T. K. V. Desikachar, Inner Traditions International Buy on Amazon The name, T.K.V. Desikachar, is significant in the world of hatha yoga in the West. The famed teacher Krishnamacharya is his father, and B.K.S. Iyengar is his uncle. The book begins with an “interview” with Desikachar. The questions are about Krishnamacharya’s philosophy and method of... Continue Reading →
B. K. S. Iyengar, Schocken Books Buy on Amazon B.K.S. Iyengar requires no introduction to readers of yoga, particularly in the West. Iyengar is synonymous with yoga, hatha yoga. He is the most well-known hatha master. Light on Yoga, first published in 1966, is one of the timeless classics in asanas. Readers and yogis today... Continue Reading →
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar School of Yoga When people think of yoga, they think about asana (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques). If meditation is directly associated with yoga, it might be a repetition of a mantra, or some short guided visualization, or deep relaxation. Serious meditation is associated with Buddhist practices, not “yoga.” This... Continue Reading →
The importance of moola bandha should not be underestimated for its perfection leads to a spontaneous realignment of the physical, mental, and psychic bodies. The physical contraction of the perineum has the beneficial effects of: maintaining hormonal balance and stimulating and regulating the nerves that innervate the lower pelvic region, thereby regulating all the internal organs…
As we collectively get saturated with the anatomy of hatha yoga, it is helpful to look at the anatomy of the mind and yoga psychology. The more in-depth look is a natural progression from yoga physiology to the philosophy and psychology of a more encompassing yoga.
Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashram Swami Vivekananda is credited with bringing yoga to the West and America. Swami Vivekananda, along with Swami Rama and Swami Satyananda, presents a scientific yet spiritual and practical reading of yoga and meditation. All these renunciates or sannysins were part of old and respected continuous lineages. They all bridged the divide... Continue Reading →
Swami Muktibodhananda, Bihar School of Yoga Hatha Yoga Pradipika is the oldest surviving text on hatha yoga, written possibly in 15th century CE by Swatmarama. The most-widely cited and quoted text on yoga, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, was written several centuries earlier. Hatha Yoga Pradipika is as essential as the Yoga Sutras. This translation and commentary... Continue Reading →
The genealogy of the Kauravas and Pandavas parallels the descent of Spirit into man. Yoga is the process by which the descent can become the ascent back to Spirit.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar School of Yoga Anyone who is truly interested in yoga, and that includes meditation, has to read the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. The sutras are widely regarded as the soul of yoga. The writing also goes by the name of Patanjali Yoga, or raja yoga (royal yoga or path), or the... Continue Reading →
Mahasri Yoga 