


A history of yoga's transformation from sacred discipline to exercise program to embodied spiritual practice
- Identifies the origin of exercise yoga as India's response to the mania for exercise sweeping the West in the early 20th century - Examines yoga's transformations through the lives and accomplishments of 11 key figures, including Sri Yogendra, K. V. Iyer, Louise Morgan, Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda, Indra Devi, and B. K. S. Iyengar - Draws on more than 10 years of research from rare primary sources and includes 99 illustrations In The Path of Modern Yoga, Elliott Goldberg shows how yoga was transformed from a sacred practice into a health and fitness regime for middle-class Indians in the early 20th century and then gradually transformed over the course of the 20th century into an embodied spiritual practice--a yoga for our times. Drawing on more than 10 years of research from rare primary sources as well as recent scholarship, Goldberg tells the sweeping story of modern yoga through the remarkable lives and accomplishments of 11 key figures: six Indian yogis (Sri Yogendra, Swami Kuvalayananda, S. Sundaram, T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda, and B. K. S. Iyengar), an Indian bodybuilder (K. V. Iyer), a rajah (Bhavanarao Pant Pratinidhi), an American-born journalist (Louise Morgan), an Indian diplomat (Apa Pant), and a Russian-born yogi trained in India (Indra Devi). The author places their achievements within the context of such Western trends as the physical culture movement, the commodification of exercise, militant nationalism, jazz age popular entertainment, the quest for youth and beauty, and 19th-century New Age religion. In chronicling how the transformation of yoga from sacred discipline to exercise program allowed for the creation of an embodied spiritual practice, Goldberg presents an original, authoritative, provocative, and illuminating interpretation of the history of modern yoga.

Coulter, who received a PhD in anatomy in 1968, and has taught in numerous contexts since then, has also been a student of yoga since the 1970s. Here he conjoins his two areas of expertise. After discussion of basic premises regarding yoga practice focusing attention, becoming aware of breath, movin

"Inspired and clear, The Five Tibetans makes a worthy contribution to body-mind wellness and longevity."
Dr. Mehmet Oz

The classic Hatha yoga manual for a strong, vital, beautiful body and a balanced, harmonious, happy mind
- Includes instructions for many advanced Hatha yoga exercises to build strength, stamina, and good posture, the necessary basis for spiritual development - Provides detailed exercise plans to help you develop your personal weekly practice - Explains traditional yogic methods of fasting and internal cleansing, practices to strengthen the endocrine system, methods for advanced sexual control, breath control practices, and concentration exercises to improve mind power Based upon ancient Sanskrit works on yoga as well as thousands of years of oral teachings, this Hatha yoga classic moves beyond the introductory level of yoga and provides illustrated instructions for many advanced asanas and other yogic techniques to build strength, stamina, and good posture--a necessary prerequisite for spiritual development. Offering detailed exercise plans to help you develop your personal weekly yoga practice as well as techniques to target specific areas of the body, such as the abdominal muscles, this book also contains detailed instructions on many forms of pr n y ma (breath control), including alternate nostril breathing, kap labh ti, and sahita, as well as meditative methods for developing your powers of concentration and mental discipline. With instructions on diet, fasting, internal cleansing, advanced sexual control, and strengthening the endocrine system, Sri S. S. Goswami's classic text presents the complete picture of an advanced Hatha yoga lifestyle for a strong, vital, beautiful body and a balanced, harmonious, happy mind.

Learn to understand lower back pain and heal it through gentle yoga exercises. Liz Owen, a yoga instructor who specializes in alleviating back pain, describes the anatomy of the sacrum and the region around it, including the hips and lumbar spine. She discusses both the Western and Eastern approaches to understanding back pain--particularly the Eastern medical notion of energy flow and how that relates specifically to the sacrum and the many related muscles and joints, and the chakras, or energetic points, that relate to the area.
The sacrum, or lower back, is an incredibly powerful part of the human anatomy. It's what enables you to stand upright and tall, it unites your upper and lower body, it roots you to the earth, it is the foundation from which you reach upward--and it is one of the most common areas where people experience chronic pain and discomfort. It's probably the number one body part that keeps massage therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists in business. Owen then provides simple, easy-to-learn sequences of yoga poses for general sacrum health and then for specific problems. The last section looks at strategies for sacrum health related specifically to pregnant women and those with fibromyalgia or arthritis.
Remarkable computer-generated illustrations of the muscles used during the most popular yoga poses.
Yoga teachers and students can use this book as a visual reference to the muscles that are engaged by specific yoga poses. Each pose is shown in a full-color photograph opposite a detailed and annotated anatomical drawing that identifies the active and stabilizing muscles being used. By identifying affected muscles, practitioners can maximize the benefits of each pose and even design a personalized yoga routine that focuses on their specific problem areas.
Anatomy of Yoga explains the basics of yoga, breathing and the spine, concentrating on the body's core musculature. It covers:
- Yoga warm-up
- Standing poses
- Forward bends
- Back bends
- Seated and twisted poses
- Poses that balance arms
- Inversions
- Restorative poses
- Sequences, such as sun salutation
There are numerous asides, including "best for" information boxes that describe the muscles that work the most during each pose. Tip boxes give hints on safety and form and outline the target muscles for and benefits of each pose. The author also suggests creative ways to modify the intensity of an exercise.
Anatomy of Yoga is an expert guide that is extremely useful for anyone interested in enhancing a personal yoga fitness routine. It will also interest yoga instructors who want a visual aid that clearly illustrates the benefits of each exercise.