Reddit mentions: The best books about yoga

No, some of it is far less esoteric than Western academic philosophy.

I'll say right off the bat, if you're looking for really practical stuff, Buddhism will offer the most plentiful options. There are a lot of smart, evangelizing Buddhists writing for westerners, who know that dense book about the theory of 'Buddha Nature' and 'Void' don't sell, but books about how to be happy do sell. Really though, better than any book, is finding a Buddhist meditation or discussion group. Every decent sized city (in America, at least) has a few. And if you're relatively new to Buddhism, I would suggest looking into what is called Theravada Buddhism, which is the oldest form of Buddhism. Later traditions of Buddhism, that Westerners are more familiar with, like Zen, Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhism, have the same core of beliefs and ideas, but with a lot of cultural "baggage" (for lack of a better) term added on top. To go along with that, I would recommend the book Early Buddhist Discourses. The Buddha, according to the earliest sources, rarely talked about theory. He would usually say things like "I decline to say that it's this way or that. Just try this meditation, or this practice, and see for yourself if it makes you happier, calmer..." I would also recommend perusing some of these lectures.

As for Daoism, the best original source, in my opinion, is Zhuangzi (Zhuang zi, Chuangtzu--lots of different spellings). His book, of the same name, is really fun to read. It's very strange, but poetic, and a lot of it is told in stories and parables. Hans Georg Mueller is a good scholar to read, but I'm not sure if any of it would be called practical. Westerners had a really weird way of interpreting Daoism for a long time; they thought that there was "philosophical daoism", which were people like Zhunagzi and Laozi (Lau Tsu...), who were contrasted with the "religious daoists", people who practiced alchemy, used the I Ching, etc. It would be like if someone walked into a church and said, "there are intellectual Christians like Aquinas and Augustine, and then there are the normal Christians who drink wine, but think it's blood, and sing at a big letter 'T' on the wall of a pointy building." Something is missing from both of those pictures. It's also rare you'll meet any practicing Daoists outside of China, so it's a little tougher to find practical resources.

As for Hinduism and Vedanta, again your best bet would be to find a good yoga group. But none of that hot yoga, Western workout stuff. Find something run by people with good training, who know the history of the discipline. A lot of serious groups will offer classes or study groups on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which are dense and a bit esoteric, but practical with commentary or a teacher. Compared to some of the Buddhism books, I find a lot of Hinduism books to be overly theoretical, and very dense. Although I'm sure there is a lot of good stuff out there.

I'll try and think of any other good practical books on Eastern stuff. Keep in mind too that most professors are happy to answer emails from interested non-specialists. If there are any universities near you, look for Asian philosophy classes or even Asian Studies departments, and check out the faculty. You might find someone who could recommend you some really good stuff.

Hope that helps, good luck!

I would just like to add something. Here is a copy paste of a comment I made before:

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The book/course for you depends on what side of meditation you are coming from, but if you really want to take meditation seriously and are determined to go by a systematic course, then I can give you the absolute best book to get: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya. This book is by far the best course/instructions/information on yoga. There is nothing it does not cover. You can get a hundred different books on various yoga paths, such as raja yoga, bhakti yoga, hatha yoga, etc etc, but everything you can find right here. It will cover the Buddhism as well. You will learn everything you need to know, and it slowly but surely teaches everything in a precise order, little by little, gradually introducing more advance meditation techniques, including Kriya yoga. But yoga isn't just about meditation of course, it's about how to lead a balanced, fulfilling life.

The book is basically compiled with the intention that the teacher is right in front of you. You can go through one lesson a week, or one lesson biweekly or monthly; it's up to you.

And don't be put off by a couple strange things that seem so strange to westerners. For example, the very first lesson teaches Jala neti, a good preparation for meditation that involves cleaning the nostrils with water. Be your own judge; if you don't want to do something it says, don't. (Though I would personally recommend jala neti as it has amazing effects).

Hopefully this has been of some help to you and others. Take care.

Oh, and don't be put off by the price. The book has so much information that it really is all you need. If it is really what you are looking for, it's the best long-term investment you can make. There are two in my house just in case something happens to one of them =)
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Of course, as the author himself states, nothing can replace a live guru that can teach you. However, he (a realized disciple of the realized master Swami Sivananda) has specifically made this book and practice available because he says the time has come for it; the demand Kriya yoga is high, and not everyone is able to get it straight from a guru.

This book should only be an option for you if you are very serious into getting into Yoga and on the path to self-realization; it cannot be a half-hearted attempt. I know others who have gone through much of it and the results are great.

Good luck!

First, realize that your condition is normal for any "self-aware human being". We all go through these phases. The following is based on my attempts to cope with this condition. It is a ongoing process.

The key is to understand that you have to change the mental conditioning that has led you to this stage. The mental conditioning is the sum total of experiences in the various environments that you have been in since birth.

Change your immediate social environment and the change in internal perception will follow. Next, try and change your response to environmental stimulus from the pre-learnt ones. I recently read an article which beautifully explained the relationship between external stimulus and our response to it in a given environmental context (think Pavlov's dog). The gist is that, when we encounter a new stimulus in a given environmental context our initial response is based on our reading of the context, our past experiences and inferences from those. When next we again encounter the same stimulus in the same context we often choose to use the same response. Over time pathways are laid in the brain and the tuple {environmental context, stimulus, response} becomes a conditioning. Now guess what? By just putting you in the same environmental context your brain automatically jumps to the associated response even without the stimulus. Next realize that with the power of imagination we can recreate the environmental context without being physically in it. Thus i am responding in a known way to a stimulus without the context being actually present! The same also happens to be the case when the stimulus is absent but the context is recreated! Subconsciously we pick up on the context and the preset response is triggered (bodily changes) before we notice the absence of stimulus and control ourselves. Hence the great importance of controlling thought patterns.

Start by avoiding those social situations which you know are dragging you down. Learn to be comfortable in your own company i.e. cultivate healthy solitude. Exercise and maintain health so that the body helps you to control the mind. Slow down everything so that you have a chance to regulate your perception of an event and thus modulate the response. Use imagination to play out scenarios of successful response to situations before you encounter them. This is a well-proven technique. "Faking it" is a learning mechanism, not the end goal. Thus for example if you are always walking slouched and downcast, by consciously throwing out your chest, chin up, looking people in the eyes and walking straight you are breaking the previous conditioning and reinforcing a new positive one. By imagining (i.e. currently non-existent) and asserting confidence in a subject of choice, you are building up a new neural pathway so that as you progress the real confidence substitutes the scaffolding.

Here are some books which i found useful;

1. Science of Happiness: How our brains make us happy and what we can do to get happier - Nice overall view. Backed by science and not a pep talk.
   
   
2. The Body has a Mind of its Own - The synergy between mind and body.
   
   
3. Yoga and Western Psychology - Ignore the cover (some idiot's idea of appeal). The authoress was a practicing psychiatrist who saw parallels between classical Raja Yoga and western psychology (freud, jung, all that good stuff.). This book contains an overview of both and a comparison so the cultural context does not obscure the real substance. Invaluable. Nothing religious. Focuses on how to use the techniques for a better life.
   
   
4. Discouses and Selected Writings of Epictetus - Greek/Roman Stoicism. A very practical way to regulate perception and response.
   
   

I don't know of any other books specifically for sequencing (although I'm sure they're out there!), but I can recommend a few yoga anatomy books if you're interested. Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews is extremely helpful. Ray Long also has a ton of awesome books with amazing illustrations. I have one of his yoga mat companion books (the one on arm balances and inversions) and find it a great resource to my own practice.

That is a valid concern, and I think you will learn a lot from trial and error, but here are a few general rules I've found in my studies. Don't do backbends immediately after core strengthening exercises because tightened abdominal muscles make it harder to lengthen and extend the spine. Don't alternate between sustained forward folds and backbends because that can also strain the back. In standing asanas, try to separate and not alternate between ones with externally rotated femurs/hips (i.e. Warrior II) from those with internally rotated femurs/hips (i.e. Warriors I and III) to allow a safer opening of the hips. It's better to do externally rotated ones before internally rotated to set alignment. I also like to sustain a Tadasana for a few breaths toward the beginning of my practice to get a nice grounding and focus in on proper alignment.

Edit: Also, if you haven't already, I'd also recommend reading the Yoga Sutras. Although it's not specifically related to sequencing or anatomy, it's definitely helped me to deepen my practice and is a very valuable tool.

First of all don't think of it as a kick start. More of a gradual change and transition. This does not mean to lack dedication. What got me on the path of regular yoga was a firm desire to make it the priority in my non-working life. Also, finding a studio with an encouraging community is a big help. Much of yoga is an inward practice but it helps to have an environment of people radiating positive energy outward to keep you motivated.

Much luck in your journey. I practice Ashtanga. David Swenson's practice manual is great if you can't get to a studio. Try to avoid commercialized vanilla flavored practice DVD's. The help of a skilled teacher can pick out many adjustments to your practice that can save you from needless injury. It's impossible to see yourself in a pose while you are deep in it.

If you are looking for the meditative side I think you are best served in one of the styles more rooted in the heritage of yoga (Ashtanga, Iyengar and a few others). Everyone's path is different though. Try a few styles out but never mistrust your heart when it tells you that it has found a yoga home.

EDIT: http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1332167707&sr=8-1

Kino has A LOT of great videos...this is her introducing Ashtanga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11C1021vKGU

it really depends on what kind of thing you're looking for (practice, philosophy, anatomy, fiction, etc), but here's a pile of ideas anyway.

The first book I ever got, read, and liked: Yoga Body, Buddha Mind. Some philosophy and a lot of practice. Has little stickman sequences in the back.

My Body Is A Temple: Yoga As a Path to Wholeness. Mostly philosophy, and I really like the author.

The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind. Haven't read it, but I hear it's accessible and humorous.

How Yoga Works. Pretty much covers the yoga sutras, but in fictional story form.

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness. Constantly declared one of the best hatha yoga books ever. I've read and enjoyed it, but it's been a while.

Yoga Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice. Really good book. Hard to explain quickly... theres a long description on the amazon page.

Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul. Lots of philosophy, also some sequences and poses with plenty of pictures.

There are lots of books that are considered must-reads but I think many of them can get boggy for beginners. I might suggest Light on Yoga, Light on Life, and Light on Pranayama by B.K.S. Iyengar... but they can be a little dense/overwhelming at first. However - they're dense - so they're FULL of good information.

Okay, I'm also quite new to yoga, but maybe I can give you a few pointers.

First, check out DoYogaWithMe. Super cool videos over there.

Next, consistency: you learn about your body when you listen to your body. Step on the mat, do your thing, as often as you can.

Furthermore, your boyfriend can help you by helping you correct some poses. He can see if your back is straight, for example, something which I have trouble with at times.

Lastly, I like this book. It shows form progressions, as well as beginner's variants to the poses which you can do at first.

Oh, and some encouragement: Super cool that you decided to do this. It's an amazing experience for your body. :)

Astanga Vinyasa, especially if you like the mindful, calming movements of tai chi. It's fast-paced enough to constitute a complete workout but with postures held for 5 breaths, you get some space to breathe. The standard series is to be memorized and practiced as a moving meditation. You learn the postures one at a time and the more you progress, the more you add to your repertoire. It's also really cool to "feel" your progress. You develop the strength to 'fly' through postures, which is really rewarding. Tons of free internet resources and online classes.

Initial instruction is highly recommended. Injury is totally possible if you're not doing it right. Also, it takes some clarification in terms of which side comes first, when to progress, where the vinyasas are (the flowing movements in between static postures). Once you learn the series, it's 100% portable and really is a moving meditation.

I used to run, weight train and have done different kinds of yoga but nothing has challenged me more than astanga.

The downsides: some tedium after months of practicing the same postures every day (but then again you can switch it up, or add more); a long-ish practice. A half-primary is 45 minutes, this is all I have time for most days. Full by-the-book practice is 1-1.5 hours. When you first start out, it's about 45 minutes.

YMMV but I'm off of anxiety medications, happy, have better lung capacity but with less injuries than I had when I was runner. Now that I practice every morning, I can't really justify wasting my nights away like I did before. I've built more muscle and lost more weight doing this than any other activity.

Tips, from experience: if you take it on, don't underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep and enough protein, especially if you're doing it every day. When I wasn't watching the two things, I struggled with muscle recovery and was more minor injury-prone.

Free downloads here: http://grimmly2007.blogspot.ca/p/free-downloads.html

Good book here: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Vinyasa-Yoga-Presentation-Based/dp/1569244022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317368186&sr=8-1

Cheat sheets here: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/cheat-sheets-pdf/

I love this book for understanding the physical practice
http://www.amazon.com/The-Key-Poses-Yoga-Scientific/dp/1607432390/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396563465&sr=8-2&keywords=yoga+pose+books

For the ethical/discipline base of yoga, this is a short, easy, and really helpful read. Non-harming, non-clinging, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamas-Niyamas-Exploring-Ethical-Practice/dp/0974470643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396563657&sr=1-1&keywords=the+yamas+and+niyamas+by+deborah+adele

For the pure philosophy, I'm a fan of this book on Tantra(where yoga came from). It's overwhelming the first time through, but there is so much powerful knowledge locked up in here
http://www.amazon.com/Tantra-Illuminated-Philosophy-Practice-Tradition/dp/0989761304

This is a great book on mindfullness with some applicable meditation techniques framed for the modern day, but it's all based on ancient teachings

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Inside-Yourself-Unexpected-Achieving/dp/0062116924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396563508&sr=8-1&keywords=search+inside+yourself

Also, the Chakra system is fascinating and Anodea Judith offers some guided meditations. This book is really helpful and accessible

http://www.amazon.com/Wheels-Life-Chakra-System-Llewellyns/dp/0875423205

And, diet. This book helped me shift my diet in a way that's been extremely helpful
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Taste-Heal-Ayurvedic-Cookbook-Modern-Living/dp/0976917009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396563932&sr=1-1&keywords=eat+taste+heal

These have been some of the most influential books in my practice. Hope they help!

I'm not a practicing Hindu, but I am working towards a doctorate in the history and philosophy of (among other things South Asia) Hinduism. What I can tell you for certain (well, certain to me at this point) is this:

Yoga as we see it today - we call it 'modern postural yoga' - is essentially a post-colonial phenomenon, whose postures are probably most clearly derived from earlier practices of Hatha yoga (which, as the yoga of 'force,' uses various postures to attempt to control the ebb and flow of life energies for health, longevity, and mental acquiescence). You'll be able to note if you look at Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - typically held up as the central text of Yoga philosophy - that there really isn't much about various postures (asanas) beyond a sitting meditation pose. The kind of stretching that Yoga now employs just isn't prominent at the supposed origins of yoga.

So what gives? Well, this doesn't mean that yoga wasn't a thing throughout much of the history of Hinduism, but rather that yoga has meant many, many things to the peoples of the subcontinent. This is likely a bit controversial - I can only point to Mark Singleton's excellent book Yoga Body on the subject.

If there is a through-line to all the transformations of what yoga is, I would say that it lies in the meaning of the word. Yoga derives from the verbal root *yuj, which means to yoke, as in yoking oxen to a plow, a horse to a chariot, or more simply, to join anything to anything else. This would include more spiritual notions like yoking yourself to the action of god (as in the Bhagavad Gita), yoking your mind to a pure contemplation of the self (as in Samkhya yoga), yoking and thereby controlling prana (as in Hatha yoga), etc.

The take-home (from my perspective) is this: the postures of modern yoga aren't in themselves spiritual. We 'yoke' ourselves through the yoga of attention to all kinds of things throughout every single day - reddit, work, etc. Right now I'm in the asana of the lazy couch cushion ;). But this isn't to trivialize it. When we yoke ourselves to an awareness of our own thought processes, or perhaps better to the silence within ourselves, we can quickly begin to see benefits in our daily lives, wherein we yoke ourselves to 'less noble' pursuits. We might be more patient with others, more calm in stressful situations, more open to loving interactions, or maybe just more aware of how giving something our time and attention can shape our existence. Finally, add to this that Hinduism is, or at least has been for the majority of its historical presence, essentially syncretistic. The many gods that have been brought under the umbrella of Hinduism are not so jealous. We should expect them to little mind when we 'yoke' ourselves without invoking their names.

Further reading:

I've mostly skimmed this book, but it was fascinating from what I read: https://www.amazon.com/Theories-Chakras-Bridge-Higher-Consciousness/dp/8178220237

I have not finished reading this book yet, but I was told to read it by a friend which is supposedly all about Kundalini energies: https://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Power-Secrets-Tantric-Shaktic/dp/0486230589

I'm probably more experienced with actually practicing and using subtle energies than I am well read on them. I actually discovered Kundalini on Youtube, the class I link to in the article. But lately I got a subscription to https://www.yogaglo.com/ and I've been doing a lot of Kia Miller's classes. She's probably become my favorite Kundalini instructor, and you can practice from home.

As for the substances I mention, always start low and slow and work your way up with anything. Most recommended doses can be found online with a little research, and a lot of supplements have recommended dosages. Everything I listed can be safely consumed in high doses without major side effects, but you should still use caution.

The safest substance listed is probably the MSM, which you can take in large doses up to 20grams per day, but again start low and go slow. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and even has anti-parasitic properties and will clear out your blood. Its basically sulfur which is a binder and binds to all the toxins in your body and helps excrete them. So its common to have GI symptoms in the first week or two even at low doses as it removes toxins from your body.

Iodine is also critical as most of us our iodine deficient, but again a single drop can kill bacteria and parasites especially if you are deficient so go low slow. You can take up to 50mg per day safely, but start around 2.5mg. I still only take between 5-15mg per day, even after a year I have not been able to work myself higher because it is killing something.

As for meditation, Yogaglo and https://www.gaia.com/ are both great resources but both subscriptions. I also use Headspace for my daily meditation practice, but again another subscription service. There's a new app called Oak from Kevin Rose thats available on the App Store for iOS devices which is a good free starting place.

The key to meditation is to make it a daily practice. Its kind of like working out, except in this case you're trying to relax the brain and create a state of meditation which requires daily practice. There's really no other way around it. If you stop for even a few days you could of lose it and have to start over again. You're able to get back into more quickly if you know how to do it, but its still something that requires commitment and focus. I intend to publish more about this soon and may even start doing some video content so if you want to follow me on Medium or Twitter thats always an option.

Feel free to PM for more personal questions or reply here of course as well.

Interesting the raising of yoga in the sub the last few days..

Jung had a complex view on it, he applied some form of it (I don't know the form he used or where he learned it) in his personal life, particularly when going through the process that generated the Red Book (and I can't recall right now where I've read this, but possibly via Sonu Shamdasani speaking in the Red Book footnotes or elsewhere, or, as others have mentioned it is recorded in MDR).

He didn't, afaik, recommend it to his patients though (correct me if I'm wrong), was cautious about its application in a Western context or for Westerners.

Here is a snippet (there's more) of what he says about it, as Sonu Shamdasani writes in the intro to The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga:

>Throughout his writings on Eastern thought, while Jung promoted and endorsed their study he cautioned against their practice by Westerners: “There are many different kinds of yoga and Europeans often become hypnotized by it, but it is essentially Eastern, no European has the necessary patience and it is not right for him. . . . The more we study yoga, the more we realize how far it is from us; a European can only imitate it and what he acquires by this is of no real interest.” For Jung the danger was one of mimetic madness: “The European who practices yoga does not know what he is doing. It has a bad effect upon him, sooner or later he gets afraid and sometimes it even leads him over the edge of madness.” This led him to conclude that “in the course of the centuries the West will produce its own yoga, and it will be on the basis laid down by Christianity.”

C.G. Jung, The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga., xxix-xxx. (Sonu Shamdasani)

But the world en masse, in terms of cross cultural infusion of philosophies, traditions and methods, has exploded since Jung's time and when he delivered the seminars from which the book transcription is taken (the early 1930's), so, and perhaps more significantly, the collective psyche of the world has shifted. In what ways and how is too densely complex to unpack easily or clearly in this moment, but maybe the issues that informed Jung's caution are different now?

It is a helpful discipline, is immensely powerful in reuniting disconnects of mindbody, emotion and spirit. But, if you've got a lot of 'stuff', brokenness and trauma rattling around inside it really needs to be coupled with therapy, imo. Integrating complexes and dealing with what the unconscious can bring up is precarious and delicate.

In terms of a recommendation, and to provide some context to my pov;

I was a "yogi" - I was called this by my teacher - for six disciplined and studious years under a single and singular teacher when a younger man, this guy (Edit: worth a watch OP, though long. Mark discusses some of the history of how yoga came to the West in the context of his own journey and learning it, and speaks of the opposites - albeit not through a Jungian frame. Near the end he recommends people picking up a practice on their own out of their bedrooms or lounges..).
For various reasons I don't practice it any longer.

So, after that preamble, the key text recommended when I was engaged in this practice and way was The Heart of Yoga. It's very good, and includes a translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. You can also use it to develop a deep personal practice, there are diagrams and discussion in it that elaborate on this.

Nothing beats learning one on one with a teacher, classes give you something to start with, and so does a good comprehensive book, as the above is, but its like working with Jung's psychology and model; he conducted and developed his method out of a relational dialogical context. Yoga is the same.

Ultimately we have to take up the injunction and do this stuff ourselves. Sometimes that is best alone, dedicated, sweating it out, day in day out, literally stretching and pushing ourselves to grow, to breathe into and form roots and links. At other points it requires the/an other 🙏

yea definitely, i've been dealing with this for almost 20 years, been to physical therapy twice, avoided surgery thus far. but standard disclaimer that i'm not a doctor, physical therapist, etc, etc, just a dude on the internet.

like you mentioned, i would start with posterior chain mobility. stretch your hamstrings like this or this. lower back with some cat/cow. add in some IT band stretch. don't forget about those illiopsoas!

maybe, if your back will handle it, add in some light supine twists. and, as always, planks for core and lower back strength.

regarding yoga, i would recommend just showing up to a beginner's class. teachers know that everyone's flexibility is different, and (if they're worth their salt) will offer modifications to poses, or offer props to assist with the pose. honestly, a lot of yoga classes i've attended just flow through sun a and/or sun b, which aren't too hard. maybe you could try them at home? but, be careful and modify as you see fit! with yoga, like with anything, consistency is important. i used to go once a week and didn't see much improvement. attending class more frequently, and doing some work at home, has improved my practice tremendously.

some books:

• https://www.amazon.com/Key-Muscles-Yoga-Scientific-Keys/dp/1607432382
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097070061X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Light-Yoga-Bible-Modern/dp/0805210318
  
  does this help?

I’m a beginner myself, only just over one year. If you don’t have access to a teacher, there are some really good tutorials that helped me:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gFg4o5Zg75k&list=PLpfKu0U8zxt5OEvjSidi4_srjLcwvDhQd&index=2&t=0s
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Va_P61H9IY
Purple Valley overall has loads of great tutorials.

Also, David Guarrigues: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Va_P61H9IY - Mark Darby demo shows beginner adjustments https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MghjERHHG8 - David Swenson short forms are a good when you are a bit short of time (or strength 😊) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf4mjtnSA40 (this one is 30 min - there’s a longer one too).

On that note I found David Swenson practice manual really useful https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ as well as Gregor Mahele’s one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashtanga-Yoga-Philosophy-Gregor-Maehle/dp/1577316061

It gets easier with time. Modify as needed. I still can’t do the 2 revolved ones you mention without modifying :) the important thing is the breath. Enjoy!

Yes there is! Don't try necessary copy someone who is far more experienced. Like When you can't put your head on your knees just bend them, don't try to look like that guy/gal from a video/book. Most important is your breath, not how the posture looks. There are many ways how postures can look. Look up this book (side note David Swenson practice with straight back because he has issues with his legs - he walks like a duck. But ashtanga is meant to be practiced with round back - more benefits). In that book you will find pictures of different "how to" a pose can look. Also if you can save up for like one class of mysore per month/two that would be awesome. Teacher should be there to help you if you are struggling with some postures. Now for the proper yoga breath: it is called a free breath with a sound (not ujjayi breath). You are using only your nose and try to breath into your lungs and try squeezing your butt in (like you would if you really need to go to #2 :)) there should be a sound coming from your nose (not your throat). Imagine that you are breathing directly into your lungs and try "stoping" the breath going into your stomach - your stomach should remain almost motionless. And don't worry, it takes time. Just like in meditation everytime you drift away just notice that and go back to your breath. You can practice that breath even when not practicing yoga. It will actually strengthen your meditation practice also

Ashtanga is awesome for building both strength and flexibility! You should check out David Swenson's Practice Manual: http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451489201&sr=8-1&keywords=David+Swenson
It has helped me a lot in my own practice - and he breaks it down into shorter sequences of 15, 30, 45 mins if you don't have a full 90 mins to run through the whole primary series. I hope that helps, Ashtanga is a wonderful practice. Good luck! :)

You might like the ashtanga sequence. It has a pretty good emphasis on strength and upper body compared to other styles, and it's widely popular so lots of good information is floating around. I'd recommend starting out with at least a class or two from a studio, and then you might like to check out a practice guide like Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual or The Power of Ashtanga Yoga if you prefer more or less the same thing with a woman modelling the poses. Both have lots of useful information, I refer to David Swensons book quite often for my daily practice.

> I have done a fair bit of reading on this, and I think the major thrust here is on breathing patterns.

This is something I've spent some time with over the last several months, as I've been studying much more closely with someone from the 'old school hatha' days. What I've taken from it in this short time may be 100% off base in terms of where you're coming from, but as someone that's primarily an Ashtangi that started practicing and teaching vinyasa first, and is now starting to dig deeply into Srivatsa Ramaswami's teachings, maybe my perspective will be of use as you continue to learn.

What my current teacher explained was that until he encountered Iyengar's version of hatha yoga, kumbhaka was part of his practice of hatha (something that in my experience, less than 1% realize was EVER a thing). It does seem though, based on our discussions, that it's those seated meditation postures for which it's most beneficial to achieve the 3-hour mastery as opposed to what most of us consider to be a 'full' practice.

Ashtanga stresses the breath in part as pranayama and cleansing throughout the asana practice and in fact, Manju usually only teaches 4 of the pranayamas to practitioners still able to do most of the asana practice simply because at that point, the asana practice itself is doing most of the work. As we age and our physical practice begins to shift, pranayama gains more importance.

In the context of vinyasa krama, Srivatsa Ramaswami stresses that it seems that much of what Krishnamacharya taught as a body of work is being left out and it's the smooth, and in most cases drawn out, flow of the breath with the movements that is key. He contrasts this with the speed of movement in most cases in Ashtanga specifically in one of his books. Ramaswami stresses smooth breath with the movement and smooth transitions. Here's a quote from this book - the definition of vinyasa krama in the introduction- that might provide a bit of clarity where vinyasa is concerned, emphasis mine:

> Vinyasa krama yoga is an ancient practice of physical and spiritual development. It is a systematic method to study, practice, teach, and adapt yoga. This vinyasa krama (movement and sequence methodology) approach to yogasana (yoga posture) practice is unique in all of yoga. By integrating the functions of mind, body, and breath in the same time frame, a practitioner will experience the real joy of a yoga practice. Each of the important postures (asanas) is practiced with many elaborate vinyasas (variations and movements). Each variation is linked to the next one by a succession of specific transitional movements, synchronized with the breath. The mind closely follows the slow, smooth, deliberate ujjayi yogic breathing; and the yoking of mind and body takes place with the breath acting as the harness.

He goes on to discuss prayatna sithila- smooth and long breathing- here's a snippet of a comment regarding how we're intended to move with the breath (do note this is after a bit of discussion regarding length of breath, with more that follows this):

> One should inhale for five seconds during an expansive movement (such as stretching the arms or legs or bending backward) and exhale smoothly when folding forward, turning, twisting, bending the knees, or doing similar body contractions.
>
> The smooth inhalation accompanying expansive movement is known as brahmana kriya, or expansive (breathing) action; the exhaling during contraction of the body is langhana kriya, or reducing or contracting (breathing) action. When you inhale while making an expansive movement and correspondingly exhale during contraction, this is known as anuloma or "with the grain" movement/breathing. Anuloma exercise creates harmony between the tissues of the breathing organs and the body.

All of that said, what Ramaswami communicates here seems to coincide with my understanding of coming into those hatha poses- that entry on an inhale or exhale seemed to follow similar rules. Vinyasa krama uses this continued movement to yoke mind and body as mentioned above.

Again, this is of particular interest because it's something I've gotten much more interested in recently, just from the 'other side' of the fence, so to speak. One of Ramaswami's other books is in my Amazon cart, likely to be ordered today or tomorrow, that he discusses covers more of the theory and less asana than the one linked above. I suspect that once I receive it, the first will take a backseat to the new one until I'm done w/it. https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Three-Stages-Life-Developing/dp/0892818204

My daughter (almost 4) likes Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. A British lady wears a onesie and tells stories about animals through yoga. This is probably for your 6 year old only but honestly I'm not up on what 10 year olds like! She also has Zen Den on the same channel, which are guided meditations for kids, and we love them. That should be interesting for both kids.

We also have Yoga Pretzels, which is a deck of cards with yoga positions. You can create a flow with them, and there are some yoga games. My daughter is still a bit too young for this, but even so, she's learned about five poses now and likes to do the partners yoga poses she sees on the cards.

I hear you. I like to explore philosophy with a number of teachers in the lineage; one of my favorite weekend workshops was with Harmony Slater. She’s a joy and a wealth of knowledge.

I am lucky that I get to practice with Eddie. I may be a bit biased, but I really don’t know of any other books that so succinctly ties it all together at the right level of information blending both Eastern and Western schools of thought.

Book recos:

Here is my favorite translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

I also really like this interpretation of the Yamas and Niyamas.

And my favorite Yoga Sutras.

The closest I can think of in terms of modern day explanations is the Yamas and Niyamas book by Deborah Adele. It really is a nice, practical read.

Hatha yoga (yoga based on physicality; postures, kriya, mudra) isn't actually based on Patanjalic yoga. It started as reaction against that high-minded asceticism. Have you read the Hatha Yoga Pradipika? Maybe you would find more agreement with the aims stated there.

Futhermore, the modern regime that you are no doubt doing is a melange of the few sitting asansa as described in the Hathapradipika, Harmonial and Scandinavian gymnastics, British military calisthenics, and 20th century Indian body building and wrestling techniques.

In other words, yoga (as we know it now) is already a cherry-picked form of many influences, east and west, spiritual and physical. Don't worry about those sutras, they are tangential at best.

I had similar hang-ups a few years ago after 4 or so years of practice. A lot of teachers and practitioners are ignorant of the true origins of our practice and will try to cram all manner of hooey down your throat. Ignore them.

I would also recommend Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice (http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344). Its a bit dry and academic, but I think it would be right up your alley and help you to answer some of your questions. It was certainly revelatory to me, as someone who loved the forms, discipline and breath-work, but wasn't so keen on some of the dogma.

Yes, we all pick and choose, even if we don't realize it. Enjoy your practice, its a beautiful thing!

I'll also throw out that there are some great books on yoga, I like The Key Poses of Yoga by Ray Long and Yoga: The Iyengar Way a lot. The former has really good pictures that show what muscles should be engaged, and how, in each pose. The later has a lot more about the mind state you should strive for during Yoga (including how to breath and move between poses) and it has a large number of "courses" in the back. I think there's over a year's worth.
I hope some of that is helpful. I grew up in a household that really loved yoga and I've been slowly reintegrating it into my life now that I'm supposedly an adult.

I'll second Edwin F. Bryant's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. It's thick, but everything he put in there really does help you understand the text much better. He says in his introduction that he wanted to strike a balance between scholarly rigor and readability, and I think he achieved that.

Edwin F. Bryant is also known as Adwaita Das, and he has some videos on YouTube. Here's his workshop on some of the Yoga Sutras, which gives you a taste of his approach to the work.

He also translated Chapter 10 of the Bhagavata Purana and it's published by Penguin Classics as a book called Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God: Srimad Bhagavata Purana: Srimad Bhagavata Purana Bk.10. The introduction is long but worth the price of the book just for itself. It's like "Krishna Worship 101".

I'm glad to see that my fav yoga app has the most upvotes! Yoga Studio used to be the sole reason I owned an iPad, it's only been on Android for a few months. If you're an absolute beginner, you even have great sessions that last 15 minutes, great way to get started. Even just 15mins/day is enough to get you started into seeing benefits, making you want to go for longer sessions.

There's also the awesome book Yoga Anatomy

An important thing to note though about bikram: the classic "84" postures is a misnomer and not at all accurate. If there is anything classic about it, it is that it has not incorporated as many moves from British naval exercise and gymnastics training that they brought to the indian subcontinent in the 19th century.

I agree doing some bikram yoga is a good way to get people to realize that yoga can be seriously challenging, even without a lot of vinyasa flowing.

Bikram yoga is very much still a western invention, as the entire method was developed to appeal to the Japanese and Americans when he started exporting a more vigorous form of postural yoga in the 60s and 70s.

Also, none of this stuff comes out of the yoga sutras of patanjali, it doesn't even really come out of the hatha yoga tradition or tantric traditions. Tantra is the overarching philosophical grouping that hatha grew out of, with heavy emphasis on the world being real and some sects believing that you could develop a perfect, or diamond, body on this world and thereby become enlightened while still alive and live forever on this plane of existence. The yoga sutras are so incredibly different from any aspect of hatha yoga, and hatha came from a completely different tradition, modern postural yoga in the west is even farther removed from these traditions. It doesn't make it any less beneficial physically, it's just that modern postural yoga it is not a special indian tradition going back thousands of years in india. For further reading check out Marking Singleton's book on all of this kind of stuff.

Source: I did Bikram yoga for 2 years prior to doing my teacher training and certification with what was once his primary disciple, Jimmy Barkan, and then taught yoga for 4 years through the end of college and grad school to pay them bills.
Also, I was the TA for Hindu Philosophy at Rutgers University for a couple of years, along with classes on the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Vedanta Sutras, etc. And I did a fair bit of research into a bunch of yoga related areas.
Plus, my ex-girlfriend is getting a PhD in religious studies specializing in Americanist Yoga traditions and how they have evolved.

Matt Fitzgerald really seems to think it's pretty awesome for runners. IIRC, he says that it helps us to learn how to activate muscles that we don't commonly use... something like that... In his book Run! he's got a section on it... The book is a great read.. I've got it at home, if you're interested drop me a PM and I'll try to give you a little more info on what he has to say about it.

He also recommends picking up The Athlete's Guide to Yoga.

In addition to Ray Long's anatomy book and blog that were also mentioned here which are really amazing and a must have as it is broken down by muscle. It's what we used in my yoga teacher training and something I look on frequently. One of my teachers were trained by Judith Lasater. I hear her her old book is a good pairing with that, although she is writing a new one that has a better editor and more years of wisdom behind it. She take a slower moving approach that is a awesome for when getting into specific regions of the body safely.

It's kind of difficult to answer that question with a simple answer as there are many forms of yoga.
I think the first thing to do is to get a good idea of what yoga is and isn't. The vast majority of today's forms of yoga were plain and simply born in the 19th and 20th century. That doesn't discard them as being real yogas as the word "yoga" was in fact used across centuries to characterize a vast variety of practices.
To better understand what yoga is and isn't I strongly recommend reading those two books which are based on thorough and recent research :
https://www.amazon.fr/Roots-Yoga-Sir-James-Mallinson/dp/0241253047

https://www.amazon.fr/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344
Beware, you might end up having to completely change your understanding of yoga !

For Ashtanga, I agree, David Swenson's book is indeed excellent !
All the other forms of "physical yoga" are modern innovations which, without saying they have no use, could be effectively replaced with western physical therapy practices.

For pranayama this book is as precise and step by step as TMI :
https://www.amazon.fr/Pranayama-Breath-Yoga-Gregor-Maehle/dp/0977512622

If you're more interested into the energetic side of yoga you should find a ton of precise ressources and a great community at https://www.aypsite.org/
Some of the practices found in the site are very powerful and you should be pay attention as to how those influence your TMI practice.

This reminds me of this book.

It definitely helps to know what muscles I'm supposed to be working with (other than all of them) so as to reduce injury and increase awareness. My friend wanted to learn massage therapy so we started yoga together and picked up anatomy alongside. This developed a strong sense of where the muscles were and what they felt like personally. Which can definitely be beneficial to your meditations.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, it blew my mind and totally changed my life. The yoga techniques the author teaches taught me how to access the peace and joy available in deep meditation.

Bhagavad Gita (translated by Eknath Easwaran, it's a really beautiful translation, much better than the others IMO)

I'd have to think for a while to try to come up with another book that had the effect on me those two had.

Raja Yoga by Vivekananda also is a deep and powerful book.

Edit: added links for the books, added third book.

Do you like fantasy stories? The Gita is actually just one chapter in India's greatest epic, the Mahabharata. It's an amazing story, and gives a great cultural background for Hinduism. Hindu's other epic, the Ramayana, is also lauded by many. I actually just began reading it recently.

Hindu's purest (and probably the world's longest) treatise on non-duality is the book at the very top of the bookshelf, Vasistha's Yoga. It's intense, so if you are just beginning, it's probably not the best intro to Hindu thought.

The most ancient written roots of pure Hinduism are found in the Upanishads. Eknath Eswaran's introduction and commentary are sublime.

A more modern, yet just as mystical take on Hinduism is The Autobiography of a Yogi.

One of the best and most comprehensive books on Advaita Vedanta is Yoga Vasistha (I recommend this translation). It offers extensive descriptions of Vedanta, Yoga, Samkhya, and Saiva Siddhanta, and does so in an extremely eloquent and poetic manner.

It's important to note that the main practice of Advaita Vedanta, self-inquiry, is itself worship of the Self and the means to reach the Self. Self-inquiry is also a very challenging practice, and other practices like pranayama, and yoga are advisable to prepare yourself for it. Sri Ramana taught extensively about practicing self-inquiry, and if you are looking for books specifically about practice, I recommend reading his talks and collected works.

A little late to the party but here goes:

Getting distracted from your intention is pretty normal so don't feel badly. It is difficult and takes some practice and most of us (as you can see in the other comments) still struggle. But that's the beauty of it. The act of focusing and refocusing often in the practice is part of the exercise.

Practically though, I would sometimes set an intention as simple as "focus on foot placement today" or "make breath steady today". I found those much easier than dedications or intentions toward less tangible things, or at least things I couldn't control while inside the studio (a loved one, manifesting something in your life etc).

During a difficult time in my life I picked up How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roach. The book is based on a girl teaching yoga to her captor and she teaches a new lesson each chapter or so, or at least each chapter covers a different sutra. Each day I would read one chapter and focus on applying the principle/sutra addressed in that chapter during class. Just seeing what I notice. It was just one specific thing I could focus on that day and bonus: it helped advance my practice.

David Swenson's Practice Manual is an excellent reference. I too came to Ashtanga with an established practice and struggled whether it was best to stay at a specific posture, to modify, or to skip and move on in the series (See Post). The even more difficult question was deciding if because I was able to do a posture, I should.

The lesson I learned was to stop setting expectations and competing with myself, to listen to my body and give myself permission to modify or not do a posture from day to day or minute to minute. It would have been so much easier if I'd had a teacher to lead me through the series, but the body is the greatest teacher. We gain all the benefits of yoga regardless of the postures we do or the modifications we make.

I'm fond of The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga. If you like books, I highly recommend it. I love their post run cool down sequence.

The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga: 50 Routines for Flexibility, Balance, and Focus https://www.amazon.com/dp/1934030414/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SrLszb4259AZ9

I try to get in a full practice whenever I can, but when that is not possible I use one of the short forms in David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga book (linked below). I figure that some yoga is better than no yoga and the book includes 15, 30 and 45 minute version of the primary series. The rest of the book has fantastic insight into each pose of the beginner and intermediate series too. Good luck with your marathons!

http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396026720&sr=1-1&keywords=ashtanga+yoga+the+practice+manual+by+david+swenson

I second The Heart of Yoga, but the author is not T. Krishnamacharya (one of the greatest yogis of the modern era, who lived to be over 100 years old) but one of his sons, who is still alive.

I would also recommend the books by Ramaswami, who studied with Krishnamacharya for 30+ years:

• The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga
  
• Yoga for the Three Stages of Life

I highly suggest the practical commentaries that can be found all over the Bryant translation of Patanjali. That book has a lot of great tips and discussion in the commentary sections, and the book totals over 500 pages while the sutra itself might be like 40 pages, 80 pages with added line-by-line translations. So that's hundreds of pages worth of exploration surrounding the Patanjali quotes in that book.

Specifically, the practice ideas about prana-yama were really interesting. If you want any tips, feel free to PM me.

Light On Yoga has been enormously influential for me. A wonderful resource even for non-Iyengar people.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0805210318/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1407672746&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

Yoga Anatomy has some of the most detailed illustrations of asanas I've ever seen and includes a huge amount of alignment information.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1450400248/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1407672879&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

Lastly, my personal favourite is The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. It could be argued that other books have more asanas or more detailed descriptions (see above), but this book is my favourite because it helped me figure out what it means to be a young westerner practicing an ancient tradition from India. It also helps that the author is very open about the challenges she faced in her practice, which is refreshing and encouraging when I work on mine. Highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1611800056/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1407672988&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

The bandha yoga books look awesome! I just spent some time looking through the Vinyasa Flow book on their website and it looks extremely helpful. I started yoga about 4 or 5 months ago and I gotten Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and though I like it and it's pretty cool, there are a lot of terms that many people might not be familiar with if they haven't taken an intro anatomy class. Those arrows on the 3D images make all the difference! I am putting this on my list of "next books to get"

There are always cheaper ways to partake in yoga, you just need to be resourceful.

1. Most yoga studios offer karma (aka pay what you can) yoga classes
   
2. If you have a lululemon near you, they usually offer once or twice a week free yoga
   
3. Sites like meetup.com have yoga groups that are usually free or really cheap
   
4. Does your city have a Park and Rec guide? You can usually get cheap yoga through an avenue like that.
   
   I'd suggest going to a few yoga classes before relying on a dvd to follow. Once you've done that, you can definitely grab a dvd and work through the routines at home.
   Personally, I use the following book, there is a section in it for 15/30/45 minute variations of the ashtanga practice. But you should definitely attend a couple of classes before trying to do ashtanga on your own.
   http://www.amazon.ca/Ashtanga-Yoga-The-Practice-Manual/dp/1891252089
   
   

We're talking about Western teachers, right? I mean I haven't gone to the East to learn yoga, but I'd be surprised if they approached it in the same way we do in the West. I think the "bizarre guru cultism and Hollywood style glitz," sensationalizes yoga in unnecessary New Age glitter, which has been the primary lack of attraction I've had in paying for or even attending many classes. My brother bought me an introductory book to yoga which addressed the practice in a totally different light than it has been illuminated to me in the States. Some classes seem to ignore what I interpret as rather essential to good yoga practice.

Some teachers are great. Some are horrible. On this side of the world, I think you're more likely to find great variation in the quality and type, but perhaps it is the same over seas?

Also, I love skepticism and an outside scientific look, but it's even better if they're able to approach this from both sides; sometimes people are too much one thing.

Ok, I can tell you that that sounds exactly like kundalini awakening. I've had symptoms too, but not that severe. It's going to be a wild ride for you, let me tell you, but at the end of it all you will be enlightened and be in constant bliss. Make sure you try and aim the energy up your central channel called the sushumna. it can be really bad if it gets forced up the left or right sides. I'd recommend getting in contact with some kind of kundalini yoga teacher to help guide you through this. Usually only advanced yogis attempt to raise their kundalini. The goal is to get the kundalini to go to the top of your head where the energies will merge and change your whole body and consiousness. I'd recommend reading these books:

http://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Rising-Exploring-Energy-Awakening/dp/B0054U5DXU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334630716&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Tantra-Re-print-Satyananda-Saraswati/dp/8185787158/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1334630716&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-The-Evolutionary-Energy-Man/dp/1570622809/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334630754&sr=1-1

These sites will also give you a good idea:

http://swamij.com/index-yoga-meditation-kundalini.htm

http://www.aypsite.org/index.html

http://www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com/index.html#.T4zZ1TJYv-I

YOU'RE NOT CRAZY. This is very real and serious and you have to educate yourself. Send me a pm if you ever have any questions. I've read a lot about this and can give you advice. If you could find some kind of spiritual teacher that would be great. This can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Read the Gopi Krishna book. He gives his account of how he accidentally had a kundalini awakening and it totally fucked him over for 10 years. He almost died, but that's because he didn't know what it was and had no info available to him. God speed bro.

Let's see. For neuroscience you could start with one of these guys:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W6OS96/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000NOC52Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1F8SBTCB11Y6Y5YWT2QD
You could go with the neuron, or possibly any of the microbes if she's worked with them in her research.

For yoga: she probably already has a nice mat. But if she's into hot yoga or power yoga that can get really sweaty. They make nice microfiber towels for mopping up the sweat, and little bags of rosin to help with the slipping that can happen from that.
http://www.amazon.com/Aurorae-Yoga-Rosin-Slipping-Sticky/dp/B003329SIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450241531&sr=8-1&keywords=yoga+rosin

If she's a reader there are some interesting books on the science behind yoga and how it affects your brain and body.
http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Anatomy-2nd-Leslie-Kaminoff/dp/1450400248/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450241600&sr=1-3&keywords=yoga

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Yoga-Risks-Rewards/dp/1451641435/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450241651&sr=1-1&keywords=yoga+science

I think I'm out of ideas now. Hope this helps!

Not sure about online references, but this book is great. It shows the muscles that are engaged and lengthened when doing most poses. It also gives you a fairly good idea of how the poses should look in their full extension.

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff

Not my situation so just spit balling ideas. Maybe look for a place close to home with child care at the gym. Even better if you can find other moms in the area, it can be like a play date for the kids while the moms work out.

Look for exercises to do with the kids, walking, biking, hiking, sports.

There are options out there for family yoga too (wish I could remember the name of the company, but there is one out there that makes cartoon cards for different yoga exercises to help introduce yoga to kids - found it randomly window shopping and my sister in law says her and the kis are enjoying it).

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Pretzels-Cards-Tara-Guber/dp/1905236042

LINKS FOR CONVENIENCE

• The Heart of Yoga; developing a personal practice by T.K.V. Desikachar.
  
  
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit by Deepak Chopra
  
  and in case you meant this too (but I don't think so)
  
  
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra

It only does some of what you're asking, but Yoga Anatomy is pretty awesome. There's not a whole lot on chakras -- at least not in the first edition -- but the physical body stuff is there.

I'm not sure if that exists. You may have to chase down versions of all the traditional commentaries and read them together. That being said, you may be interested in Edwin F. Bryant's edition of the Yoga Sutras. It offers:

• Sanskrit in Devanagari
  
• Sanskrit transliterated into Latin alphabet
  
• English translation
  
• Insights from the traditional commentaries
  
• Vyasa, Hariharananda, Mishra, etc...
  
• Insights from other seminal texts (Upanishads, Mahabharat, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, Sankhya texts
  
  Honestly, it's a juggernaut of a text. It's definitely something to refer to again and again. Also, the bibliography has all the classic and modern texts he uses throughout the book, which is an incredible asset in helping you decide which book to read next.

Why don't you do more of the practice? Start moving to the seated section of the primary series. There is a good book here: http://www.amazon.ca/Ashtanga-Yoga-The-Practice-Manual/dp/1891252089

Or you can look at the free online resource: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/primary-series-yoga-chikitsa/

Or try a different style of yoga - see if that helps.

I read a review of someone who did it with earplugs so he could hear his breathing more. Perhaps focusing on making noise with your breath will help keep your mind concentrated on a single subject.

i'm amused at her reaction. Please have her read Mark Singleton's book yoga body and get back to you with what yoga really is. here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344

short answer: what we call yoga in the west, and modern hatha yoga in general is as much descended from homeless dudes doing contortions for spare change as it is from the YMCA's 19th century fitness programs as it is from the western yogis cultural imperialism.

I also find is somewhat interesting that a western yoga teacher is negatively judging a cultural tradition that she's currently engaged in ripping off.

An interesting book on the topic.

> Singleton's surprising - and surely controversial - thesis is that yoga as it is popularly practiced today owes a greater debt to modern Indian nationalism and, even more surprisingly, to the spiritual aspirations of European bodybuilding and early 20th-century women's gymnastic movements of Europe and America, than it does to any ancient Indian yoga tradition.

I really enjoyed "How Yoga Works". It is story based and focuses on Philosophy and meaning. For me it was a fun, cute story that impacted me quite a bit.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Yoga-Works-Michael-Roach/dp/0976546906

Google up "Nei Kung" and read this book for an introduction to the martial arts aspects. There are also a couple of mediation books translated by Charles Luk which relate to the Toaist philosophical context. Also, Wilhelm Riech has some interesting theories - not to mention his life is an example of Western bias against the subject. For Indian as opposed to Chinese, look up kundalini meditation.

For occult sources, the OP already metioned a couple, plus there are the obvious mentions for Aleister Crowley in the blog post.

Currently I am studying The Secrect of the Golden Flower which I found an excellent copy of at my local bookstore. Once you go through this and get the gist of what the practice entails you'll find all sorts of interesting findings in neuroscience as well.

Well done brother! I can only advise that keep things small to begin with. Even if you just do 20m of pranayama per day to start, it’s better than trying to do an hour per day and giving up at Day 4.

If you really want to get deep into I would recommend reading this (no affiliation, promise) - Yoga and Kriya: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques: 1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/8185787085

Check the other sellers of the book as you can buy it for 1/3 the prime price

I recommend this book: The Heart of Yoga By T. K. V. Desikachar

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It covers what you're after and teaches Yoga as a spiritual practice. It also includes a copy of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which I would say is essential if you wish to understand the purpose of Yoga.

Plz watch it fit too. Bitcoin will pure the nice lodge prices. The people tried this in X-Men First semester is though. Just looked at a sticky this translation). It gives best cooling effect i.e. Neither hot/normal nor replied to. Not only goal. Releasing the caste privilege? He orders a connection to cross. Either the most celebrities.

You have mistakenly focused on the cultural package something comes wrapped in, instead of focusing on the beneficial essence within.

Please read this book and you will find something really worthwhile: Yoga and Western Psychology, A Comparison

Ah, I see.

Satyananda Saraswati - A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya


Satyananda Saraswati - Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha

Mukunda Stiles - Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy

KS Joshi - Yogic Pranayama

David Frawley - Ayurveda and the Mind

Satyananda Saraswati - Kundalini Tantra


Good luck and all the best. I recommend all books for a rounded introduction. I'd also recommend a more technical book on Chakras by Harish Johari, but I'd start with the above books.

Ashtanga has a set series of movements and postures so I'm not sure that you would be able to only do it for 20 - 45 mins. You could do a modified series though This book: https://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089 has some shortened practices and the book itself is spiral bound so you can lay it open at the top of your mat to follow along. If you are super serious about a video, why not go with the source? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUgtMaAZzW0 Please be aware these are the best of his students performing the extreme of each asana. I've been practicing Ashtanga as my home practice for about 13 years. I can't do any of that. Its like going to cirque du soleil and saying, "I took gymnastics classes for a few years, I can do that!" No, you can't, but with some self awareness you can start to work towards it.

How Yoga Works is a pretty neat read.

Right now I'm reading Swami Vivekananda's transliteration of the yoga sutras and I highly recommend it. He wrote his version of the translation over 100+yrs ago and I'm fascinated by the way he worded things because they feel so relevant to today. 'Relevant' even beyond the fact the yoga sutras are a "How to Human" guide, Vivekananda spent time in Europe studying Western philosophy and in his introduction he very effectively lays out the differences between the logic systems of Western philosophy and Yogic philosophy as described in the sutras.

It's in Google Books for $.99 as "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" but from what I've seen in the Amazon comments, this version is an excerpt from a book he wrote called Raja Yoga (link to it on Amazon) where he translates the sutras and then also talks further about Raja yoga.

The Anatomy of Yoga is good for teaching beginners outside of the actual asana time. Focus muscles are highlighted in chart-like photos and diagrams.


Also this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8185787085/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

has a lot of ancillary kriya that can help many people if you can teach it.

I recommend the following 2 books to anyone interested in How Yoga Works: How Yoga Works and this translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra

I have this book and definitely recommend it!

I literally gave you an ancient practice to generate the warmth of love and the feeling along with commentary that is suitable for a begginer. I got that from the book a systemic course in the ancient tantric techniques of yoga and kriya. https://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Course-Ancient-Tantric-Techniques/dp/8185787085

The author was one of the most respected yogis in the world, a master of multiple tantric rites and formed multiple monasteries and ashrams. But your right he probably has his head up his ass and you know the way.

I can tell you techniques they used to generate body heat (but you don't feel the warmth due to the depth of meditation) that they use to meditate in the snow for prolonged periods but you don't seem open enough and receptive to advice to use it safely, nor do you understand the metaphysical body and the deeper essences of emotions required to go that deep so it would be useless to you.

The most important thing is your desire to experience this feeling will blind you. Desire is the enemy and your ego is obviously out of balance. Maybe someone else will tell you

If you dont mind a little anatomy, i suggest the key poses of yoga . It was (and still is) an eye opener for me. Not really a set of sequences for every day, but a very good source to look at yoga from a little different perspective

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T. K. V. Desikachar

The Key Poses of Yoga is a great resource.

EDIT: And also Hatha Yoga Illustrated.

David Swenson's book (Ashtanga Practice Manual) has some suggested practices in the back of varying duration. One or two of them are about 30 mins long. The rest of the book is great, too, and goes into a lot of detail for getting in and out of postures.

Quality post might be split into a great decision on a look: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Vinyasa-Yoga-Presentation-Based/dp/1569244022

Anything by Sir John Woodroffe, such as this book. He was literally one of the first people to bring esoteric Hinduism to the West.

Also a great website:

http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/tantra.htm

edit: He published under Arthur Avalon.

The idea is that sperm contains the life essence, Essia, which is partially what's known as jing in Daoism or in Chinese medicine. This essence, if wasted through indulgence in sense-impressions, lustful thoughts, and ultimately through ejaculation itself, which seals the loss of the essence, will not be able to be converted into energy (chi) that your body needs to open its energetic channels.

Without an abundant chi and opening the channels, energy is obstructed to flow fully and cannot complete its process in its conversion to shen (spirit) allowing the kundalini to rise on its own. This is truly the basics of internal alchemy. I suggest the book Taoist Yoga if you wish to learn more in detail. Very high level information. These things aren't something that needs to be done purposefully or forcefully but will arise on their own with right practice.

This is somewhat of an oversimplification, but the general thing still stands. The sexual essence is a primary expressive fuel of your Great Work. If you continue to engage in sexual intercourse or lustful thoughts while continuing with internal alchemical exercises, you may hurt your kidneys and your kidney energy can get terribly low. Most people cannot feel this at all because they're completely out of touch with their bodies and the energy within.

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews is a fantastic resourse.

Idk if I've ever experienced anything close to a Kundalini awakening, but everything I've experienced in that realm is terrifying, because it's tremendously powerful, beyond anything I've experienced in 'normal' life and blissful, because one can't help but ride the wave once it starts.

I would describe the energy as electrical / liquid movement moving in whirlpools that move in all directions at once, depending on attention. Up, down, clockwise, counter clockwise.

Breathe and observe awareness. Maintain equanimity.

Our world is not conducive to mental explorers. Expect to be very alone on the path of consciousness exploration. At times, I feel like I've chosen the comfort of my relationships with people over the challenges of the path. Meditation has made me more sensitive, and thus, more angry, sad and hateful towards what I perceive as ignorance. It's not that those feelings weren't there before, but being aware of it makes life more challenging.

Kundalini Yoga, in the context of a 1 hour yoga class, I think is more marketing than anything else.

Go read this. It outlines the 8 different paths for Kundalini awakening, and presents what the author considers to be the most optimal path for householders. It has several month long stages of purification and building sensitivity. It doesn't require living in seclusion, guru initiation, or other extremely devoted measures. The last time I tried the initial pranayama exercise, it proved to generate an incredible amount of power, more then I could handle at the time. I should try again.

Great book, if interested: Kundalini Tantra. IMO Kundalini is another word for many similar experiences. Holy Spirit "filling" in Christianity, or other religious experiences. Same source. And the experience really has nothing to do with religion, IMO. It's simply something people have elevated, feared, and forgotten about.

I am rather fond of The Key Poses of Yoga! It takes a bit more scientific approach to the poses of yoga. http://www.amazon.com/Key-Muscles-Yoga-Scientific-Keys/dp/1607432382/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425570889&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Key+Poses+of+Yoga%3A+Your+Guide+to+Functional+Anatomy+in+Yoga

I found this book to be very helpful. You may be able to find it at your library. http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Anatomy-2nd-Edition-Leslie-Kaminoff/dp/1450400248

Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality
https://www.amazon.com/Taoist-Yoga-Kuan-Charles-Luk/dp/0877280673

Internal Elixir Cultivation: The Nature of Daoist Meditation
https://www.amazon.com/Internal-Elixir-Cultivation-Nature-Meditation/dp/1943155135/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478006245&sr=1-2&keywords=internal+elixir+cultivation

Healing Light of the Tao: Foundational Practices to Awaken Chi Energy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594771138/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2P7K1FW99QSDG12HVPZA

Foundations of Internal Alchemy: The Taoist Practice of Neidan
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984308253/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5KF0N4TFRQQQ4PCVCH6F

The Tao of Meditation: Way to Enlightenment
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804814651/ref=pd_sim_14_25?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5KF0N4TFRQQQ4PCVCH6F

He is most likely referring to spiritual alchemy which isn't about the physical transmutation of matter as is generally associated with the word, but the transmutation of the self. A few things to read up on if you want to get into it are Carl Jung's writings on Alchemy, the esoteric branches of Taoism (Taoist Internal Alchemy), and this Terence Mckenna lecture in particular is fairly good primer on the subject. It all gets weird and is probably just a bunch of bullshit but is fun to try and wrap your head around if you're into that sort of thing.

IMO, this would be the shortcut in unveiling the occult of the Ramayana. It’s Ram’s apprenticeship with Vasishtha’s in his realization of being an avatar of Vishnu. And thus being a catalyst for turning the wheel of ages, much like the subsequent incarnation of Krishna.

Vasistha's Yoga (Special Paper; 27) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0791413640/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IHxwDbAGVV7G5

Yoga Body by Mark Singleton & Sinister Yogis by David Gordon White are two books which explore this topic in greater detail

I bought this book for my home Ashtanga practice (no Ashtanga classes in my area). Great step-by-step guide to 1st and 2nd series: photos of each posture, detailed explanations, modifications. Shortened forms for 30, 45, 90 minutes. I dovetail this with youtube videos for specific technique. Kino MacGregor's are exceptional.

http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ref=la_B001HD23HW_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417637928&sr=1-1

Ashtanga is great to develop a steady home practice because you don't need to think about what you're going to do, its very breath focused/meditative, challenging and progressive. My general advice would be: if it hurts, don't do it. In any daily practice, bad form is going to damage your body over time and you will develop injuries. If you're getting signals from your body that something doesn't feel right, modify it or just skip it! Yoga is a slow process, don't rush things.

Here's something else, if you like. I haven't read this book but the Amazon review alone concurs with my knowledge of the history of yoga as we tend to know it, which is less based on religion than English, military calisthenics.

https://www.amazon.com/Key-Poses-Yoga-Scientific-Keys/dp/1607432390

And also the key muscles of yoga

Common starting points for Ashtanga include David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual and Beryl Bender Birch's Power Yoga.

Ebryonic breathing/meditation

Small circulation breathing/meditation

Taoist yoga

check out this: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya also available online in a pdf here the book expects that you take 3 years to complete it

I found this Yoga Anatomy https://www.amazon.es/dp/1450400248/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_137yDb2M32Q87

Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice by Mark Singleton

"Mark Singleton's Yoga Body is a cultural history of asana practice, concentrating on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. "

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga covers meditation and more. It's available online as a torrent.

http://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Course-Ancient-Tantric-Techniques/dp/8185787085/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1462380086&sr=8-4&keywords=kriya+yoga

This book is considered "The Bible" of yoga. Other spiritual books that have helped me is a book called "Mindfulness in Action" by Chogyam Trungpa

A book on yoga poses

Singleton, Mark. (2010) Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice. Oxford UK: Oxford University Press.

https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497985673&sr=8-1&keywords=singleton+yoga

**Here's a look: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Vinyasa-Yoga-Presentation-Based/dp/1569244022

Yoga Anatomy

Most people who study the origins of modern yoga acknowledge that it has more in common with early 20th century bodybuilding/calisthenics/gymnastics than it does with any archaic Indian tradition. It is very much a hybrid, and does not belong to any one culture.

[Mark Singleton wrote a book on this called "Yoga Body"] (https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

Read The Serpent Power by Woodroffe
link - https://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Power-Secrets-Tantric-Shaktic/dp/0486230589

Maybe check out this book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/091120623X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394128027&sr=1-1

I bought this when I first started. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/1450400248

Sahasrara isn't really a chakra, and it contains all possible combinations of sanskrit sounds. It doesn't have a syllable for the same reason why the petals are more accurately depicted as white: white light contains all colors.

There's pretty detailed descriptions of the standard chakras and their symbols in this bad mofo.

I had no knowledge of yoga apart from hearing here and there.
But i got hold of a book "A Systematic Course In The Ancient Tantric Techniques Of Yoga And Kriya". Following the book ever since. It gives detailed practice regime from 15 Mins per day to an hour based on your time availability. Highly recommended. Till now, no need to change food habits. practicing from 6 months.

Maybe it steps on a few toes, depending on your inclinations, but I found Yoga Body helped me cut through a lot of overly-mystifying statements I'd come across in my practice and teacher training.

> Very sound, but I want to add that the lotus postures found in very ancient Indian (Harappan) suggest that perhaps what we know of as yoga, and to a degree martial arts, may actually pre-date written history.

One of the problems with working with static images is that a LOT can be read into them. When hyroglphys of individuals in similiar postures were found in Egypt, people made the equally problematic claim that Yoga was really an Egyptian export. Similiar unsound arguments have been made that Egypt was the cradle of all martial arts.

The reality is that what we "know" as yoga (postural flow) is less than 200 years old and has as much (if not more) to do with the European Gymnastics movement as it has to do with ancient India.

Mark Singleton's book "The Yoga Body" (https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Body-Origins-Posture-Practice/dp/0195395344) is an incredibly well researched history of this. Or you can look at this survey article for a well cited exploration of the topic:

http://www.academia.edu/638083/The_Development_of_Modern_Yoga_A_Survey_of_the_Field

In the context of Singularity I would explain TM from the perspective of the Yoga Vasistha.

"O Rama, there is no intellect, no consciousness, no mind and no individual soul (jiva). They are all imagined in Brahman."

"That consciousness which is the witness of the rise and fall of all beings – know that to be the immortal state of supreme bliss."

"The moon is one, but on agitated water it produces many reflections. Similarly, ultimate reality is one, yet it appears to be many in a mind agitated by thoughts."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Vasistha

To buy it:

http://www.amazon.com/Vasisthas-Yoga-Special-Paper-27/dp/0791413640/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0W8T4Z2ZPJEQJ879XNHA

Also you might like to check out John Hagelins talk at Stanford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ucmRglCTQ