Customer Reviews

Yoga: A Gem for Women

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book with specific reference to the main biological stages of a womans life & identifies which asanas (poses) should be practiced or avoided at those stages.. i found this book during my pregnancy at a time when i was confused whether to continue with certain yoga poses.. the book helped to clarify all my questions and has helped me continue with yoga confidently during pregnancy. My copy of this book is published in india in 1983 & subsequent publications may have a different format, but my copy is not the sort of book that you can open up at a page, & simply copy a pose by looking at a picture, some of the newer yoga books i have noticed follow this "easy" format which is weak in content & high in glossy pictures.. this book is very rich in content - be prepared to spend some time reading in detail about useful background information as well as the poses & their effects & various techniques for achieving a pose.

If you want to learn about hatha yoga, this is a wonderful book written by Mr. Iyengar's daughter. She writes about the philosophy of yoga, how the poses fit into it, about the poses themselves, and the benefits and cautions for each, along with suggestions for a daily practice. It has detail on yoga practice for women, and since most people with Geeta Iyengar's experience and expertise are men, it is nice to get her perspective- but it is just as good for men who want to learn more about yoga. There are many pictures of the poses, including the ones meant to be done during pregnancy. If you want to learn more about practicing yoga during pregnancy, this one has a whole chapter on the subject. I used this book and the advise of my teachers during both of my pregnancies, and both my babies and myself were/are exceptionally healthy.

This is a reference guide written by Geeta Iyengar, daughter of BKS Iyengar, probably the most famous living yogi. The book is designed specifically for women who wish to develop their own self-study of yoga (Yoga Sadhana), and it covers not only asanas (postures) but also the other vital components of traditional yoga such as pranayama (breath) and meditation.

Geeta is clearly a master yoga practitioner who has created a comprehensive, thoughtful manual, but her book was not at all what I was looking for. Although I have practiced yoga at home for over two years, I was overwhelmed by the level of detail in the book. In addition, I found it difficult to follow, partly because the author uses only the original Sanskirt names for the poses and partly because the visual guides to the poses were all placed at the end of the book (rather than interpersed side-by-side to the instructional information included throughout).

This book would definitely not be appropriate for the casual, Westernized yoga practitioner, especially not someone who is using yoga primarily as a form of fitness. However, for someone who wishes to extend their yoga practice beyond the poses as well as to connect with yoga's original Eastern roots, this book may be ideal.

I first got this book from the library when I was waiting to have surgery for uterine growths. I had never done yoga, and I was looking for a way to ease my pain. This book can actually help with many mild medical conditions. It is set up in an easy to reference way, with lots of pictures and clear, detailed descriptions. Many of the positions even have 2 possible methods, one for the novice, and one for the advanced student. This is great when you are first starting out and you lack flexibility.
My favorite thing about the book is that it allows you to look up positions by name and by function. If you want to ease back pain, or just get more flexibility in your back, you can reference moves that aid the spine. There are even suggestions for building a routine.
I highly reccomend this book.

This book, written by the daughter of the famous teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, is a nice enough reference book but would not be my first choice for a beginning North American yoga student. It contains brief, rather dry, descriptions of yoga philosophy (neither engaging for a novice nor sophisticated enough for a serious student of yoga). The book contains many useful black and white photos of yoga poses. There is a good section on yoga during pregnancy.
However, this book is not as visually appealing as many others on the market. There are several recently published yoga books with large color photos that lie flat for use during practice and which have more readable text. For example, Mira Mehta, a long time student of B.K.S. Iyengar, has a couple of nice books. I particularly like her book, How to Use Yoga. Mr. Iyengar, himself, has written many books, and his new book, Yoga: the Path to Holistic Health, is lovely.

Great book! Very practical information. I have bought this book when I was pregnant. I was not confused what I can or what I can not during pregnancy. As well the pictures help believe that is possible to do yoga even nine month pregnant!

If you teach or are serious about yoga and are a woman, get this book. The Iyengar name continues to never disappoint. Its a great reference book when you are finished reading.

This book is great and really deals with specific items dealing with women (i.e. asanas for menstruation, pregnancy, etc. There are pictures and even though they're black & white, they are great and help to show the alignment. I would recommend this to anyone studying Iyengar yoga, or looking to deepen their practice.

A very good book about Iyengar Yoga geared toward women and their special needs. The best yoga to practice as a beginner!

This book really is a gem. It has basic information for all women in all their life stages. From Puberty to Menopause, Geeta lays a foundation for a sound and healthy yoga practice which can help ladies everywhere connect to their own inner Goddess. This is an important contribution to any yogini's (or male yoga teacher) library.