The Yoga Bible by Christina Brown

The Yoga Bible: The Definitive Guide to Yoga Postures by Christina Brown.  Walking Stick Press 2003.  399 pages.

I wanted to give a nice little plug for this nice little asana book.  I couldn’t resist buying when I found it in the local Harvard Coop–almost 200 asanas in a book that fits snugly in the hand.  Dense (in terms of information per paragraph or bullet point), to the point, practical, and perfectly arranged so all you have to do is look, do the pose, check, turn the page and repeat.  I’ve now made my yoga routine into THIS, just following it through and then starting over again. 

The asanas are ordered somewhat how you would find them in ashtanga yoga.  Each pose is named in English and Sanskrit, captured in several pictures and with numbered instructions, plus a little information box on where to put the gaze, preliminary and counter poses, easier methods, and effects.

The intro to the book has a brief but very informative overview of yoga philosophy and practice.  After the asanas come chapters on relaxation, pranayama, seals (mudras), internal energy locks (bandhas), yogic cleasning practices (kriyas), as well as sections on yoga for specific ailments and a sort of gazeteer to the world of different yoga styles. 

If you are looking for something incredibly practical, that you can just pick up and start into without a hundred pages of metaphysics, this book is for you.  I highly recommend it for its small size (you won’t be worried about bringing it with you onto the gym’s stretching floor), ease of use and directness.  A great buy!

Amazon rating: 5 stars