Customer Reviews

A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya

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There are a couple reviews here that do a great job of briefly explaining this book's amazing and unbelievably detailed contents so I won't head down that path. I will say that this is the path of yoga for the spiritually-inclined. Asanas are definitely part of the course, but in contrast to most other styles, a large amount of your time is spent in breath work and meditation which is not surprising given that Raja yoga (regarded as the most meditation-intensive supreme path of yoga) is a large part of Saytananda yoga. In fact, the more you progress, you realize that the asanas/postures are really just preparing you for meditation (kind of like stretching before running a marathon)

After practicing the first 7 lessons (7 months) of the book at home I decided to get serious about Satyananda Yoga and started looking for a teacher. As it turns out, there are only 4 fully accredited Satyananda teachers in North America (yes you read that correctly!) as it takes 3 to 5 years of intensive study to achieve that designation (as opposed to about 1 month to get a basic 200-hour yoga certificate elsewhere) and they have only started training Satyananda teachers in North America about 5 years ago. As all 4 of the teachers are in Cleveland Ohio, I took a flight out there to start my journey down this amazing path and hope to join the ranks of Satyananda teachers in a few years.

If you are a serious and disciplined aspirant and are interested in the practice of yoga for rapid spiritual evolution (as opposed to simply for health and fitness), then this is the path for YOU.

Hari Om Tat Sat,
Dave

This is an imposing volume for sure, the great length and expense of the book may lead some people to try something else. I encourage you to go ahead and try this one if you have any inclination to do so. It starts you out gently, the first chapter contains some exercises to increase the flexibility in ankles, hips, and knees, and the only meditative pose given is shavasana or corpse pose, which is just laying on your back on the floor. You can handle that. The method given of moving from boat pose into corpse pose for relaxation is fantastic. Everything is explained thoroughly and aimed at a complete novice, though the explanatory text is rewarding even for those already versed in yoga practices.

The course also provides some bodily cleansing methods which may freak you out a little bit. Right off the bat they give you Jala Neti which requires you to pour salt water into one nostril and have it flow out the other one. This feels odd at first but you get used to it and even start to crave it after a few days.

You spend as long as it takes to fully assimilate each chapter before moving on to the next. Fantastic progress can be made in an hour a day, though it looks like as you reach the more advanced teachings that time will increase.

So don't be intimidated, begin this journey.

This is a great book for people who are serious enough to start a daily yoga practice but for whom it is not feasible to go on an extended pilgrimage to an ashram or other yoga retreat. It does require a long-term commitment of regular practice and is not ideal for people who are absolute beginners or just dabbling.

The course within this book outlines the essentials of the entire yoga lifestyle and therefore includes information not only on yoga postures, but also on some of the esoteric practices including yogic breathing, cleansing, diet, philosophy, and chakra meditations. However, it is one specific system (or path) to yoga and should not be mixed with other systems i.e. if you choose this path, stick to this one alone.

This large book on yoga and kriya shows in detail how to do various yoga exercises, breathing excercises, a meditation method called ajapa japa, kriya yoga, and very much else.

It does not seek to indoctrinate anyone, but to present an Indian-based, yogic lifestyle with its claims and demands on your time.

And contrary to other books that sell by their title of "kriya yoga", this one gives you exact kriya methods, in a progressive program. It shows up from the book that there are many kriya yoga techniques, but also a core kriya method: it is a way of breathing that is called ujjayi.

There are others that propagate kriya yoga too, but some tie you for it, tie you to beliefs, guru worship, and tie your future by a harsh oath of unconditional loyalty that purports to extend even for life-times. Self-Realization Fellowship hands out kriya yoga in such a way. If you value the freedom you have got already, here is a better deal - kriya without ties.

The programs in the book are strenuous, but should be attainable by quite supple persons, all in all.

I am glad indeed I got this large (over 950 pages) repository of yoga teachings and methods, and thankful to the publishers too. It is a book I would not miss.

This book is very complete, and yet doesn't focus on the extreme aspects that make so many people think that they 'can't do yoga'. You -can- do yoga, without being a "circus performer", (as is mentioned in the book). As there is no unecessary physical extreme here, there is also no judgement of motive: You want to do yoga / you have your reasons / yoga is good / any motives to do yoga are good motives. Teaching by good example, rather than rules; inspirational.

People who believe this book is a cosmic joke will unfortunately miss out on an unique opportunity here to learn aspects from yoga which were only available from very advanced yoga teachers and gurus. If you could say that there would be a bible on yoga, which I don't think you can, you could say that this is the definite bible on yoga.
When I got the book and looked in it I was surprised and overwhelmed to find so much text in it compared to just a few illustrations. The usual yoga book has lots of photographs with instructions, however these books often miss out on the very essential information to practice yoga not just as a stretch or fitness exercise, which certainly do have benefits. I always knew there was a lot more to yoga than was presented to me and I've been doing different types of yoga for over 20 years.
If you want to get more out of your yoga practice, this is absolutely the book for you. It tells you about all the other aspects of yoga and specifically about kriya yoga.
The book gives an outline to practice yoga and it is suitable for anybody, from beginners to very advanced yoga practicians.Even though is has a lot of text it is a very practical course in yoga and easy to follow. It is very readable and understandable and he gives very down to ground information about the "higher consciousness" aspects of yoga.
I love it and it is worth every penny I paid for it.

A yoga book the size of the dictionary! I am also very surprised that there are not more reviews of this book. It takes you from day one. Unlike most yoga books, it doesnt start out assuming that you can can already fold yourself in half. It builds up your ability slowly and gently. Covering much more than just the asana's. It takes you through every single aspect of yoga. Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha, diet, hygiene, philosophy, meditation, EVERYTHING! Be warned, however, this book is not for those who are looking for a quick little yoga program, or are looking for some POWER YOGA to firm up those glutes and thighs. This is traditional. This is for those people who are looking to live the life of a true yogi. Do not be fooled by the price either. This book is worth FAR more than what it costs. Written by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a TRUE indian yogi, about TRUE indian yoga. VERY authentic, VERY good, VERY complete. And dispite SERIOUSLY being about as long as the dictionary, it is very easy to read through and understand.
May the wisdom of Swami Satyananda Saraswati come to the aid of all those who travel the path of yoga.
OM

I am a graduate student doing my Phd in Electrical Engineering but yoga and meditation are my hobbies (along with hiking and biking).
As some of the other reviewers have pointed out, this book is one of the most comprehensive, articulate and informative book I have found so far on meditation and yoga.
The book emphasizes that, 'There is no need to believe before hand that the techniques will work. Practice and you will know it to be true'.
The book starts with Hatha yoga, basic asanas and progresses through basic breathing techniques. Along the way it gives an in-depth analysis of various forms of yoga - Karma yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti yoga, etc.
It emphasizes that these different yogas complement each other and do not go against each other.
Some people might ask, well isn't there 'one god'. Shouldn't there be one path? This is a narrow way of looking at things. Sure there is one 'Mount Everest' but there are probably many different ways to get to the base-camp!
And each has its own scenic views and obstacles.
Same with the different yogas. Pick one that best suits your personality or better integrate a few of them - E.g. Karma yoga (This is easy to begin - If you work everyday!), Bhakti yoga (Prayer, devotion,etc) and Raja yoga (Breathing, Meditations,etc).
The book gives precise instructions especially in the breathing techniques and gives it to you in steps, so that you can measure your progress and move onto the next level.
The book moves onto advanced kriya techniques towards the end of the book (these require some level of mastery over postures and breathing techniques).
This is a book to keep for a lifetime and go through again and again to understand and integrate more knowledge as one progresses on the path.

One of the unique aspects of this wonderful book is that it calls yoga what it essentially is: a tantric spiritual path. Moreover, in a section on tantra, Swami Satyananda explains how tantra developed separately from the Vedas and gave birth to what we know as yoga today. Most of the hatha yoga trends practiced in the West today can be traced back to Krisnamacharya and his disciple B.K.S. Iyengar, who often blended the original hatha yoga (which also originated within the tantric system) with Western style gymnastics, props, etc. In this book, we get a practical course in the ancient techniques of yoga before being Westernized and modernized by teachers focusing mostly on the physical side of yoga. In tantra, hatha yoga is used as preparation or as an integral part of spiritual practice; in other words, as an integral part of meditation. The program in this book is very systematic and hands on, but also quite demanding and only for those who are serious students on the path of yoga. The only limitation with this book is simply that it is a text and not a living teacher. Ideally one need to study tantra with a competent teacher or guru. A book, no matter how comprehensive, cannot be a substitute for a personal student teacher relationship. Apart from that, I highly recommend this book.

If you are interesting in holistic insights about Yoga, Kriya etc, this is the book ! To give you an example, I have never yet found very clear (& scientific - for those who are looking for cause and effect) explanation of "sarvangasana" anywhere except this book. The way I look at that posture now is completely different ! The book also covers Yoga Nidra & many other techniques extremely well.

It is difficult to not appreciate such a volume on Yogic practices.

Beware, the book is a bit descriptive (fewer diagrams) but I did not find that to be a problem. You will (probably) never find such a comprehensive volume on Yogic practices anywhere.