Yoga for Transformation: Ancient Teachings and Practices for Healing the Body, Mind,and Heart (Compass) [Mass Market Paperback]

Gary Kraftsow (Author)

Book Description

Series: Compass | Publication Date: June 4, 2002

While there is no denying yoga's popularity as a form of physical exercise, the other life-enhancing aspects of this tradition remain obscure to many Westerners. In Yoga for Transformation, Gary Kraftsow introduces techniques that treat not only the physical body but also the emotions, mind, heart, and soul of the practitioner-the places where real transformation can take place. There are breathing techniques to control energy levels, exercises to train and sharpen the intellect, and meditative practices to help increase self-awareness. With more than 350 black and white photographs throughout, this unique and accessible book is dedicated to strengthening the whole self-body, mind, and spirit.

"Gary Kraftsow . . . will inspire every Yoga enthusiast." (T. K. V. Desikachar)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Yoga has millions of devotees in the Western world, but most contemporary yoga students center their practice on postures but not on the ancient teachings that are still relevant today. In Yoga for Transformation, author Gary Kraftsow leads the modern yoga student in combining posture practice with the rich and deep tradition of mind, heart, and spirit. He presents core postures (asanas), clearly illustrated by models of all ages, and describes how to incorporate breathing, chanting, meditation, prayer, and ritual to add a spiritual dimension to your practice.

"The purpose of these practices is to serve you in deepening your self-understanding, and to assist you in the process of self-transformation," writes Kraftsow, founder of the American Viniyoga institute and author of Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga. Viniyoga is a methodology for developing a personal yoga practice using asana, pranayama (breathing), meditation, ritual, and prayer. This multifaceted book is recommended for the serious yoga student who wants to explore new dimensions of yoga; it's not for the beginner or dabbler. --Joan Price

About the Author

Gary Kraftsow is the founder of the American Viniyoga Institute and teaches in the Viniyoga lineage of T. Krishnamacharya and T. K. V. Desikachar. He conducts seminars and retreats throughout the United States and Europe and trains teachers and therapists.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140196293
• ISBN-13: 978-0140196290
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Authoritative Presentation and Practice Manual, July 30, 2002

By 

John W. Kepner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga for Transformation: Ancient Teachings and Practices for Healing the Body, Mind,and Heart (Compass) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have actively worked with this book for 2 months and this teacher for 5 years. This is an elegant, innovative introduction and practice manual for the broader and deeper dimensions to Yoga practice.

The publication is in two parts. The first is a presentation of the classical five dimensions to the human being from the Taittriyha Upanishad integrated with the Kriya Yoga model of transformation from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the age and orientation models of Yoga practice from the teaching lineage often known as Viniyoga in the West. This discussion alone will be of much interest to the serious Yoga student of any tradition, for many classical teachings are condensed in a well-written, authoritative and accessible manner. The authority comes both from the influential teachings of Krishnamacharya and his son, Desikachar and the scholarship of the author, a student of Desikachar, Sanskrit and religion for many years.

Following this foundation is a series of discussions and practices sequentially emphasizing each of the 5 dimensions: Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anadamaya. Within these discussions are more well-written teachings on Pranayama, the Bandhas and the Cakra model. These practices are instructive and surprisingly challenging by themselves, but they are not prescriptions. They are illustrations of principles that can be further adapted by individuals to better support their own bodies and purpose for Yoga practice. In brief, this is what the Viniyoga teachings are all about. Still, the practices can be practiced by individuals on their own or used by a teacher as a template when working with his or her own students in group classes. For those not familiar with Viniyoga, the practices are well-presented with pictures and detailed instructions.

For those who have worked with the author for some time, several of the practices are familiar, but others are new. Many of the best practices he has presented at workshops are not shown. This book will be a relief for the many students who have tried to recall the flood of information presented at workshops around the country because much, but not all, is finally written down. A natural complement for this book is Kraftsow's first book, Yoga for Wellness, where the principles of Viniyoga asana practice are presented, along with many therapeutic applications of breath and movement. Three other good complements are Yoga for Body, Breath and Mind by A.G. Mohan, The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar and The Essence of Yoga: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Bernard Bouanchaud.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegance in Action, January 30, 2003

By 

Kenneth Eric Getz (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga for Transformation: Ancient Teachings and Practices for Healing the Body, Mind,and Heart (Compass) (Mass Market Paperback)

There's lots of noise in the yoga world today. . .infomercial style promises that yoga will sculpt this and mold that. This book brings much needed clarity to a confused universe. It's message is simple, time-honored, and authentic: your yoga journey begins and ends with you. Yoga for Transformation is elegant and speaks with a quiet, compasionate wisdom that radiates the true spirit of a profound yogic heritage.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What you need from Viniyoga of Yoga, July 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Yoga for Transformation: Ancient Teachings and Practices for Healing the Body, Mind,and Heart (Compass) (Mass Market Paperback)

Designed very simply with clear pictures. A book that every yoga student should have. A very good reference. Gary Kraftsow's "yoga for wellness" deals with the technology behind viniyoga, where this piece gives a personal practice session including pranayama.