Light on Yoga (Mandala Books)

by B.K.S. Iyengar

[Angie]

I can definitely see why Light on Yoga is often referred to as the Yoga Bible. It really covers everything that you need to know about yoga. It's split into three easy to use sections. Part one is an introduction to what yoga is and what it means to be a yogi. The middle section, which is the bulk of the book, is a list of over 200 postures with step by step instructions on getting into and out of them, along with their benefits and risks. The third section is an appendix of asanas for specific ailments and for mastering all of the included postures.

Where my rating for Light on Yoga dropped was the introduction. It does do a great job of explaining the history and philosophy of yoga. It also goes briefly into the different branches of yoga and what their focuses are. However, I did find some of it confusing. There were a few times where we're told that we don't need to do X, Y, Z to do yoga, but that we do need to do X, Y, Z to call ourselves a yogi. I know there is a distinction, but it's kind of discouraging and made me feel like a poser for wanting to practice yoga.

The middle portion of Light on Yoga is an amazing reference. It goes through over 200 common postures and tells you what you need to know about each of them. There are also photographs showing the final pose, and some of them have photos of intermediate steps as well. Each posture also has a step by step guide for getting into the pose and out of it. It also lists who should and should not do the pose, as well as the risks and benefits. It's a lot of information, but very useful to make sure you're not doing more harm than good.

The ending appendix is also a useful tool. You can look up your conditions or ailments (sciatica, high blood pressure, constipation, etc) and get a list of postures to help alleviate them. In addition to that, there's weekly asana practices to guide you in mastering the poses. This was my favorite part. Each week builds on the previous, and of course, starts with the easier postures and moves up to the most difficult. There are 500 weeks worth of content!

I borrowed Light on Yoga from the library, but this is absolutely a book that I'd love to own a copy of for quick reference. It's a great resource for anyone who's starting out with yoga and wants to learn more.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.