The Heart of Yoga Developing a Personal Practice

This is a good book to own, especially if you already own a few yoga books. This book is very informative and many yogic terms and philosophies are explained clearly. In the very first chapter Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are mentioned. Chapter three discusses breathing. Chapters four and five are about asana practice (counterposes, resting between asanas, how do you practice asana, how fast, how to adjust your breathing as you practice, etc). There are sequences in this book, but you will not see a description how to practice a particular asana on its own, there is no list of the common asanas, because the book introduces you to yoga in general and from the point of view of the Yoga Sutras. (The Sutras are included in the book, as well as "thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings", as mentioned on publisher's website, (innertraditions.com). You will see many black and white photographs of Krishnamacharya and the author, performing asanas or pranayama. All of the asana seguences are drawn images. There are separate chapters on Pranayama and Bandhas. In general, this is a great book for someone who enjoys reading more about yogic phisiology and philosophy, who loves Sanskrit (the book mentions many yogic terms in Sanskrit) and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This is a thorough book on yoga and it gives a reader an understanding of what yoga is really about. Read more

Set aside time and be ready to absorb a lot of info before you pick this one up. There is a great detail of information. At times I had to set the book down and regroup, but never for too long or I'd feel like I was hanging on the edge of a cliff. This book covers the basics and beyond of yoga drawing from classical texts. My favorite part is the translated sutras / commentary. Key information that helped me take my practice to a new level. Nicely written and organized. The use of language really has of way of being direct and full of life. Almost as if my own inner guide relays sacred and personal information meant for me and others who are on a journey. Every time I review a chapter or passage, I feel like the information this go around is totally new. The Heart of Yoga is sure to be a classic. Read more

I have been practicing yoga for some years now and ordered this book to understand more about the theory and concepts that form the reason behind developing a yoga practice. I did incorporate some of the simple ideas from this book and got better results from my yoga practice. It helped me to introduce variations into my asana practice, introduce variations in breathing patterns with asanas. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the theory behind breathing patterns during asana practice, theory behind how to develop a personal practice, what are some of the precautions to consider before starting a practice etc. Read more

Most Americans think of yoga as just the physical poses. Once they get interested in the philosophy, they have a tendency to get silly about it - believing any old thing as long as it's weird and New Age-y and feel good. This book by contrast is written by a real yogi, famous in the world of yoga. It's not really so much of a "how-to" book although there is some instruction, it's more of an intro to yoga. I found it easy to read, enjoyable and informative. There is a complete translation of Patanjali's yoga sutra at the back of the book. i guess the only reason why I would not give this book 5 stars is that the title is a little misleading. I don't think a person could make a personal practice of yoga merely by reading this book. I would suggest taking a few classes at an ashram or a gym or a studio - just to get clear on the alignment, before going rogue. For a person with some prior experience, you could create a personal practice after learning the basics of sequencing and breath work from this book Read more

Classic book on yoga. Highly recommended Read more

In reading this book, I was first taken by the interview at its beginning. I began bookmarking quotes for transfer to my personal noebook (taken to each class), and soon found myself with nearly every other page bookmarked! The quotes available in this book are outstanding. And not just in the interview section. There are many interesting points Desikachar makes in his approach to asana sequencing: the importance of breath, the importance of tailoring the pose (and the sequence) to the individual, the importance of resting before engaging in a counter pose. One of my favorite quotes from this book (attributed to the Mahabharata) is “Speak the truth which is pleasant. Do not speak unpleasant truths. Do not lie, even if the lies are pleasing to the ear. That is the eternal law, the dharma.” To my mind this is much more practicable to practice than “Always tell the truth”. Another is “We can never experience our real nature if we do not expose ourselves to change”. I take this as at once being both a caution in life style, and also in becoming too comfortable in one’s yogic pursuits, including asanas and meditation. Then we get to “The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali” with Translation and Commentary by T.K.V. Desikachar. “If you tell a person who cannot find their own house that there is a pot of gold inside, they would be happier had they not had this information. What use is the gold if it cannot be found? It only causes pain. First they must find the house and enter it. Then there are many possibilities.” I take this to mean that everyone must start at the beginning…everyone must find their own house [way, path]. His views on dualism: (3.35 “The mind, which is subject to change, and the Perceiver, which is not are in proximity but are of distinct and different characters.” as opposed to Reductionism are also presented in this book. This Dualistic approach is softened later “Thus the mind serves a dual purpose. It serves the Perceiver by presenting the external to it. It also respects or presents the Perceiver to itself for its own enlightenment.” leaving open the possibility of a more Reductionist interpretation. This section of the book is the one I shall most refer to in future. Read more