Yoga Mala: The Original Teachings of Ashtanga Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois [Paperback]

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Author), R. Sharath (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: July 6, 2010

The seminal treatise and guide to Ashtanga yoga by the master of this increasingly popular discipline

One of the great yoga figures of our time, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois brought Ashtanga yoga to the West more than thirty years ago. Based on flowing, energetic movement coordinated with the breath, Ashtanga and the many forms of vinyasa yoga that grow directly out of it have become the most widespread and influential styles practiced today.

Yoga Mala—a “garland of yoga”—is Jois’s authoritative guide to Ashtanga. In it, he outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying the discipline, explains important terms and concepts, and guides the reader through Ashtanga’s Sun Salutations and the subsequent primary sequence of forty-two asanas, or poses, precisely describing how to execute each position and what benefits each provides. It is a foundational work on yoga by a true master.

To coincide with publication of Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students by Guy Donahaye and Eddie Stern, this new edition of Yoga Mala includes a foreword by Jois’s grandson Sharath Rangaswamy, currently co-director of the famous school Jois founded in Mysore, the Ashtanga Yoga Institute.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A treasure . . . Jois's discourses, at once authoritative and devout, [describe] the philosophy of yoga and the spiritual implications of its practice . . . For those who walk the Ashtanga path, this is the real thing." --Yoga Journal

About the Author

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, a master of Ashtanga Yoga and a professor of Sanskrit, studied for twenty-five years with T. Krishnamacharya. He passed away in 2009 at the age of ninety-three.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press; Second Edition edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865477515
• ISBN-13: 978-0865477513
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Yoga

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lays the ground work for a strong Ashtanga practice January 4, 2005

By James E. White

Format:Paperback

I found this book to be an excellent source on both the philosophy of Ashtanga yoga as well as a great how to of moving from one asana to the next in the Primary Series. Do not buy this book if you are trying to learn the Primary Series from a book. Although the level of detail in this book is great, Ashtanga is better learn watching/learning from a live person, or if you are really pressed for money and/or do not have an Ashtanga teacher near you get a good video (David Swenson, Richard Freeman, John Scott, and others have excellent tapes out). With that said, this book is a wonderful reference tool and offers exact breath counts. In Ashtanga, every movement is associated with a breath, this book provides information on how to get in and out of every posture in the primary series following the breath (i.e. how many inhalations and exhalations should be accomplished moving between postures). This book also offers great detail as it relates to living the yoga you practice. While I may not agree with Jois' entire philosophy, it is a great deal of knowledge to be gained from this book. This book is a must read if you are an Ashtanga practioner or teacher. This book will help you deepen your practice both physically and spiritually. I would also suggest this book for anyone curious about the philosophy of Ashtanga yoga.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading September 26, 2002

By Daniel McGuire

Format:Paperback

This is one of the essential yoga texts. No serious yoga student can be without it. It was originally published privately in a short run a few years back and sold thousands of copies with no advertising. The new edition has a helpful new forward by the translator that gives more in-depth info on how Jois came to study yoga inthe 1920's. Beautifully designed, flawlessly translated, and amazing historical photographs. With all the silly yoga books out there, we should be grateful that Jois and some others still maintain high standards.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars yoga mala September 30, 2007

By Nicole Ann Wilson

Format:Paperback

This book is a must for ashtanga practitioners, having been written by the guru of this form of yoga, Sri K Pattabhi Jois. The forward by Eddie Stern provides an interesting background of the life of Pattabhi Jois and how he came to teach western students.
The opening chapter describes what is meant by 'ashtanga' (eight limbs) of yoga, with valuable information regarding yogic philosophy, lifestyle and dietary concerns, quoting from the ancient texts.
Following is a detailed description of the vinyasa/asana practice.
Ashtanga is a challenging and methodical practice of yoga, with emphasis on correct method; from the first sun salutation to the final resting position, there is exact placement of the gaze, the timing of the breath, and sequence of movement.
Those with an interest in yoga generally, or who practice a different form, may also find this book of value, since yoga is yoga and the ultimate "goal" is the same. It is my feeling, however, that without an existing practice and enthusiasm for this method, the book may seem a little dry in the last section.

I have had a copy with me for years, it is an invaluable reference.