Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual—An Illustrated Guide to Personal Practice by David Swenson

This may be the only book available that presents the entire Primary and Intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by K. Pattabhi Jois.

By Richard Rosen

Ashtanga Yoga Productions; 800-684-6927

This book offers some of the best-modeled yoga we've seen in quite some time. David Swenson allots only a few pages to delineating the eight limbs (ashta-anga) and describing the respective roles of the breath, the bandhas (energy locks), drishti (gazing), the use of props, and yoga chikitsa (therapy). Then it's off to the races, with some 230 pages of awesome asanas. This may be the only book available that presents the entire Primary and Intermediate (aka First and Second) series of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by K. Pattabhi Jois, and it is a sight to behold, especially as demonstrated by Swenson. In his side angle poses, for instance, Swenson's body describes angles so true they could be used in beginning geometry textbooks; elsewhere, he skillfully models complex twists and bends with an expression of ease and even amusement on his face. The book is produced with a spiral-type binding, so it's easy to hold the book open to a particular series of photos as you attempt to emulate them. There are also some spectacular photos of Swenson and others doing beautiful poses in dramatic natural settings (above Lake Tahoe, on a ridge in Costa Rica, etc.). Some of the more advanced poses may be beyond the reach of beginners (unless they're already quite

fit and limber), but Swenson provides several less strenuous variations for many

of the poses. Besides, as he notes in his introduction, while it's ideal to study this series with a qualified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, not all of us have access to one. Short of personal study with such a teacher, Swenson's book is one of the best, most comprehensive presentations of this yogic school one could hope to find. Highly recommended for ambitious yogis—or anyone who wants to see what's possible on the other side of the horizon.

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