Yoga (Yoga Journal Books) [Perfect Paperback]

Linda Sparrowe (Author), David Martinez (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Yoga Journal Books | Publication Date: January 8, 2008

Yoga is everywhere these days: Hollywood stars take their personal instructors with them on location; newspapers and magazines hail yoga as the answer to the unrelenting stress in our society; and gyms everywhere are now offering a dizzying array of classes. The yoga we practice today in the West bears little resemblance to the yoga that began humbly almost 5,000 years ago, but in its rich and varied history, yoga has always evolved to meet the needs of the culture it serves. But what distinguishes this publication are the 400 poses, or asanas, illustrated by artful black-and-white photographs taken especially for this book, that demonstrate the physical postures derived from an ancient Indian tradition. With dozens of stunning foldouts, this book beautifully explores a wide range of yoga with an emphasis on how it touches more than the physical body; the flexibility and stamina achieved on the yoga mat will doubtless transcend to more important aspects of everyday life. Linda Sparrowe’s introduction traces the evolution of yoga, rooted in the devotional and metaphysical teachings of the sacred yoga texts including the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita, and progressing to an in-depth look at the philosophy of Patanjali, the father of modern yoga. Included are brief introductions to the twentieth-century yogis who were influential in making yoga a Western, and indeed a worldwide, obsession.

Editorial Reviews

Review

All told Yoga is fabulous for the skillful photography that captures the artistry of these masters at work. -- Wordtrade.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Linda Sparrowe is the former managing editor and current contributing editor of Yoga Journal magazine. She is a freelance writer and the author of A Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health. This book is also published under the editorial direction of Yoga Journal magazine.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 454 pages
• Publisher: Universe (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789399873
• ISBN-13: 978-0789399878
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!!, November 7, 2002

By 

Meeshka (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga (Hardcover)

First of all, this book is HUGE -- I was not expecting this (there was no dimension information when I purchased it). It is roughly 11"x14" and 2" thick.

If that isn't stunning enough, wait until you open it. The pictures are *GORGEOUS* and truly amazing. I read elsewhere that there are ~375 photos in this book, and all but a few photos in the beginning are full-page photos. The poses they demonstrate are breathtaking and people doing the poses are equally so! The book begins with 60 pages of a remarkably complete and concise background of yoga - very informative. The rest of the book is the pictures and they are broken down into general genre of poses: inverted, seated, backbends, etc.

Believe me, this book will not teach anyone yoga, nor does it suggest that it will. What it does do is INSPIRE. This book is thoroughly fascinating and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you are interested in yoga at all or in the potential of the human body I believe you will find this book a treasure. It is actually quite a bargain for the price, I feel, given the quality of the book and the volume of material contained within.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY, THE DEFINITIVE YOGA BOOK, November 27, 2002

By 

adam david (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga (Hardcover)

First of all, if you're moving anytime soon, don't purchase this book quite yet. It is ENORMOUS. You'll have an easier time getting the sofa out of a bay window.

Or, for that matter, getting into some of the asanas displayed herein. Up through now, I have been disappointed by the photography in most yoga books: either the constrast is poor, the pictures too dark, the subject's posture is off, or the background is some cliched, cheesy setting, like a beach or whatever, taking the focus off the subject. (Another mistake is when a book tries to do a two-page spread, and the subject's center winds up lost in the book's fold)

Here, the photography is absolutely stunning, and the quality of the paper it's printed on allows the beauty of the prints to shine. Subjects include David Life, Richard Freeman, Sharon Gannem, Rodney Yee, and many more of today's most respected yoga professionals.

The book also includes essays on the history of yoga, yogic philosophy, and diet.

Yoga Journal has created the ultimate tome on yoga. I do not read the magazine: to my taste, many of the articles are either sappy or exercises in public relations and attempts to create as commerial a magazine as possible with the highest subscription circulation (Fran Leibowitz once said that any special interest magainze that turns a profit is probably not so special or so interesting).

But here they have spared no expense - either financially or creatively - trading what could have been yet another title on yoga in an already over-saturated market, and decided to make a book strictly to satisfy a deep, committed passion for the practice.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!, January 2, 2003

By 

L G P (Calif) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga (Hardcover)

Well, like the other reviewers said, this book is beautiful. I was also surprised at how heavy it is. The poses are shot in front of simple black and white backgrounds, save for a handful of color photos, one at the beginning of each section. The book is split up into types of poses, eg. standing, backbends, balance etc. The models all do a splendid job. Only the names of the poses, not the models, are listed with the photos, so there are no stars in this book. Well known gifted teachers such as Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden share pages with the equally impressive Darhma Mittra (The creator of the unbelievable 908 pose poster often seen in yoga studios. He's still got it!), Lauren Peterson (perfect, beautiful line and grace!) Maia Heiss(amazing flexibility, lovely!) Ana Forest (intense stregnth and suppleness. Great character!) David Life and Richard Freeman (Feet and knees don't bend like that! Here you see poses you don't get in a yoga class) Chris Hoskins (Powerful, beautiful body, strong, long lines) and others. The age ranges of the models looked to be early 20's into probably the 60's. Bios of the models are added to the back, which I liked. I know I will spend a lot of time, devouring this book. It is also a great gift for artists and photographers. It is a tribute to what the human body is capable of. The text by Linda Sparrowe is thorough and fascinating. What can I say. I felt it was well worth the money spent. Bravo!