Customer Reviews

The Art and Science of Raja Yoga: Fourteen Steps to Higher Awareness: Based on the Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda

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This is a very helpful, and enlightening manual on the art of yoga - more specifically, "Raja Yoga" which is a balanced and comprehensive approach to yoga practice. Knowing very little about yoga, but wanting to blend meditation with physical exercise on my own at home, I found an old record called "Yoga for Self Awareness" by Sri Kriyananda. It's a four sided set that includes a full hour and a half of yoga postures, meditation, and chants. It was pretty easy to follow along at first, but I realized that I desired to learn more and wanted to be sure I was doing the postures correctly. I was pleasantly surprised to find "Raja Yoga" by Kriyananda (aka Donald Walters) on Amazon, and ordered it right away.

The manual is divided into 14 chapters, each chapter into 7 subsets: Philosophy, Postures, Breathing, Routine, Healing, Diet, and Meditation - all treated with equal gravity, although meditation does figure prominantly throughout Raja Yoga. Yoga is rooted in religion, and so if meditation and religious sentiment don't appeal to you, you might just want to go find a local "hatha" yoga class at the YMCA, or gym. However, I will say that if you open yourself up to the basic philosophy presented here, and surrender skepticism towards Kriyananda's medical advice (which seems rather incredulous at times) you'll find yourself believing instead of doubting. The world is full of mystery (travel and see for yourself!), and to perpetually wrap oneself up in self-protective doubt is unproductive, and ultimately, harmful to spiritual (and physical) growth. Skepticism, okay; but yoga teaches one to trust, and open oneself up to incredible possibilities, and I think this lesson in itself makes Raja Yoga invaluable. I too didn't think I'd be able to do half of these postures when I first listened to the record (the cd that comes with the book is its one mediocre flaw, as it only contains an abbreviated version of the Yoga Postures record I found, along with a lecture by Kriyananda that you may or may not find inspiring. You don't need an audio supplement to do yoga, but it really helps to hear Kriyananda's magnetic voice. I suggest contacting the "student support" e-mail address provided in the introduction for records and cds).

Once you begin reading and practicing you'll quickly became impressed with just how comprehensive and easy to use "The Art & Science of Raja Yoga" is. I was able to jump right in and start making yoga a part of my daily routine. Ever since doing so, I've been amazed how my health and overall mind-set has strengthened to the point that I feel more balanced, positive, and in tune with nature. You will be too - enjoy!

I was amazed at the beauty and simplicity of this text. It told me much of what I needed to know to start my journey on my Spiritual path. I felt that Swami Kriyananda's insights were clear and blended Christianity and Raja Yoga in a way that made sense to my Christian upbringing! Being rather skeptical by natural, I found the step-by-step process that Swami offers perfect for someone with a science/medical background (nursing) to gain the knowledge needed to open my heart and start on my true Path. There is even a page offering Student Support with a phone number and email address to contact someone with the questions that inevitably arise.

Each unit is broken down into `do-able' pieces. One can read through the entire book then go back at anytime or take one chapter at a time and absorb as much as necessary. I especially like the sections on Breathing (Pranayama)- offering many different techniques that can be incorporated into daily life at any time! There is also Philosophy, Meditation, Diet, Postures and Routines for every section or unit.

I am not a Hatha Yoga expert but am very much the amateur! I do Hatha Yoga to open my heart, to stretch my sometimes rather stiff body, and also to prepare myself for meditation. I like the Affirmations offered by Swami for each posture (asana). They help me to go deeper into the postures, and to direct my energy into a calm and positive direction.

I appreciate being able to read a book and develop my own thoughts on that subject - not having someone's beliefs shoved down my throat. I feel that the approach taken in this book offers me just that, a way to read and decide what works and what does not work for me. I really believe that this course in the Art & Science of Raja Yoga is great for everyone, beginners and those already committed to their Spiritual Path alike!

This book is divided into 14 steps and each step is further divided into 7 subjects. The subjects are philosophy, yoga postures, breathing, routine, healing, diet and meditation. This enables the reader to understand the philosophy and purpose of the yoga postures more deeply. The only complaint I have about this book is that it was unable to go into a deeper detail about the yoga postures! But I guess that the author was forced to keep his book "short" because of space constraints.

The author's guru, Paramhansa Yogananda (who is also my divine guru) gave little emphasis on hatha yoga and more emphasis on kriya yoga. This is understandable because Yogananda simply did not have the time to dive deeper into the practices of hatha yoga. When J. Donald Walters told his Guru that there is nothing much more to write about, our Guru told him "There is MUCH MORE to be written!" Thus kriyananda has been following his Guru's advice and has written over seventy books which compliments Yogananda's teachings.

It is a grave mistake to think that the books published by SRF is the ONLY true teachings of Yogananda. This will undoubtedly lead to dogmatism. Books by Kriyananda, Norman Paulsen, Roy Eugene Davis and other disciples of Yogananda complements the books published by SRF. Yogananda never intended SRF to be an exclusive sect and Kriyananda(who is a very sincere disciple) has taken the teachings of Yogananda to a deeper level.

This book is highly recommended to those who are interested in living a more spiritual life and are not recommended to people who are filled with hatred over the author. SRF students who are open-minded, would find this book useful for their own spiritual development.

Raja Yoga is far more than the merely physical, and very rigorous (huff puff!), exercise regimes that certain popular yoga schools teach. Raja Yoga is an ancient science that combines spiritual practices, philosophy, lifestyle, diet, and even the devotional practices that are taught in the great Indian scripture, The Bhagavad Gita.

This easy to read, and easy to study, book is divided into fourteen chapters. Each chapter has a section on: Philosophy, Yoga Postures, Breathing, Routine, Healing, Diet, and Meditation.

There is an extraordinary wealth of information in this valuable book. If you practice what is taught here, you'll be following the ancient science of Raja Yoga- in all it's richness and depth.

Many modern yoga teachers extract just one aspect out of Raja Yoga, such as the physical postures, and call it 'yoga'. This has caused much confusion in the public mind about just what is yoga. In addition, many Westerners, who are uncomfortable with anything smacking of 'religion', have removed much of the rich philosophy of Raja Yoga.

For instance, there is a great deal in the Bhagavad Gita (the greatest yoga scripture from India) that deals with devotional practices and meditation. Any book on Raja Yoga will include these practices. This book does just that.

If you want a merely physical approach to 'yoga', then you might find other pop-yoga teachers more attractive, though even the yoga postures taught in this book make it a worthwhile investment. If you want the Art and Science of Raja Yoga- as taught for millenia in India- then I would very highly recommend this book.

The author is a Westerner who has practiced Raja Yoga for over fifty years, and studied under a Master Yogi from India, Paramhansa Yogananda. As a Westerner, I found the manner of teaching to be highly effective. It's written in a way that communicates ancient practices in a Western style- without diluting or changing those practices.

I've practiced what is taught here, and the value I've received is truly priceless. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

The Art And Science Of Raja Yoga by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Waters) is an exhaustive, "user friendly", self-tutorial featuring black-and-white photographs of yoga postures, detailed descriptions of yoga philosophy and affirmations, instruction in the art of meditation and breathing techniques, chakras, chanting, prayer, fasting, energy, magnetism, and more. Of special note is the accompanying full length audio CD providing a complete accompaniment to the text. A superb starting guide for yoga beginners, with basic, easy-to-understand instructions for a better exercise regimen, improved health, and greater tranquility of the mind, The Art And Science Of Raja Yoga is strongly recommended for those new to yoga exercise and meditation techniques and practices.

....and I've read alot of them.

Art and Science of Raja Yoga has everything from easy beginner routines, to more advanced postures. And this book doesn't make you feel like some couch potato just because you can't do advanced pretzel poses.

I also enjoyed the pranayama breathing exercises and meditation practices. I had never 'got' meditation until I began practicing some of the simple meditation techniques in this book.

You can also contact the publishers of the book for followup support with your practices- everything from retreats, to other books, and more. I've never, ever heard of anything like this. Check it out!

This course is jam-packed with helpful insights into every aspect of the study and practice of Hindu yoga. No matter where you are in your yoga practice-beginner, intermediate, or advanced-this book and audio set will enhance your enjoyment and understanding. The Art and Science of Raja Yoga was drafted and produced by someone who really knows his business. Mr. Walters presents the history and essential teachings of yoga, the postures themselves, and even yogic dietary information in a clear and comprehensive manner. No other yoga handbook that I have seen comes close to this one. It contains everything one needs to master the subject. This is an essential guidebook for anyone interested in yoga.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

This book goes well beyond mere postures and meditation. The 450 pages are filled with 14 lessons, each designed to be studied for two weeks each. The lessons each contain:

* Philosophy
* Postures
* Breathing
* Routines
* Healing
* Diet
* Meditations

as well as a CD with guided meditations and lectures. The philosophy portion was an exceptional read and insight. While I don't and likely won't practice Raja Yoga, Swami Kriyananda makes the teachings accessable, and the philosophies are exceptional. A good work even if only for the philosophical elements, the work itself will get you thinking about the transformative and enlightening power of Yoga. If you have interest in the subject, it is a must read.

This is an excellent life-long resource for yoga practitioners. I have read it through, and keep it on the shelf and have referred to it hundreds of times over the last couple of decades -- perhaps to look up details on a yoga posture, to brush up on some aspect of yoga philosophy that I plan to share in a class, to find yoga postures for a particular physical need, to review some of the meditation instruction. It covers the whole gamut of yoga: philosophy, meditation, yoga postures, breathing exercises, daily routine, yogic diet and recipes, and yogic healing tools.

The philosophy sections are particularly fascinating to me, since they are very much about how to bring these teachings into daily life -- energy, magnetism, the chakras, the inner spine, Patanjali's 8-fold path, devotion, discrimination, selfless service, and much more.

I've read through "The Art and Science of Raja Yoga" about 5 times--it's so good! Each time I find new pearls of wisdom, fresh as though I was reading for the first time. Swami Kriyananda packs as much as he can, and brilliantly, into this overall course on what the spiritual/yogic path is all about. It's one of the "must-have's" in my library.