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The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga The Authoritative

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Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888–1989) was the most influential figure in the last 100 years in the field of yoga. Many of today’s best-known yoga teachers—including his brother-in-law B. K. S. Iyengar, his son T. K. V. Desikachar, and Pattabhi Jois, founder of Ashtanga yoga—studied with him and modeled their own yoga styles after his practice and teaching. Yet, despite his renowned status, Krishnamacharya’s wisdom has never before been made completely available, just as he taught it. Now, in The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga, Srivatsa Ramaswami—Krishnamacharya’s longest-standing student outside his own family—presents his master’s teachings of yogasanas in unprecedented detail. Drawing upon his 33 years of direct study, beginning in 1955 and continuing nearly until his teacher’s death, Ramaswami presents more than nine hundred poses and variations in logically structured sequences, precisely describing Krishnamacharya’s complete Vinyasakrama system. Along with every movement of each yoga posture, he covers the proper breathing techniques for each pose—something no other book also derived from Krishnamacharya’s teaching does. Nearly 1,000 full-color photographs and a 60-minute audio CD are also featured in this authoritative landmark presentation of the study practiced by the grandfather of modern yoga. more info

17 Comments so far

  1. Neel A. Shah on April 13th, 2010

    complete book for yoga
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    I am a starter for yoga and this bok is very easy to understand. This book is complete with photos and explaination in depth.

  2. Lauren Vines on April 13th, 2010

    what an excellent book!!!
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This book is truly an offering to all of us in the yoga community. It is clear and reveals the concept of Krama or steps for many postures. The book is a fantastic resource for students and teachers and it is certainly an addition to the literature.

  3. Shanthi on April 13th, 2010

    Extraordinary Effort!
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    I own this book and I have had the privilege of learning yoga from Mr. Ramaswami even though it was for a brief period of time. The book can not substitute for him, as he is an exceptional teacher but being in the United States, I treasure the book as he has done an extraordinary job in presenting yoga as he has learnt from his Guru. This book is a must have for anyone who wishes to even learn a little about Yoga. Don’t go for other superficial books when such a rare gem is made available for us.

  4. Kate Fares on April 13th, 2010

    Really wonderful book
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga is as complete as can be. As one of Krishnamacharya’s students, Ramaswami offers guidance and a thorough set of vinyasa sequences for yogis at all levels of ability. Deeply therapeutic, his methods are both physically and spiritually engaging. The descriptions of each sequence are elaborate, but clear, flowing and beautiful. What truly adds to the understanding and appreciation of each pose is the precision of the vinyasa yoga pictures–listen to the CD, it’s incredibly soothing and helpful!

  5. Liz Albright on April 13th, 2010

    The Authoritative Source
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    I just found the #1 authoritative source on the Vinyasa Yoga system. This is the real stuff. Take a look at this book and compare it with the other superficial stuff, and see for yourself. Anyone interested in Yoga should keep a copy around as a reference on how to do Yoga postures the correct way. This is the first time such a complete set of Yoga poses has been documented so thoroughly. It’s such a wealth of knowledge that I could spin a hundred other books off of this one. Thank you so much for your contribution.

  6. Sarah L. Mata on April 13th, 2010

    Ramaswami is the missing link
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Srivatsa Ramaswami has enacted the life that his guru the legendary T.Krisnamcharya promised to his guru Ramanamohan: that of yoking real life with dedication to the study of yoga and its attendant spiritual cultivation. From his decades of ongoing study with T. Krishnamacharya he has built a highly skilled command of the full spectrum of yogic practices as well as that of the texts that inform them. The Complete Vinyasa Yoga bristles with the intelligence and charm of its author. Here he presents the many movement and breath sequences that he learned throughout the years exactly as he learned them so that the informed teacher or practitioner can select what is the most relevant vinyasa to acheive the desired effect. He presents them now as a testament to his dedication to T. Krisnamacharya. Within a lifetime of learning and teaching yoga he presents the subject of Vinyasa in its context of the full spectrum of yoga including lines of association to the more subtle and internal practise . Adding his own modern, scientific, and mature insight he gives us us precise and usable instructions illuminating the very essence of yogic tools: cultivating and placing attention; stabilized in the body, freed in the breath. The overall picture presents a logical progression from movement to stillness. We see each pose photographed, with clear instructions, never before so clearly explicated in terms of the underlying breath work. While the number of vinyasas may seem dizzying to some and not as Herculean to others, it is the method of calm progression that is most firmly encouraged. Vinyasa krama leads us step by step to the attainment of our most steady vibrancy. It is a practical and spiritual map to a territory few have the capacity to teach so generously.

  7. G. Adamiec on April 13th, 2010

    Excellent book on yoga
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    This is one of the most useful books on yoga asana I have read in a while. Srivatsa Ramaswami present a multitude of vinyasas, i.e. flowing asana sequences. There are virtually hundreds of variations for students depending on their level. I thin kthe book really tries to make the reader undersatnd that in yoga achievement is not the thing we are looking for.

    I woud say that the book is for students who have practiced a little bit, especailly that the problem of sequencing the various vinyasas is tackled.

    I would highly recommend the book.

  8. Wildi Lucie on April 13th, 2010

    Vinyasa yoga, a comprehensive approach of a long tradition
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    A very mature and comprehensive work on yoga, suitable for beginners as well as advanced students.The suggestions how to procede are sound and based on experience. The cd joint with the yoga sutras is beautiful and makes you feeling like in India.

  9. Intererested in Quality Books on April 13th, 2010

    Not for beginners
    Rating:2 out of 5 stars
    I’ve seen this book reviewed in many reputable places as “also” for beginners, but it is not.

    Quality of presentation is also poor — photographs border on creepy and paper is odd.

    Yoga for Your Life (Pierce) and Yoga of Heart (Whitwell) are my 5- and 4-star choices respectively for Vinyasa. The former has excellent sequences; the latter has refreshing philosophy.

  10. Cathy Mah on April 13th, 2010

    this Vinyasa reference text is great for all levels of students !
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Whew! If you are looking for a comprehensive sourcebook on asana- this is it! Looking through the softcover book initially, you can see that Ramaswami covers the basics and then offers the practitioner more advanced variations as well. This book is a unique and an especially valuable sourcebook for teachers and their students because it shows you the base-asana from which others stem- teaching you how to grow the asana from your current capability towards something new and/or different which will offer you a new opening. Instructors wishing to learn how to create their own sequences for themselves or someone else, have here, necessary tools to help them organize and develop their own series- very few books on yoga can offer this. The photos help to visually affirm many of the written explantions, and are just the right size to allow the book to contain lots of valuable information. Ramaswami has been a well-kept secret in India during the broadcasting of his more publicized counterparts so if you respect the Krishnamacharya lineage, you should make Ramaswami’s book a part of your knowledge and own it. I couldn’t believe the price of this book, considering the wealth of material- and a chanting CD, too! I had to buy 2- one for me, and one for a friend.

  11. Rafael José Kraisch on April 13th, 2010

    Fantastic
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    The book is really complete. Have hundreds of photos. I am a yoga teacher and this book is a great compendium of unumbered series of vinyasas.

  12. Ramana M. Nandam on April 13th, 2010

    Book Purchase
    Rating:4 out of 5 stars
    Book arrived in excellent condition and in time. I really appreciate the quality and timely response.

  13. Mark Dan on April 13th, 2010

    Not up to standard.
    Rating:2 out of 5 stars
    Clearly not upto standard. Even the other students of T.Krishnamacharya came up with lot of other good books on the same topic.

    The book covers lot of asanas in the vinyasa karma. But there is another manual “Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar” which covers each asana in depth.

    Even if you are in 100% good health condition and stamina to do a full ashtanga yoga series, this book does not seem to satisfy you. There are much better vinyasa/ashtanga books available in the store.

    In later years of T.Krishnamacharya, He created a softer form of yoga (viniyoga) which mainly concentrates on improving health, mind and therapical needs. This book does not seem to have a look on that area too. There are better viniyoga books also available already. A.G.Mohan, T.K.V.Desikachar s’ books cover these topics well.

    Still, Krishnamacharya’s long standing student gave some important tips here and there which earns 2 stars in my point of view.

    Besides all, Yoga is not a workout and it may not give you the same result if you think so. It requires lot of knowledge about mind not body. It has been guided in wrong direction all over the world nowadays.

    [...]

    Still, don’t think you can do what you see on those books. You will surely end up with physician’s office. Go find a good teacher, read a lot to find out what is yoga and get the most out of it.

  14. Enu-Bird on April 14th, 2010

    Confused Introduction!
    Rating:2 out of 5 stars
    Its very funny to see the auther announces in the introductary pages that he is the authority of yoga and found a new way.

    Its better if he stops criticizing the other styles, improves his own style and writes a useful book in future.

    Gained two points because he said he spent many years with Krishnamacharya.

  15. Shug B. on April 14th, 2010

    Yoga – Vinyasa
    Rating:4 out of 5 stars
    If you liked Health, Healing, and Beyond, you will love this book which delves into the practice of Yoga with Krishnamacharya. You can’t go wrong here.

    This is a must-read.

  16. Serious Yoga Practioner on April 14th, 2010

    Easily one of the best books on vinyasa yoga
    Rating:5 out of 5 stars
    Thousands of Yogis follow different systems of Yoga emanating from the lineage of the great Yogi Sri T Krishnamacharya. Everyone of them will find that this book by Ramaswami offers new dimensions to their practice. In twelve chapters, all the core sequences are clearly described along with the correct breathing techniques and attention to the breath that are essential ingredients of Krishnamacharya’s method. Over one thousand color pictures of exquisite yoga vinyasas landscape the book. It is a very welcome and unique contribution to the world of Yoga.

  17. Tracey Ulshafer on April 14th, 2010

    Looking outside the normal Surya & Chandra Namaskar Box
    Rating:4 out of 5 stars
    Even though I loved Vinyasa yoga, I had limited training on this complex, organic style of flow. I wanted to bring more flow style into the studio, but needed inspiration. After picking up this book I was amazed at how many different movements could be done in yoga. It inspired me to look outside the normal box of surya & chandra namaskar when creating a flow-based class.