Light on Yoga: The Classic Guide to Yoga by the World’s Foremost Authority Paperback

Review

‘Light on Yoga’ is not the same book as ‘Light on the Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali’. Some of the 1-star reviews seem to be confusing these two books – perhaps a mixup by flipkart? ‘Light on Yoga’ deals with asanas more (physical aspect of yoga) while ‘Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ deals more with philosophy. This review is of the former ‘Light on Yoga’ book which deals with the physical aspects. This book is popularly known as a definitive guide for the practice of the physical aspects of Yoga – Yoga Asanas, and with good reason – it most certainly deserves this popularity. The book starts with a few pages devoted to the philosophy and history of Yoga, and later, dives straight into the exposition of various Yoga poses – Asanas. For each Asana, it follows the following pattern. The Sanskrit name of the Asana is mentioned, followed by a difficulty rating on the scale of one through sixty, followed by the plate number of the photograph(s) showing that Asana. There is at least one photograph of each Asana; the difficult ones have multiple photographs. After this, a brief English explanation of the origin and name of the Asana is given, followed by step by step instructions on the technique for performing the Asana correctly. Common errors and suggested corrections are mentioned for some Asanas. Sometimes, multiple ways of attaining the same final Asana are mentioned – some to be followed by a beginner while some to be followed by an advanced pupil. After this, the claimed effects of that Asana are mentioned. The book also has brief sections on Yoga Bandha and Kriya, and also on Pranayama. However, the primary focus of the book seems to be on Asanas. It also has has a three hundred week suggested course for pupils to follow, with details given of which Asanas to do in which week. Other than this, a claimed list of curative Asanas for various ailments, a table correlating the name of the Asana with the plate number of its photograph, and a glossary of terms is given. To summarize, the book appears to be very useful to anyone who wishes to do Yoga Asanas seriously. –Narayan Kulkarni Jan 9, 2012

An absolute must for anyone who practices yoga seriously.It has many variations and step by step guidlines of how to get into the more advanced poses.All poses have pictures,the meaning of the postures(the story behind the name),technique,effects and limitations.This book is a bible for yogis!!!!!! When i did my teacher training it was a must have book ! –ek yogini Sep 4, 2011

Very knowledgeable book in theory. Should ideally practice with a seasoned yoga teacher keeping in mind all the do’s and dont’s. –asheesh kapur Feb 25, 2014

About the Author

About the Author: One of the world’s most renowned and respected yoga guru B. K. S. Iyengar has previously written books like The Art of Yoga, The Tree of Yoga, Pranayama and others. His dedication towards practicing and teaching yoga led him to receive the prestigious Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in 2002. Also, he was listed among the World’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine.