Customer Reviews

Yoga Self-Taught

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During my youthful "Searching Phase" I delved into Yoga headfirst. But I quickly became annoyed by all the unexplained cosmology and philosophical claptrap associated with it. Like Richard Hittleman's fine books, Andre VanLysbeth's 'Yoga, self-taught' is a breath of unsullied truth. Keeping in mind that, "An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory", VanLysbeth gives us the neccesary fundamentals of Hatha (physical) Yoga without pretense. He presents scientific reasons for Yoga's benifits in a straightforward manner that any layman can understand. The illustrations and photography is good considering it was done so long ago, and is certainly clear and informative...as illustrations should. For the sceptic this is the BEST BOOK you can find and is well suited to the Western mind. It is not as pretty as the "Sivananda Companion to YOGA" (also a great book)but "YOGA self-taught" should be in every students library for reference and clear detailed instruction. It is a terrible shame that this book is out of print. I think the book is SO IMPORTANT that I have personally bought many copies to give to friends and hope that somehow by writing this review can help stir renewed interest in it. Perhaps if enough people realize how great this volume is, the publisher will decide to re-release it and keep it and the vitality of true Yoga alive.

My uncle introduced me to this book when I was 15. 21 years later, after going through many books, I don't find a book parallel to this. - The book is aimed for the westerner who has little time to practice. - No knowledge of yoga previously is required - A series of asanas are outlined in a scientific way to cover most parts of the body, each asanas complementing the previous one - For a book published first in the 70s, this book had the most photographs with ALL steps needing one; Every asana was described with possible mis-steps (with photographs); the side effects one feels if done incorrectly; the benefits; Such descriptions are still not routine in books of Yoga now

All in all, a must for a practitioner and one of the best books; For 21 years I have practiced Yoga thanks to this book. Hailing from India, I found no other book as instructional. A couple of years earlier, I was trying to find this book but it was out of print. I would bring extra copies of it from India and distribute it here. I am glad, the publisher have awoken, they have done a great service.

The sequence in this book consists of just about 10 asanas and a few breathing techniques. This makes it ideal for the practitioner to fold the practise into 30 minutes when there is not much time. A piece of advice - if you are new to yoga it may be a bit challenging to follow the routine. Also I started with this when I was 15 years young!

Its main focus is the physical aspect of Yoga. It covers little on Pranayama though correct breathing is emphasised and outlined for every asana. There is an exclusive chapter on correct Yogic breathing. I remember and quote often an interesting narration in the book where a stressed out man during a visit feels better after breathing correctly for a few minutes.

It won't be the complete or an exhaustive source for a Yoga practitioner. But it serves its purpose to introduce Yoga to the Westerner who is short on time and looks to Yoga as an alternative means for keeping fit and more later.

if you want to learn yoga from a book, then this is the best book you can buy, hands down no questions asked. in fact even if you take yoga there is a good chance that this book is better than the teacher you have. it really is that good. it starts with explanations on the benefits of yoga, the reasons it is so good for you etc. this section is fanatastic and in and of itself would have made the book well worth the price. but then you reach the section where the book describes how to do each pose and this is where things really shine. each pose is broken down to the smallest details. and even better, just about each step of each pose has picture. not only that but the book explains common mistakes made, and there are pictures of the mistakes!!!! in trying the poses, i have yet to run into a question that is not addressed by the text and by a picture. you can really tell that the author knows how to teach yoga. in fact, this isn't just the best yoga book i have read, it is the best exercise book i have read. one word of warning, when you first see each pose you might think, i can never do that. don't worry. the author explains what modifications you can do to make the pose "easier" (and of course there are pictures to show you what to do) and the author explains that patience is the key word. keep gently trying and you will succeed. all in all a must own book

I have a beaten old copy of this book - a 70's edition. I plan on getting a new one since the copy I have is beaten up. I have used the book to the maximum extent possible. Being an Indian I have read a variety of Yoga books and found that for pratical yoga in everyday life, this books is the best. It stands out with down to earth no-nonsense explanations of various forms of yogic asanas( postures with associated movements ). Anybody who thinks yoga books always contain religious/philosophical hogwash, must read this book. The content is just as fresh today as it seemed back when I read it for the first time. If you decide to read only one book on yoga, make this the one. You will come away satisfied.

My brother gave me this book back in 1979. I was in my early twenties and had a bad back. I began doing these exercises and after a few weeks my back ache was gone. I also noticed numerous other benefits. I've always kept a copy of the book nearby since, but I also explored other books. This one was FAR SUPERIOR to every other book I've read. Why? There are fewer than a dozen simple poses, there is an order in which to perform them, each pose is explored thoroughly. The author also illustrates the mistakes you might make while attempting them. He gives a full description of the health benefits.

I have taken classes and I've read numerous books. Nothing compares to this one. Recently, my bad back returned after vanishing for almost thirty years. I had stopped doing yoga for several years. I got the book out, reread it, even though I've read it a dozen times, and began performing the asanas. Magic. Bad back gone, mild insomnia which I've also suffered from gone. I've never gotten a common cold while doing these yoga exercises...

I just spent fifteen minutes writing this. I do not know anyone associated with the book or the author. It's just something that's been a gift in my life and I felt it important to give a bit back to it.

If you're looking for a book on yoga that will plant you firmly at the feet of a guru and introduce you to all the Hindu theosophical accretions that have built up around the asanas over the last two or three millennia, start with Iyengar's _Light on Yoga_. This book isn't it.

But if you're interested in yoga as a form of physical exercise that will help you to inhabit your body (and this planet) comfortably and perhaps occasionally even with a modicum of grace, and you want a no-nonsense book that will show you how to do it without requiring you to do obeisance to a guru full of Profound Insights, look no further. This book _is_ it.

The latter paragraph describes me. In traditional Hindu terms, I'm most definitely a jnana kind of guy (and a pretty iconoclastic one at that). Intellectually, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's _An Idealist View of Life_ comes close to capturing my philosophical outlook (which in my case owes as much to Royce and Bradley as to Shankara). I can muster up some reverence when it's absolutely necessary, but in general I'm about as inclined toward bhakti as your cat.

And I certainly don't have much patience for the sort of stuff Frank Zappa memorably described as "Cosmik Debris"; the little reverence I _do_ have, I reserve exclusively for the Absolute, not for His/Her/Its self-appointed earthly representatives.

Nevertheless, for the reasons to which I briefly alluded above, I've been practicing yoga, at least on and off, for something over twenty years. And I like this book.

Now, I'm not knocking gurus; if you want one, go get one. (Just please, for your own sake, check them out carefully and stick to the real ones, like Sri Ramana Maharshi. And Iyengar's books are very good if you want that sort of thing.) I'm just saying that if you're like me, this is the yoga book you want. It sets out the asanas in anatomical detail, with photos of not only the right way but also several common _wrong_ ways of doing them. The descriptions are very good and very clear. And if you don't think you can do the "hard" ones right away, don't worry; simpler variants are included.

This is not, in short, a yoga book that will make you feel like a spiritual quitter or a fraud or something if you're just doing it for exercise. You can do as much or as little as you want, and this book will be right there to help you. (There's helpful information on diet and such too, but here again, you can take the parts you can use and leave the rest.)

Andre van Lysebeth wasn't looking for devoted chelas when he wrote this helpful guide. It was first published in the 1970s and it's stood the test of the intervening decades. I'm delighted to find that it's back in print so that I can get a replacement copy.

I bought this book in the seventies and still use it. Especially if I have not done yoga for a while it is wonderful to refresh my memory of the does and don'ts of many of the postures.

I feel lucky that i found this book, when i started practicing yoga, as it helps you to learn yoga postures (asanas) step by step.
You do not need a yoga instructor if you buy this book, for you may really start practicing at home without injuring yourself - especially the step-by-step teaching of Shirshasana (head stand) is very good.
It also gives how to practice Uddhiyana Bandha / a special Bandha technique with a unique and easy-to-do method.

However, this book is plainly about hatha yoga - the physical practices on yoga, so the ones who are interested more on philosophy has to move on other books.

I purchased this book used and could not even tell that it was ever opened. Upon signing up for a week-long yoga teacher training I required to buy this book for my classes. My teacher repeated many times that this book is considered one of the best yoga books ever written. She required us to read the chapters on breathing which were extremely eye-opening. I recommend this book for anyone who would like more information on the philosophical side of yoga. It is a great book for us "westerners" who practice the physical side of yoga, yet want to know more. Easy read.

Yoga instruction books and booklet are dime a dozen and like many practioners, I own quite a few of these; with and without illustrations.
But when it comes to a thorough exposition and instruction with detailed warnings about who SHOULD AVOID CERTAIN POSTURES AND WHY this book has no match. I own the original english edition and refer to it often. I am glad it is being reissued