Product Overview
This is certainly one book on Yoga the serious practitioner or teacher of Yoga should be in possession of. It is perhaps the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject of Yoga and it is written by an extremely highly advanced Yogi whose personal practice is authenticated by the scriptures and all known classics. The annals of spiritual literature will long remain embellished by this truly extraordinary work. For clarity of presentation the book is presented in two parts. The first part consists of fourteen chapters. It is concerned with the constituents, theory and techniques of classical Hatha Yoga. The coverage proceeds systematically through the eight limbs of Ashtang Yoga through its well known three stages. The first stage is Yam and Niyam (rules of moral codes of conduct and rules of self discipline). Next are the three constituents of Hatha Yoga, namely: Asan (postures); Pranayam (breath Control); and Pratyahar (withdrawal of the mind from the senses). Then the third stage, the three constituents of Raja Yoga: Dharana (the practice of mental focusing); Dyan (the practice of meditation); and Samadhi (the state of superconsciousness). The sequential order thus proceeds from asan , shatkriyas and bandhs to pranayam, kundalini, mudra and pratyahar and finally to dharana, dhyan and samadhi. Three chapters are devoted to pranayam and nadi shuddi, four to the very little known and esoteric areas of yoga practice, the mudras . There is an illuminating chapter on the kundalini. The second part of the book is exclusively devoted to asans or yogic postures. It consists of profusely illustrated text arranged in a standardized format laying out the techniques of execution of some 550 yoga postures, the individual postures grouped into 76 groups. 777 color photo illustrations support the textual instructions. Every posture is dealt with in a detailed, step by step technique, in each case accompanied by the appropriate regimen for breathing. Advice is given in each group as to the postures to be practiced at three levels, beginners, intermediate and advanced. The physical therapeutic and subtle benefits of each group are given. Anything of particular note in relation to any given asan is also recorded. The fact that is never lost sight of is that at the heart of it, yoga is a spiritual discipline and practice has to do more with the spiritual towards which the body and mind are but essential stepping stones. Throughout, the work is firmly anchored in its spiritual moorings and the practitioner is constantly kept aware of the nature and ultimate goal of his or her practice and of its fruits. All in all, this is the most exhaustive book ever on this subject. Its range and span are unprecedented. It covers the full gamut of yoga as delineated by the ancient texts. Perhaps no work of any known time represents over 500 yoga postures. These are only a selection from the prolific plentitude of postures that have manifested spontaneously in the course of the author s yoga sadhana and represent a lofty spiritual achievement. None but a truly accomplished practitioner knows this uncharted territory. The mudra is a product of spontaneous yoga and is seldom ever mentioned let alone taught, and some among these are the pinnacles of yoga practice. The reader will find here what has never before been revealed by a realized master in such depth and detail the secrets of the kundalini and the great liberating mudras. His revelations of the khechari mudra must rank as unprecedented and unique. All that the world has known about it can only be read in the Scriptures and ancient yoga texts. But this author has attained the khechari mudra. This book is an absolute must read for anyone seriously interested in yoga.
