Light on Yoga: The Definitive Guide to Yoga Practice

This book has a wealth of information for any practitioner of yoga, from beginner to advanced. The content is concise and practical, and the poses are sequenced in a way that allows for a gradual and safe progression in the practice. There are also dozens of practice sequences given for both improvement and how to treat common ailments through yoga. The introduction is especially valuable, as it offers a no fluff in-depth commentary on the philosophical thought behind the asana practice. I pick it up again and again and am still referring to it after nearly 15 years of owing it. My copy is dog eared and loved, and was well worth every penny.An earlier reviewer mentioned that the photos and layout were not user friendly, and only gave the book two stars, which is a shame. This book was first printed in the mid 1960's - over 40 years ago! It was the first yoga book of it's kind to ever be printed, and it's content is timeless and as relevant today as ever. Mr. Iyengar even had to struggle with his then publisher to be allowed to include so many photos, as it was so expensive in those days to print such a book. I say hats off to the man who brought yoga to the west long before it was ready. He's a pioneer and a virtuoso of his craft, and his marvelous work should never be over overlooked just because it doesn't come in some glossy package fit for the masses.

As one previous reviewer says, if there is one reason not to buy this book, it's because it may be disheartening for complete beginners to see the more advanced poses performed by BKS Iyengar at the peak of his abilities.This is not a book that was designed to impress the reader, but produced in the true spirit of a guru to guide and encourage yoga students. Yes, the photographs are in black and white, but they are clear. (I particularly like the one with the sofa in the background; it demonstrates that it really is the content and not the style that is important, unlike many more modern yoga books.)I've been studying BKS Iyengar's method of Patanjali's yoga for 11 years and teaching for 4; I always take Light on Yoga to classes and it often comes out of the bag to provide the answer to a question.If you are just beginning your yoga journey, I'd also recommend BKS Iyengar's The Path to Holistic Health but start with Yoga Explained by Mira Mehta. This is a lovely book by one of Mr. Iyengar's most respected students and one of the UK's top teachers. A couple of steps along the path and you'll definitely need Light on Yoga; if you need some inspiration to encourage you, buy it now.

My iyengar yoga teacher has been recommending this book for years so I can't think what took me so long to buy it. Its a fantastic reference book for all those iyengar fans, clear photos, excellent descriptions of all poses and interesting information about the benefits of each pose. There are also day by day yoga sessions for all levels, the only improvement I would have liked would be small diagrams for the yoga sessions for those of us who don't know all the sanskrit names. If you love iyengar yoga or are just starting out this book is a must!

Very good but not as good as Tie Stories by Tom H.H. Kelly.

This is the yoga reference book. There are many books on yoga but if you are seriously interested in knowing about not only hatha yoga but yoga in its entirety, this is the book to have. Iyengar was a true yogi and a guru of the very highest level.Yes, he could do extraordinary postures but he was very aware that hatha yoga is only one strand of a yogi's practice.And if you are particularly interested in Hatha Yoga nothing I have read anywhere else has been as thorough. Postures have detailed steps that can be followed to enter into them and the advantages of each posture to the human body is given.I have read many yoga books. There are others with far better photos and others with better layouts but this is always the book I return to. After forty four years of use, I have reluctantly decided that my first Light on Yoga has indeed seen better days and I have ordered this latest edition.If you are seriously interested in yoga, this is the book to buy.Helenwwwyogaandbackcare.co.uk

It's easy to understand and packed with information for both the lay person and teacher. Also really helpful guidance on correcting postures.

This book is amazing.I go to yoga classes every week and wanted to learn more, so I bought this book to understand more about yoga.It really is a fantastic reference book. Every pose is explained in detail and reasons are given why the pose is good for you. There are clear pictures for every pose and for the more complicated of poses (I won't be trying those for a while) the photos show each stage of how to get into position.Some of the positions are pretty hard core, but all the well known, regular poses are explained too.This book is great for the beginner or more advanced yogi.If you are keen to learn more about yoga positions especially how to be perfectly aligned and focus on the correct posture then this book is for you.I have mine on my coffee table and keep returning to it as a reference.This book is invaluable for any student of yoga.