Yoga about?

The description says the book offers a specific program designed to heighten sexual pleasure and lovemaking, built on a series of asanas that use movement, breathing and focus.

Does the book promise results?

The description calls the poses “guaranteed to improve sexual performance”. That is marketing wording from the description, which this page cannot confirm.

Do I need experience to use it?

According to the description, the program is “suitable for everyone from new students to experienced yoga practitioners”.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

What does yoga offer when the goal is body confidence?

Yoga is often taught as a way to feel at home in your body rather than to change its shape. The Harvard Health Publishing article on yoga notes that yoga draws attention to what the body can do right now, and that in surveys yoga practitioners were happier with their bodies and judged them less harshly. That is a sound, modest reason to roll out a mat.

A class that works on strength, balance and flexibility is ordinary exercise, so the usual guidance applies. The NCCIH page on yoga says yoga is generally considered safe for healthy people when done properly under a qualified instructor, with sprains and strains the usual injuries.

For questions about pelvic, hormonal or sexual health, speak to a doctor rather than relying on a book.

Related on this blog: Yoga Postures: An Introduction to Asanas and Styles and What Is Yoga?

Book: Sexy Yoga by Ellen Barrett
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