Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika
by B. K. S. Iyengar
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Book Reviews of Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika
Book Review: EXCELLENT BOOK - THE TOP IN ITS CLASS
Summary: 5 Stars
Both the complete novice and the seasoned yogi will benefit from this book. Mr. Iyengar not only provides simple step by step written instructions, but also enough photographs to completely undertake the study of Yoga on an auto-tutorial basis. As long as diligent, intelligent, careful reading and imitation are observed, the serious student will benefit from the this book tremendously. However, one should pay heed to Mr. Iyengar's advice of ultimately studying with a competent instructor. In your search for books on Yoga, this reviewer urges you NOT to be persuaded by marketable and fashionable products. The dedicated student will learn all the basic lessons of Yoga by carefully reading Light on Yoga, and through the negotiation of all 200+ poses without the aid of special props and without concern for the seemingly gargantuan task. Two important requisites for a beneficial study of Yoga are explicitly stated several times throughout the book: determination and perseverance in all aspects of life lead to success.
In its structure and content, Yehudi Menuhin's foreword exemplifies the duality of simplicity and profundity that Yoga can offer. The beauty of this book resides in its minimalistic conciseness. In this respect it is a hidden treasure as well as a faithful embodiment of the ultimate goals of yogic practice: mental, physical and spiritual development. It is also an ancient radicalism aimed at the heart of our modern quick-fixes and 30 minute workouts.
In case some of the other readers missed Mr. Iyengar's instructions with respect to the duration of each of the poses, please note the following. Light on Yoga recommends that one should always begin by GENTLY, CORRECTLY and RESPONSIBLY negotiating each pose before holding it for at least 20 seconds (a bit longer if you are physically capable). Always keep in mind that Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline. Therefore, one should take note of his or her own capacity when doing any of the asanas.
It is imperative that all poses be held for as long as possible once the CORRECT posture is GENTLY and RESPONSIBLY negotiated. After some practice one should hold each posture slightly beyond what seems to be humanly possible at the moment. Once one becomes an expert the duration can be extended according to one's personal physical capacity. The key is to first follow the advice and cautions outlined throughout the book. What follows is the classic battle of mind over matter. Learn to master the body by focusing your mind on the discomfort and use your mental powers of Self control to learn to relax the affected areas. Ultimately, the body will be strong and no longer a major concern. The mind is then free for further development. This requires patience as well as discipline, and it is what Mr. Iyengar is trying to get across. Yoga is a life-long discipline with the hidden power of providing durable results only to those who persevere. Do yourself a favor and do not look for the easy way out by searching for pretty pictures and a standardized array of time frames.
The reader, of course, is free to choose from the myriad books available, but I urge you to keep one thing in mind. Such books are NOT the treasure that you will find in Light on Yoga. Quite frankly, there is no other Yoga book on the market that even comes close to genuinely caring for the personal benefit of its reader.
Read this book, study it and take notes before reading it again and repeating the cycle indefinitely for the rest of your life. You owe it to yourself. I wish you success in your exploration of this life-changing gift from a living legend. Have faith in the ancient history that precedes your Self. With time and patience one can create a proper sequence of asanas to fit comfortably within a busy schedule and according to one's needs and capabilities. Trust me on this one.
Mr. Iyengar recently reached his 80th year of youth, health and vitality. But do not be awed by this. Neither should you worship him. Instead, admire his humility. Learn from him. Simply let him guide you. He is human...and so are you.
Namaste.
Book Review: Wrong concept about asanas
Summary: 1 Stars
I believe that it is a mis-conception when someone say that you have to perform asanas prior to Pranayama.
I never perform asanas. I practice Alternet Nostril Breathing and I am loosing weight faster than ever.
Following are two techniques:
Alternate Nostril Breathing
(Anulom Vilom Pranayama with no breath retention) This pranayama (control breathing) is done with alternate breathing from the left and right nostrils for cleansing of Nadis. (energy meridians). Seated in a convenient posture, start off with slow inhalation from the left nostril first by closing the right nostril with the middle of right hand thumb ,and after fully filling the lungs, (not the belly breathing) breathe out slowly from the right nostril by closing the left nostril with the two ( left hand middle and ring) fingers. Now breathe in from the right nostril by closing the left nostril in the above manner and exhale from the left nostril by closing the right nostril with the right thumb. It completes one cycle. Do this for three minutes for two months then gradually increase to 5 minutes.
Do it two hour after eating or drinking. (Do it on empty-stomach) Do not eat for 15 minute after you are done. Better to lie down for five minutes after you are done. If you limit practice to maximum of five minutes, it will be the best.
The very first sign you will experience is lightness in the body and clearer thinking.
The practice of this breathing for a period of three to four months can open up thirty to forty percent of the heart arteries' blockages. This pranayama alleviates all the diseases of the body, leads to the state of joy, enthusiasm for living , fearlessness, peace of mind and deep meditation.
Benefits:
-Hair will regrow within two months of practice.
-Body will go to it's ideal weight by itself.
-Face becomes bright and luminous.
-Lost vision will return.
-Removes fear/anxiety of any kind.
- Aligns both hemisphere of the brain for full brain functionality
- Creates a deeper sense of well-being and harmony
- Helps alleviate migraines and headaches and frazzled states of being
- Works great in situations where you find yourself anxious, board and need grounding
-Blockages in the arteries of the heart are removed and the arteries become clean, making circulation unimpeded.
Ujjayi Pranayama
1. You can do this sitting, standing or walking anywhere anytime.
2. Inhale slowly through both nostrils, keeping the throat slightly constricted so as to make a gentle sound that will help you to feel the breath in the throat. The sound will remind you of ocean waves washing up the beach. Concentrate on the feeling of the breath moving in and out through the throat.
3. During inhalation do not allow abdomen to bulge out, let the chest expand.
4. After completing inhalation slowly exhale. (Either by both nostrils or by left nostril) During exhalation chest should go inside and abdomen should remain steady.
Remember :-
1. While doing Ujjiayi air should touch the throat.
2. Breath must be mentally locked in chest area. (Do not do belly breathing)
3. After practicing it for few days, knowing your limitations, keep the ratio between inhalation and exhalation 1 : 2.
4. In easy Ujjiayi Pranayama, inhalation and exhalation can be practiced by both the nostrils.
Benefits:
This simple practice has a subtle influence on the whole body. It calms the mind and has a soothing effect on the nervous system. Ujjayi is very useful for people with high blood pressure as it slows down the heartbeat. It has subtle effects on the flow of life force in the astral (energy) body and helps you to be aware of its movement within the sushumna (astral spine).
Book Review: Light on the Yogi's Path.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those books that you simply have to review. B.K.S. Iyengar's works are unparalled in the field of modern yoga literature. With hundreds of illustrations and in-depth descriptions of all the important asanas (postures), it really is the "bible" of yoga today. If you prefer to practice at home, this is the book for you. It is the next best thing (and a cheaper alternative!) to a good yoga class. Part I gives in brief the theory of Raja Yoga and how it is complemented by, not separate from, Hatha Yoga. The theoretical part alone makes "Light On Yoga" worth the money. But it is really a book for serious practitioners of yoga. If you like this part of the book and want to know more, you might want to check out some good commentaries on "The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali" and "The Bhagavad Gita" (Iyengar has his own).
In Part II (the heart of the book) are all the major asanas, generously depicted by over 600 photographs. The Sanskrit names of the asanas are used, along with a short explanation of each one in English. Then, you get step-by-step instructions on how to execute the pose, with ample warnings and tips. Each pose has a number or difficulty-level assigned to it (1-60), and there are basic and advanced stages of many postures. Take that seriously and do not go too far too soon. Lastly, the author tells you what health benefits you will reap from a pose.
Part III introduces you to the complex area of pranayama. But for this, I would recommend "Light On Pranayama," which is a companion to the present volume.
Appendix I has a 300 week course divided into three stages: easy, intermediate and difficult. Appendix II lists various ailments and the asanas that can cure them. There is also a glossary, a table of asanas and an index.
Another reviewer asked if the health precautions make sense. They do. Do not dismiss Iyengar's warnings. Do not practice certain asanas (particularly, inverted ones) during the menstrual period. Do not perform the head stand without assistance if you are a beginner, especially if you have sensitive eyes.
Be sure to follow the courses as given in the back of the book, since practicing asanas beyond your capacity can be harmful. Start with the easy poses first and add gradually the intermediate and advanced asanas as your body adjusts. Some asanas must be approached with great caution. Be very careful if you decide to try those at home without a teacher or friend to assist you.
My only real complaint? I wish that these gurus would give simple English names for the asanas, as an alternative to the confusing Sanskrit/Indian names. It would make memorizing the order of asanas in a given routine easier.
Iyengar is a true master of his art, and this book is the best guide on the subject available today. Whether you want to become a full-time practitioner, or are just looking for basic exercises to improve your health with, this book will give you what you need. I wish I had found "Light On Yoga" sooner. Granted, there are countless other books on the topic that describe the same asanas and all. But this one is the most exhaustive and the most reliable.
Also good is "Yoga: the Path to Holistic Health." That other book by Iyengar is not as comprehensive as this one, but it is a full-color, coffee-table book with 360-degree views of the main poses. A big plus is that it makes use of props--benches, chairs, pillows, etc.
Book Review: More room for development in this classic approach to Yoga
Summary: 5 Stars
The thoroughness of guru Iyengar's approach to yogasana is beyond doubt. It is complete, with precautions and adaptation for beginners and challenges to the most advanced practitioners. My opinion is that his approach is the best because it stresses on correct alignment and relaxation (quite unlike power-yoga and heat-yoga that "married" to western culture and "forgotten" the spiritualism of this old Eastern practice). Fair to say, when a body is heated up (or warmed up) it would be easier for one to stretch one's muscles and tendons. This is the western/exercise approach of warming up before the REAL exercise. In Eastern approach, on the other hand, the warm-up is through relaxation/(standing) meditation plus generation of heat through circulation of prana.
Here we come to one interesting point. Mr. Iyengar devoted a full (but small) chapter to pranayama. He even wrote a book separately on the subject. And, in his more recent book Light on Life, he clearly said that prana in Yoga is the same as chi in Chinese. AND, in his Light on Pranayama, he clearly taught us that some important aspect/component of pranayama should be learned in yogasana (for example, on page 97 of Light on Pranayama, he wrote "It (mula bandha) should be learnt while doing various asanas, especially tadasana, sirsasana, sarvangasana, urdhva dhanurasana, ustrasana and paschi mottanasana"). YET, this teaching method of his in Light on Pranayama has not been mentioned in his Light on Yoga.
I think there are two reasons: first, as Mr. Iyengar said in his Light on Life, he had been teaching yogasana for a few years BEFORE he started learning pranayama in 1944. That means what he learned from his guru was that yogasana was taught without pranayama, hence he didn't have that first-hand learning (and consequently teaching) experience of incorporating pranayama into a teaching of yogasana. The second reason, I believe more important, is that there are simply too many asanas to be learned from Mr. Iyengar's system! There simply ain't so many people nowadays who can devote so much time and energy to learn most of Mr. Iyengar's yogasanas!
From Mr. Iyengar's book Light on Life, perhaps of his age, he seems to want to bring in more spirituality into his system of yoga practice. The first step is likely to incorporate his pranayama into his yogasana system, with a radical rationalization/re-organization of his asanas. Perhaps the training method of taoist/chi teaching might be useful reference (quit-pro-quo, many training systems have incorporated some forms of yogasana). Perhaps we shouldn't labour our guru to this new task, perhaps his family or his senior students should be taking over this task, or perhaps it has already be done - that would be good news for all learners of yoga who like to keep the classic eastern tradition (instead of jumping around in a heated room).
Book Review: Gems are there if you are willing to dig
Summary: 4 Stars
I have a love-hate relationship with this book. On the positive side it is very comprehensive: it contains everything from beginning asanas to poses you might never achieve. It contains instruction on breathing, sequencing, bandhas and the effects of asanas. Lots of densely packed information.
On the negative side: it is difficult, like an ornery old uncle that you love and who is brilliant but who also drives you nuts. It is poorly laid out. Often the pictures the text refers to are on different pages. The pictures are not the slick studio shots that many have come to expect based on current yoga magazines and advertising in general (don't bite my head off for saying this, I am just trying to describe the book).
The amount of information in this book can be overwhelming. I am an information junkie and for the first five years of my yoga practice it was too much for me: I felt overwhelmed and discouraged every time I opened it. This book does not hold your hand or spoon feed you: detailed information is there but you have to work to get it out. Iyengar uses only the Sanskrit names for the poses. I realize some camps believe "that is the right and proper way" but others find it overwhelming at first, and I'm not here to debate that, but it is something you should know about the book. In explaining one pose he often refers back to others (which of course are on different pages) so if you don't remember all the Sanskrit names you will be doing a lot of flipping pages.
Now that I have been doing yoga for 8 years I appreciate this book a lot more: It has detailed directions for lots of asanas and covers material that I have not seen anywhere else. But every time I use the book I still have the urge to rip it up and past the pictures next to the text that refers to them. Once I get over that urge though I usually can dig out valuable information, but it does take work.
Although it is a great book and a copy will end up on many serious yogis shelves I would not recommend this book for beginners. Starting with this book would be like feeding your baby champagne and truffles for his first meal: while both are terrific they are too much for newbies. But once you have fallen in love with yoga and have developed a hankering for more than just the basics, this book will be just the thing. There is information in here that will take a lifetime to master.