Customer Reviews

Yoga Therapy: A Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Yoga and Ayurveda for Health and Fitness

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The more I teach,the more I am interested in the therapeutic aspects of asana and how it links to our lifestyle that can be understood through the knowledge of Ayurveda. Nice explaination in the principles of movement and breathing section on gravity and strength. The section on observation and assessment is useful because it can help the teacher empower the student with greater self-awareness. The asanas illustrated from a chair aswell as from the floor makes the pranayama section meaningful for the student who may well have a bias in the body or be confined to a wheelchair. If you already have a basic understanding of prakruti and vikruti, the ayurvedic/yoga therapy section can be useful. The favorable vs unfavorable choice of asanas can help one understand the groups of asanas that may prove effective in a therapeutic scenario. Whilst I have yet to find a completely effective way to erradicate painful menses periodically, at least I feel more inspiration to continue
trying to find the route cause of the imbalance within me. Camella Nair - author of "Aqua Kriya Yoga"

I found the Yoga Therapy book to be a great reference tool to building specific sequences tailored to an individuals needs. For the person who needs to concentrate more on low back strength, for example, it is well written and illustrated. I'm glad I purchased it!

A. G. Mohan and his wife Indra give both theoretical and practical explanation of Yoga application as taught by Shri T. Krishnamacharya. This easy to follow comprehensive book is a must for both teachers and practitioners of yoga. Mohan and his wife are amongst the best teachers in the world with a special ability to simplify the intricacies of Yoga practice for the individual with precision and user friendly manner.

Very good book but could use some user friendly things like a detailed index for quick reference.

Anyone can practice a bit of yoga, read a few books and then call themself a yoga therapist.

While the term sounds appealing, caution is advised when using the term "therapy".

The word "therapy" comes from the Greek "therapeia" meaning "a service, an attendance" which, in turn, is related to the Greek verb "therapeuo" meaning "I wait upon." Therapy was (and is) a service done to the sick (from www.medterms.com). Therapy is therefore usually associated with the medical profession rather that yoga teachers.

If you are a professional therapist and are also trained in yoga, this book might help you understand more about the physiological implications of certain yogic practices with some Ayurveda thrown in as well, however if you practice and/or teach yoga and want to become a therapist, this book may lead some to believe in the fantastic curative powers of a bit of bending and twisting with a few breathing exercises thrown in, when there could easily be more to the medical problem than the yoga teacher is trained to deal with.

If you are a patient of someone who bases their qualifications on this book, I would advise you to seek another professional opinion, at least from a qualified therapist in your area of need who is also suitably trained in yoga as well.

As far as therapeutic interventions or medical practice goes, the book is seriously lacking. Remember that the word "yoga" means "to join" or "to bring together" which is designed for the practitioner themselves to do the work, any inner healing and balancing should be done themselves, it is not for someone else to "treat" them using yoga.

This book should certainly be used with caution, especially considering that the author in previous books has unfortunately mistranslated important Sanskrit words into English perhaps with a lack of understanding or awareness as to their physiological and medical implications, e.g. a Sanskrit word for "abdomen" has been mistranslated into "chest". Medically this is entirely insufficient especially when presenting one' self as a "therapist" and could lead to all sorts of unforseen repercussions and medical problems for the uninformed reader.

I would certainly advise caution, tho am well aware that many will ignore this advice and buy the book anyway hoping to become a yoga therapist.