Customer Reviews

Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy

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It is nice to see Mukunda in print again. I think his strengths as a communicator are in the way in which he outlines "how to polish your practice" and "precautions" that are peppered throughout the book.
I think a reader should have some knowledge of Ayurveda and hatha to begin with to get the most out of the book. The most profound statement in the book reminds us that "many of the benefits of yoga we can only speculate at". Reason being , we are all so unique. Ayurveda now along with Yoga is gradually being recognized as an important facet to adopting a heathier lifestyle and yoga students are becoming more open to the concept of doshas and how they can refine their own practice in a class setting. I liked the detailed section on 'Ayurvedic Yoga Pranayama' but felt that some examples of how the vayu's move in specific asanas may have been useful. He mentions that Frawley's book 'Yoga for your type' is 'impractical' because of its generalization then goes on to list vinyassa's for vata,pitta and kapha students. The meat of the book in my view is reached at p165 "Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy". Interestingly he says that there are no soley pitta or kapha diseases according to Indian pathology, yet every disease will involve vata. Thus, the untimate goal of any hatha class, be it ayurvedic wisdom infused or not has not changed. It should leave the student feeling more balanced, focused and serene by the end because they have increased their self-awareness. There is no mention( I don't think) of ayurveda being ultimately a dualistic system that balances the sun and moon. A prominant chart with times of day to practice could have been useful.(vata,pitta and kapha times are listed however in the appendix charts at the back)I like the way he links pitta,vata and kapha to the kriya yoga system of self-discipline, self-study and attunement to indwelling Reality. Tridoshic balance he says is vata-relax the body/pitta-fire in the belly and kapha-a warm and loving heart.Let's hope that is what this book helps to bring out in more people. Camella Nair- author "Aqua Kriya Yoga"

At first glance, I have to admit, this modest looking book, devoid of color photographs, looked b-o-r-i-n-g! But, out of respect for the author, who I first met in the 1970's when we were both taking our teacher training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, I wanted to give the book a fair chance. As I perused the pages, jewel after jewel of wisdom caught my yogini-writer's eye. Plus, I love the fact that throughout Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, Mukunda uses the word "Yogini" which, if you think about it, is actually more inclusive than "yogi." A refreshing change!

Mukunda is a lifelong student of classic yogic texts and this book is not only a manual for a balanced Ayurvedic yoga lifestyle but a distillation of Mukunda's dedication to expressing the essence of yoga in all his writings and teachings.

Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy makes clear that one of the greatest contributions of Ayurveda to true health is the understanding of individual constitution and the idea that what balances one person unbalances another.

By marrying the sister sciences of yoga and Ayurveda, Mukunda moves away from an increasing tendency to medicalize yoga therapy. Instead of offering prescriptive recommendations for specific medical diagnoses, he presents sequences of vinyasa (moving with the breath)and pranayama (breathing techniques)suited to Ayurvedic body types.

My main criticism of the book is that the line drawings of the sequences of poses do not include clear references to the use of props. The average beginner may have difficulty following the flexible figures depicted in the drawings. For this reason I do not recommend this book as a beginner reader's sole instructional manual. Aside from this, Mukunda's instructions of the poses reflect his deep understanding of yoga philosophy, anatomy and kinesiology.

Enlivened by stories and wisdom teachings, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy offers food for body, soul and spirit. I highly recommended this book for all serious --and not yet serious --yoga practitioners to access a deeper level of preventative self-care, in harmony with the seasons and attuned to the rhythm and balance of each individual.

Suza Francina is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor and author of The New Yoga for People Over 50, Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause, The New Yoga for Healthy Aging, and other books.

I first read this book when I trained with Mukunda in Structural Yoga Therapy a few years back. Although I had previously studied ayurveda with other teachers, it was not until I met Mukunda that I began to get an embodied sense of the ayurvedic principles. I laughed out loud when I learned that part of the definition of the word "dosha" is "that which is unstable". This simple principle set me off on a journey that gently accepted my humanity and opened my heart to divinity - my journey into sattwic. I love the devotional tone of the book, the practical & deceptively simple exercises, and the ever deepening rabbit hole of self exploration that the principles and practices offer. I always learn something new when I open this book. More than anything, as in all of Mukunda's books, I am reminded of the importance of an attitude of great respect & love.

This is a wonderful book on yoga practice (sadhana) with the aim of improving one's physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Truely novel about this book are the ten yoga flows (vinyasas) geared towards improving health by resolving vata/pitta/kapha imbalances. These sequences were devised by Krishnamacharya and cannot be found elsewhere. Along with popularizing the joint freeing series (pavanmuktansana), this must be one of Mukunda's great contributions to the published yoga literature.

The book would have benefitted from an index and some more careful proofreading (there are some typos). But this is completely offset by this lovely writing on yoga. It is good to read this book in conjunction with Structural Yoga Therapy - Adapting to the Individual. Together, these books illustrate how Mukunda has managed to integrate anatomy, ayurveda and hatha yoga to shape the emerging discipline of yoga therapy.

Willem van Poelje
yoga teacher, structural yoga therapist

Mukunda is one of the best yoga instructors in the country.

Everyone who has worked with him agrees.