| ranked #2 out of 15 resources | rated 4.05 out of 5 | total 16 votes |
Yoga Mala
Author: Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
Resource Type: Book
RRP: USD $16.00
Analysis:
- Yoga Mala is Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’ definitive book on the principals and asanas of Ashtanga Yoga.
- Adresses the philosophy of Ashtanga yoga including a description of Yama, Niyama and Pranayama
- Provides detailed explanation of the physical asanas including vinyasa information, that is, how to get in and out of every posture in the primary series with exact breath counts (the number of inhalations and exhalations when moving between postures).
- Eash asana in the primary series is explained in two (2) parts, the method and the benefits of the asana
- Illustrated with black and white pictures of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson, Sharath Rangaswamy, performing the suryanamaskaras and primary series asanas.
- Can be hard to find the right picture for the right asana as the pictures may be on the previous or next page of the description of the asana.
- Not suitable for people wanting to learn the primary series from a book.
Backcover:
An indispensable handbook for students and teachers of Yoga.This small book by one of the great yoga figures of our time attests to the timeless nature of ashtanga yoga practice. Based on vinyasa - the coordination of breath and movement - ashtanga yoga has become one of the most widespread and influential styles of practice today, and Yoga Mala is its most important written guide. In this book, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying ashtanga yoga, and explains its terms and concepts. He ten guides us through the Sun Salutations and the primary series, which consists of forty-two asanas. At every step he describes how to execute each pose and what benefits each provides.
Pattabhi Jois introduced ashtanga yoga to the West a quarter of a century ago and has been the driving force behind its worldwide dissemination. Having studied for twenty-five years with T. Krishnamacharya, he has passed on his knowledge to generations of students around the world. Jois lives in Mysore, India, where he runs the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute.
“Mala is a Sanskrit term that means garland. In India, there are many different kinds of malas. There are japamalas, made up of sacred beads strung on a thread which are used in prayer for counting and keeping focused on the repetition of a mantra. There are pushpamalas, which are garlands of vivid flowers, smelling of jasmine and other scents, that are strung in the form of wreaths and offered in worship to deities in homes and temples. Jois here offers another kind of mala, which is ancient in tradition, as sacred as a prayer, and as beautiful as flowers. HIs mala is a garland of yoga, in which each vinyasa is like a sacred bead to be counted and focused on, and each asana is like a fragrant flower strung on the thread of the breath. Just as a japamala adorns the neck and a pushpamala adorns the gods, so too does this garland of yoga, when diligently practiced, adorn our entire being with peach, health, radiance, and, ultimately, self-knowledge.” - from the foreword
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March 7, 2006 @ 9:34 pm
Paige said,
I’m not sure why Gurugi’s book isn’t #1, he’s the father of Ashtanga and you would expect that his book is a must have in any yoga library.
I personally enjoy the pictures of Gurugi and Sharath performing the primary series, even if the pictures are in black and white and are rather grainy, it’s still good to see the masters of this art do their thing.
November 17, 2009 @ 2:10 pm
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