Customer Reviews

Yoga for a New Age a Modern Approach to Hatha Yoga

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This is an incredible reference and guide to Hatha Yoga postures, body musculature and how the postures affect it, breath during postures, use of props and proper body alignment for each posture. There are several pictures documenting almost every pose and a guide to routines for every level of yoga student. And unlike most yoga books out there, this one is not just full of pretty picutes, there is a LOT of text -- very helpful, concise text that aids you in accomplishing the goal of each pose. It also contains a chapter on meditation and the chakras, and has a useful index, appendix and list of additional reading materials. The author does attempt to discuss the new age concept of consciousness and provide a brief history of yoga, but also stresses that "The main focus of this book is upon the postures of Hatha Yoga." I've purchased several yoga books over the past eight years since I've been practicing Hatha Yoga, and this is the one to which I always find myself returning. I will not loan this book out; I'll buy new copies for friends instead. It's that good.

This paperback book on yoga, published more than 10 years ago, is an excellent book for people interested in yoga from beginners to advanced practitioners. What distinguishes this book from others on the market is the authors' comments, especially common mistakes and ways to correct them. Of many books on hatha yoga I have seen, this book stands as one of the best. It is worth a special order!

I sent this email to the author today and I thought it would be appropriate to repeat it here:

Dear Bob,
I am about to begin my morning yoga routine and I looked at your book again and I thought I need to let you know how special this book has been to me ever since I took my first yoga course at Cal State Long Beach in 1980. I liked the course and the book so much that I repeated the course for no credit. My teacher's name was Micki, I have no idea what happened to her, but she was the most advanced yoga teacher I have ever met. She knew so much about the poses, meditation, pranayama, and massage and told us about staying in an ashrmam. That was rare back then. My yoga studies have taken me far and wide, but I always come back to your book.
My first book fell apart after several years. I eventually punched holes in it and put it into a notebook, that was good because the pages would lay flat and make it easier to navigate. Then somehow I lost the notebook during a move. I just replaced it with a used version from Amazon.com.
There is a familarity of this book that is just like an old friend. I love how it is organized. I love how dated the photos are. I love the beautiful explanations. I love the routines in the back. They challenge me to do poses that aren't my favorites, or if I'm not really in the mood, it's like having a teacher tell me what to do, or if I want to work a specific area.
There are many fancier books that have come along, but your book is my staple, my foundation, where it all began, and where I keep coming back to.
I know that your career has taken you near and far with many accolades. But for me, just another yogini in Florida, practicing alone on my mat most of these 27 years, longer than I have ever done anything else consistently in my life, I wanted to let you know that this book is my special companion.
Namaste,
Kathy Gardner

I have been practicing yoga on and off for a while and wanted to delve deeper into the meaning, different asanas, and yoga forms practiced. While this focuses on Hatha yoga, I have learned a great deal overall. I now understand the difference between what I had been practicing and this form. Very educational and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Hatha yoga, especially beginners.