Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Schocken Books, 1979.
Description
The definitive work by B.K.S. Iyengar, the world's most respected yoga teacher. B.K.S. Iyengar has devoted his life to the practice and study of yoga. It was B.K.S. Iyengar's unique teaching style, bringing precision and clarity to the practice, as well as a mindset of 'yoga for all', which has made it into the worldwide phenomenon it is today. 'Light on Yoga' is widely called 'the bible of yoga' and has served as the source book for generations of yoga students around the world. It is the classic text for all serious students of yoga. * B.K.S. Iyengar's own photo-illustrated, step-by-step guides to every yoga routine.* Week-by-week development plan - with a total of 300 weeks to allow gradual progression from novice to advanced technique.* B.K.S. Iyengar's unique and inspired guide to Pranayama - yoga breathing techniques.* B.K.S. Iyengar's yoga philosophy for life and an introduction to the spiritual aspects of yoga.* Yoga sequences and asanas to help heal a range of specific illnesses and conditions.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member mlake
I own this book and keep going back to it to reread bits.
LibraryThing member michelleannlib
This is something I read in bits and pieces. It is an almost constant refernce I use for my yoga practice.
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Best for:
Anyone interested in pursuing a serious yoga practice.
In a nutshell:
Igengar provides a summary of the history of yoga, beyond what many folks consider when attending yoga classes or watching videos.
Worth quoting:
“The study of Yoga is not like work for a diploma or a university degree by
Why I chose it:
Part of my goal for 2021 is to live more of the life that I want, and building a consistent yoga practice is high on that list.
Review:
This is an interesting book. I’ve always known yoga is not just breathing and stretching, but based more in a broader way of living. As a white woman raised in the west, most of my exposure to yoga has been through Lululemon view. A way to stretch and build strength and relieve stress, without really looking at where yoga comes from. I’ve been in classes where there’s some lip service paid to it, but nothing more.
Obviously, one isn’t going to understand an entire cultural concept like yoga from reading one book. But this is a good starting place. It discusses the connection between what is going on with the body and what is going on in the mind. I’ll need to read it over a few times to understand it better, but again, a good place to start.
After the introduction, Iyengar offers instructions and photos of over 200 poses, which are quite easy to follow. He then has put together three ‘courses,’ spreading across 300 weeks (yes, you read that right). Today I started with course one, which lasts about 32 weeks. It’s been seven or eight years since I regularly practiced yoga, and I can feel it, but I can also see how this is going to work, and I’m excited about it.
Videos are definitely an easy way to start learning yoga, and I don’t think a book can fully replace that for more visual learners, but I do think this book is a great place to start.
Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it
Anyone interested in pursuing a serious yoga practice.
In a nutshell:
Igengar provides a summary of the history of yoga, beyond what many folks consider when attending yoga classes or watching videos.
Worth quoting:
“The study of Yoga is not like work for a diploma or a university degree by
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someone desiring favourable results in a stipulated time.”Why I chose it:
Part of my goal for 2021 is to live more of the life that I want, and building a consistent yoga practice is high on that list.
Review:
This is an interesting book. I’ve always known yoga is not just breathing and stretching, but based more in a broader way of living. As a white woman raised in the west, most of my exposure to yoga has been through Lululemon view. A way to stretch and build strength and relieve stress, without really looking at where yoga comes from. I’ve been in classes where there’s some lip service paid to it, but nothing more.
Obviously, one isn’t going to understand an entire cultural concept like yoga from reading one book. But this is a good starting place. It discusses the connection between what is going on with the body and what is going on in the mind. I’ll need to read it over a few times to understand it better, but again, a good place to start.
After the introduction, Iyengar offers instructions and photos of over 200 poses, which are quite easy to follow. He then has put together three ‘courses,’ spreading across 300 weeks (yes, you read that right). Today I started with course one, which lasts about 32 weeks. It’s been seven or eight years since I regularly practiced yoga, and I can feel it, but I can also see how this is going to work, and I’m excited about it.
Videos are definitely an easy way to start learning yoga, and I don’t think a book can fully replace that for more visual learners, but I do think this book is a great place to start.
Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it
Show Less
LibraryThing member herebedragons
#98, 2006
It took me a while to get through this book. It’s very dense, and I could only read a certain amount in a single sitting before I’d start feeling overloaded. He’s got lots of very interesting information about the philsophy of yoga, and of course, his descriptions/photographs of
It took me a while to get through this book. It’s very dense, and I could only read a certain amount in a single sitting before I’d start feeling overloaded. He’s got lots of very interesting information about the philsophy of yoga, and of course, his descriptions/photographs of
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asanas are considered the “Bible” of yoga. I enjoyed this book, but didn’t love it. It will stay on my shelf always, though, because I know I’ll be referring to it again and again over the years. Show Less
LibraryThing member bxhz
extremely useful; how to do asanas, the iyengar way; i've been carrying this puppy around with me since i left sf. it has good instruction and also some theory and practice plans
LibraryThing member robertf
Other yoga books are easier to use (e.g. the Dorling Kindersley "Sivananda Yoga" texts), but I find myself refering back to this text regularly over the decades - now because I want to explore some connections between Qigong and yoga.
Deservedly a classic. Excellent if you want to follow the Iyenga
Deservedly a classic. Excellent if you want to follow the Iyenga
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yoga path. Also excellent if you want to explore other paths from a different angle. Show Less
LibraryThing member meganreads
If you only read one book about the theory and practice of yoga, this should be it. I had been searching for such a book for quite a while, and at class one day my instructor read a passage from this one -- I was hooked right away. This book is very well-balanced, incorporating both philosophical
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information and minuscule details for how to work yourself into each asana. I particularly enjoy the sanskrit glossary in the back of the book, as well as the appendix with a 200 week program. I have been reading through this and marking passages as I read, and it is clearly helping to deepen my awareness and practice. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChimLibell
Fantastic and thorough review of most postures. A must for yoga practitioners and teachers!
LibraryThing member 50MinuteMermaid
I think I will always be "currently reading" this book.
LibraryThing member Tobias.Bruell
This book is mainly a large collection of descriptions of yoga exercises (asanas) with lots of illustrating pictures. It also contains a short introduction about general yoga philosophy and a short appendix with a few breathing exercises (pranayama), a collection of training courses, and a list
The descriptions of the yoga exercises are quite understandable and the pictures show that the author is really good at what he does. I use the book as a kind of reference, when looking for a new exercise.
The introduction may be bit esoteric, but the main part (which is very technical) is not influenced too much by this. More precisely, for each asana the book describes the effects that it has on the human body; and these effects seem to contain too much detail, are too assuming, or simply unfounded/esoteric.
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which tells you which asana to perform when suffering from certain illnesses.The descriptions of the yoga exercises are quite understandable and the pictures show that the author is really good at what he does. I use the book as a kind of reference, when looking for a new exercise.
The introduction may be bit esoteric, but the main part (which is very technical) is not influenced too much by this. More precisely, for each asana the book describes the effects that it has on the human body; and these effects seem to contain too much detail, are too assuming, or simply unfounded/esoteric.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DrLed
This is a how-to book that only works if you do it all. It's okay, but not wonderful.
LibraryThing member vpfluke
This is a great reference book on yoga and its asanas by the well-known BKS Iyengar. My sister and I reference to it frequently as my yoga practice is growing and we live 500 miles apart. Besides a generally good description and photos of each asana, it frequently shows the stages of difficulty.
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Some asanas are accompanied by stories about great Hindu sages or even the the gods of Hinduism. Show Less
LibraryThing member sashame
its got a huge collection of incredibly specific asanas, but thats literally all it has. no systematic overview or explanations, incredibly sparse and rote programs for progress, inconsistent and often insufficient explanations of poses