The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice (Paperback)

by T. K. V. Desikachar (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American
Here, the practice of yoga is directed toward the individual's needs and goals. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
. . . a milestone in the transmission of yoga from the ancient masters to the modern world. -- Bodhi Tree Book Review, Winter 1999 / Spring 2000

A milestone in the transmission of yoga from the ancient masters to the modern world. -- Bodhi Tree Book Review, Winter 2000 / Spring 2001

I can think of no better book to recommend to a friend beginning to be excited by yoga but bewildered by the plethora of different schools and their sometimes-conflicting teachings. In addition, I would be hard-pressed to think of a book I would recommend more highly to any yoga student seeking to deepen a yoga practice. . . . The great gift of The Heart of Yoga lies not simply in the depth of Desikachar's learning, but in the compassion, gentleness, practicality, and down-to-earth spirit that permeate the book. -- Yoga Journal

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions; Revised edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089281764X
• ISBN-13: 978-0892817641
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,180 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

210 of 212 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to understand yoga?, July 10, 2002

By	Vasudevan Srinivasan (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

No introduction is needed for the author (son of famous yogacharya Sri T Krishnamacharya). I got interested in yoga after reading his series of articles in Indian magazines in late 1980s. First of all, this book is not an explanation of yoga poses (I recommend Light on Yoga for that). I first bought the book thinking its another book about yoga poses. But I was wrong. This book is exactly what the title says - how to develop a personal practice. The emphasise of the book is for the practitioner to observe himself/herself and see how he/she can augment the benefits of the poses. This is an invaluable and a very important step in learning yoga.

Now, everytime I read it I find it throws more light on understanding yoga. I used to do yogic poses mechanically, but now I have a different perspective. The book really makes you think about an asana and how to improve yourself to benefit from it (the term for this is viniyoga). The emphasis is on gradually learning and enjoying each pose instead of hurrying to accomplish some asana. There are several tips for maximizing the benefits of asanas - for eg counterposes, developing breathing techniques by observing oneself etc. The explanation is lucid, the writing is so simple and effective. Several common questions are answered in Q&A format which is very helpful.

The second part of the book contains Patanjali's yoga sutras in Sanskrit and followed by explanations in English. (Yoga sutras are the foundations of yogas in other words - the heart of yoga). The explanations are very simple and easy to understand.

65 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent all around yoga resource, March 16, 2006

By	Patrick D. Goonan "www.meaningful-life.us" (Pleasanton, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I own a lot of books on yoga and this is one of my favorite introductions. What makes it particularly valuable is that it explains how to construct a practice. This allows the reader to intelligently use other resources and link his or her yoga practice to overaching physical, psychological and spiritual principles.

I also found this volume to be well balanced. It covered a lot of ground and had a broad scope, but it was not overwhelming in any way. It really did a great job of covering the essentials of yoga philosophy, principles of joining breath with movement, connecting poses and varying poses.

The book also contains a good introduction to pranayama and presents the basics of the bandhas. The material on the mental and moral application of yoga are also well done, but not over done. I also liked that the book included a pronunciation guide for Sanskrit and 60 pages of a translation of parts of the yoga sutras of Patanjali with insightful commentary.

If you are looking for a book that explains how to do particular asanas, then this isn't your best choice although it does include a short section on Four General Practice Sequences.

This book does NOT provide detailed instruction on how to perform particular asanas. For this, you might try 30 Essential Yoga Poses by Judith Lasater, Dancing the Body of Light by Dona Holleman (a must have) or Back Care Basics by Mary Pullig Schatz M.D. (don't let the title full you, it's a great general introduction to yoga, especially for people starting later in life).

The Heart of Yoga will compliment any of the books above, which are not nearly as strong with respect to how to construct a yoga practice on your own.

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best translation of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali., May 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. Be advised that this book contains an incredible bonus - the best, and most understandable translation (actually a translation/interpretation) of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali that I have ever read. After years of searching for a translation that I could actually use in my personal practice, I am very grateful to have found this one. This alone is well worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.