Yoga Mala [Paperback]

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2002

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

There is a yoga boom in America, and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is at the heart of it. One of the great yoga figures of our time, Jois brought Ashtanga yoga to the West a quarter of a century ago and has been the driving force behind its worldwide dissemination. Based on flowing, energetic movement, Ashtanga and the many forms of vinyasa yoga that grow directly out of it--have become the most widespread and influential styles of practice in the United States today.

Mala means "garland" in Sanskrit, and Yoga Mala--a "garland of yoga practice"--is Jois's distillation of Ashtanga. He first outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying the discipline and explains its important terms and concepts. Next he guides the reader through Ashtanga's versions of the Sun Salutation and its subsequent sequence of forty-two asanas, or poses, precisely describing how to execute each position and what benefits each provides.
Brought into English by Eddie Stern, a student of Jois's for twelve years and director of the Patanjali Yoga Shala in New York City, Yoga Mala will be an indispensable handbook for students and teachers of yoga for years to come.

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press; Second Edition edition (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865476624
• ISBN-13: 978-0865476622
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #446,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 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 (Oak Park, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yoga Mala (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.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading, September 26, 2002

By 

Daniel McGuire (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga Mala (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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars yoga mala, September 30, 2007

By 

Nicole Ann Wilson (los angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yoga Mala (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.