Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual
by David Swenson
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Book Summary Information
Author: David SwensonBrand: Yoga.com
Edition: Spiral-bound
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08-20
ISBN: 1891252089
Number of pages: 263
Publisher: Ashtanga Yoga Productions
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781891252082
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual
Book Review: The authority on Ashtanga practice
Summary: 5 Stars
This spiral-bound and beautifully illustrated, explicitly explained and annotated instruction manual (but far, far more than just an instruction manual) is hands-down the best and only book a practitioner needs on the beginning and intermediate series of the Ashtanga practice.
Although David Swenson was not certified by Sri K Pattahbi Jois, it doesn't affect his ability to teach in person or on the page. I had the pleasure of attending one of his workshops in his adopted city of Austin, and his regard and humility toward every single student--no matter their understanding (or lack thereof) of Ashtanga, was an investment that remains with me and my adherence to this book.
The best way to start out learning the practice of Ashtanga yoga is by personal, led instruction in a classroom. I recommend a sold background in hatha yoga and familiarity with the basic asanas, including Suyra Namaskara A &B (Sun Salutations), Ado Mukha Svanasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, (Downward and Upward-facing Dog), Virabhadrasana (I-III), Trikonasana, and others of the standard and oft-used asanas. My use of the Sanskrit is not to show off my linguistic talents, but to emphasize that Ashtanga Yoga does not use the English names to illustrate their asanas (poses). The Sanskrit names are actually more than a phonetic term. They help you to go deeper into the poses--something understood as you practice.
I am always sorry to hear people shy away from yoga because they think that they can't perform the pretzel poses or they worry that they have no flexibility. The truth is--yoga, which means means "yoke" or "unite," is the beautiful unity of breath and body, of breath and movement. Can you breathe? If you can, then you can do yoga. And David Swenson makes that perfectly clear in his book.
Swenson starts the book by defining the eight limbs of yoga: (and in this case I will give English terms for understanding) ethical disciplines (yama), self-observation (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), sense withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and state of joy and peace (samadhi). The practice of Ashtanaga noursihes the eight-limbs.
"Through regulation of practice, the eight limbs are nourished. Personal insights begin to manifest. We become aware of what we put in our bodies and how we interact with the world around us." This is just a small part of the text.
Next, Swenson teaches Ujjayi breathing (oceanic or warrior breathing), the foundation of Ashtanga physical practice, in a simple and straightforward manner. Without the proper breathing method, you aren't doing yoga. According to Swenson, if one practices the advanced series without the proper breathing, then one is just doing gymnastics, i.e. yoga isn't about twisting yourself into a pretzel. It is about intention, mindfulness, and movement combined with breath.
He teaches about the Bhandas, the locks of the body--defining and teaching technique so that you can practice with intention and technical correctness. He explains vinyasa, which is linking one asana to the next via the marriage of breath and movement, and one of the unique aspects of Ashtanga practice.
The page by page illustrations of the practice also include ways to adjust asanas as a beginner or even a novice while you are working to go to go deeper and deeper into each pose. There is nothing in the practice that Swenson leaves out. These illustrations are so practical and accessible that I doubt you will ever be stuck or confused. His text is clear and precise, and not without a touch of wit and wisdom, without any pious or rigid superiority.
I do own David Swenson's DVD, which was made in the early days of yoga videos and, although an adjunct to the book, is not his finest teaching tool. He wears the microphone, and the sound gets buried every time he bends or dips his head, and the one-camera action is limiting to a three-dimensional practice. This is one case where I would definitely recommend the book as the superlative teaching tool over a DVD demonstration.
The spiral-bound pages are user-friendly and the thick, high-quality paper is solid and substantial. At the end of the book, he also includes the complete and photographed series in non-segmented and visual reference so that the reader can see the practice as a "colorful tapestry in motion" and "mandala of movement." He links Surya Namaskara A & B, the Standing Sequence, Primary, and Finishing Sequence.
As a bonus, he includes short forms for the busy practitioner (or if you are short on time) and the Intermediate Series in photos. A purist may balk at the abbreviated series, but Swenson is as pragmatic as he is mindful. David Swenson communicates Ashtanga Yoga beautifully, in a way that brings the layman to the practice, and he understands that sometimes East meets West in innovative ways. However, he is no short-cut artist; it is obvious that Swenson practices the full regimen six days/week. If your aim is to purify your practice, his book will give you essential guidelines and tools.
Namaste.
Summary of Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual
This is the most user-friendly yoga book available! It contins the entire Primary and Intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga with three options for every asana. It is spiral bound to easily remain open while practicing. It contains over 650 photos with clear instructions and commentary. It is a great book for all levels of practitioners to enjoy and teachers will find it to be an invaluable tool for teaching their students.Yoga Books
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