Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual by David Swenson (2007-08-20)

Mr. Swenson briefly gives an overview of Ashtanga Yoga as well as its history in the United States from his perspective garnered as one of the first generation of Ashtanga students of Sri Pattabhi Jois back in the 70's. Ashtanga Yoga - The Practice Manual adequately explains breath (Ujjayi), lock (Bandhas), flows(Vinyasa), gaze (Dristi) and posture (Asana) - the fundamentals of Ashtanga. The greatest feature of this Manual is a variety of alternatives for each asana; it simply makes Ashtanga more accessible to everyone according to their strength and flexibility. This fine final product shows that many key ideas are carefully incorporated into its production and planning, including how the book will be used and who will be reading it. Thick, durable sheets of paper in the spiral bound format that can be easily opened answer the former. Practitioners of all skills are a focus of the latter. The text is well organized. The step-by-step of each asana is numbered, and each number and text is bolded. The pricing is reasonable. The author is realistic in his attitude, not being too dogmatic that he allows his practitioners to use, with some caveats, props in some difficult poses. (In general Ashtangis are type-A personality. Some are even more intolerant and stricter than others.) The book covers both the Primary and Intermediate Series.Despite having given all of essentials of Ashtanga Yoga in this printed format, Mr. Swenson somehow does not include the opening and closing chants. This minor shortcoming still makes The Manual "The Manual." If you can afford only one or two books on Ashtanga, this is one of them. You can always google and print out the mantras and add that page to your copy of Ashtanga Yoga - The Practice Manual. By the time you are halfway proficient in the Primary Series by practicing the sequence with a continuous flow without thinking what comes next, you will have then, too, recited the mantras by heart.He does his homework well. Five stars, as a result.

This book is fantastic. First off, it's spiral bound, so you have no problem seeing each page completely and the book can lay flat open while you are practicing. The book contains every pose in ashtanga, so this is your go to book for all things ashtanga. Included with every pose is its sanskrit name, its english name, timing of breath, and verbal cues. I would also recommend it even for yogis of other disciplines. This book can help you add more to your home practice, improve your knowledge as a teacher, and gain a deeper understanding of the practice of yoga. Also included in the end of the book is ready-made sequencing: primary and secondary series, and some sequences that are 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes long, which again is fantastic for any practitioner. The author also includes a few inspirational quotes throughout the book, which I really appreciate. Overall, this is a great book and I would recommend it to all yogis, from beginner to advanced. For more on all things health and yoga, go to nourael.tumblr.com

Great book for learning.

I received a different version of the book than was advertised, but it's basically the same thing with a different cover so no big deal. Everything else was great.

I bought this for a class and it is wonderful. Excellent to use when practicing at home to make sure you are in a pose correctly.

Wonderful

Inspiring for a yoga practitioner and great breakdowns of the poses. Nice addition to my yoga library! David Swenson is so good.

Very informative

Highly recommended. David is one of the best yoga teachers living on this planet. Namaste :)