The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
by T. K. V. Desikachar
On This Page
Description
The first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga--yoga adapted to the needs of the individual. * A contemporary classic by a world-renowned teacher. * This new edition adds thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings. Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known show more around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value. In The Heart of Yoga Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as "a program for the spine at every level--physical, mental, and spiritual." This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga--poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy--and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is a revised edition of The Heart of Yoga. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
As the title promises, there is good stuff about how to design a practice that works for you. Of course, like all such guides, the examples in this book involve much more than a student like me could fine time, energy, or inclination to do.
Section x. has the most understandable translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that I've found.
Section x. has the most understandable translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that I've found.
In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system [Sri T. Krishnamarchaya] as well as the essence of his own practical approach, which he describes as "basically a program for the spine at every level - physical, mental and spiritual". Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga - poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation and philosophy - and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is viniyoga - yoga adapted to the needs of the individual.
Loved it. Glad I purchased it. I didn't really understand yoga before reading this book. I learned that yoga is way more than being a human pretzel. Yoga is a mind, body and spiritual practice. It is about experiencing clarity and peace within your moment to moment experiences. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in yoga.
An excellent discussion on yoga and yoga principles by Desikachar, including Patanjali's yoga sutras and some basic practice forms.
very very good.
In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system [Sri T. Krishnamarchaya] as well as the essence of his own practical approach, which he describes as "basically a program for the spine at every level - physical, mental and spiritual". Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga - poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation and philosophy - and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is viniyoga - yoga adapted to the needs of the individual.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Excellent Yoga Books
108 works; 5 members
Author Information
25+ Works 716 Members
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Health & Wellness, General Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 613.7046 — Applied science & technology Medicine & health Personal health and Fitness Physical fitness Special topics Physical yoga / Hatha yoga
- LCC
- RA781.7 .D47 — Medicine Public aspects of medicine Public aspects of medicine Public health. Hygiene. Preventive medicine Personal health and hygiene
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 590
- Popularity
- 49,668
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (4.12)
- Languages
- English, Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 3
