Yoga at its bestMarch 29, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Must read for all yoga students. It has been recommended by my various yoga teachers. It is very descriptive and is filled with photos of more poses than I have seen in any other book.
Light on yoga is a light in itself - Brings an indentity for yourselfMarch 27, 2008 BKS Iyengar has brought new light to yoga. The way he explains each asana and dedication to practice proves that there is no such lifeless work on this earth that man cannot breathe life into it.
Pera Harish S
Gems are there if you are willing to digMarch 9, 2008 12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I have a love-hate relationship with this book. On the positive side it is very comprehensive: it contains everything from beginning asanas to poses you might never achieve. It contains instruction on breathing, sequencing, bandhas and the effects of asanas. Lots of densely packed information.
On the negative side: it is difficult, like an ornery old uncle that you love and who is brilliant but who also drives you nuts. It is poorly laid out. Often the pictures the text refers to are on different pages. The pictures are not the slick studio shots that many have come to expect based on current yoga magazines and advertising in general (don't bite my head off for saying this, I am just trying to describe the book).
The amount of information in this book can be overwhelming. I am an information junkie and for the first five years of my yoga practice it was too much for me: I felt overwhelmed and discouraged every time I opened it. This book does not hold your hand or spoon feed you: detailed information is there but you have to work to get it out. Iyengar uses only the Sanskrit names for the poses. I realize some camps believe "that is the right and proper way" but others find it overwhelming at first, and I'm not here to debate that, but it is something you should know about the book. In explaining one pose he often refers back to others (which of course are on different pages) so if you don't remember all the Sanskrit names you will be doing a lot of flipping pages.
Now that I have been doing yoga for 8 years I appreciate this book a lot more: It has detailed directions for lots of asanas and covers material that I have not seen anywhere else. But every time I use the book I still have the urge to rip it up and past the pictures next to the text that refers to them. Once I get over that urge though I usually can dig out valuable information, but it does take work.
Although it is a great book and a copy will end up on many serious yogis shelves I would not recommend this book for beginners. Starting with this book would be like feeding your baby champagne and truffles for his first meal: while both are terrific they are too much for newbies. But once you have fallen in love with yoga and have developed a hankering for more than just the basics, this book will be just the thing. There is information in here that will take a lifetime to master.
From the Living LegendDecember 27, 2007 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Light on Yoga (Yoga Deepika) is just that - it throws a lot of light on the 'practice' of Yoga. There is a small introduction on the philosophical aspects of it before Iyengar's trademark precision instructions start. Iyengar had to learn asanas the hard way. Basically when his teacher sent him off to teach, he had not mastered advanced asanas. So he had to learn certain asanas on his own. Hence his famous quote "Your practice is your teacher". His book is also written with such an audience in mind. He says getting a good teacher is very important but if you cannot I will be your teacher through this book. I mean the volume of information is absolutely stunning. If you are an absolute beginner please do go to a beginner's class for atleast couple of months before starting your own practice based on Iyengar's book. I say this because his courses that he gives at the end of the book will seem a little agressive for someone who has not understood where he stands. For example he suggests doing Sarvangasana on the first week of your practice. For some it may be right for most it may not be. This book has been my ready reckoner for the past 5 years. I simply cannot thank BKS enough. I have never met him but he is my Guru.
Must for those who want to learn Asanas!August 21, 2007 2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is really excellent! I agree with most of the positive reviews that are written here. Since my views are about the same as many other reviews here, I don't want to elaborate.
