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Title: Health, Healing and Beyond : Yoga and the Living Tradition of Krishnamacharya by T. K. V. Desikachar, R. H. Cravens, C. Subramaniam ISBN: 0-89381-941-7 Publisher: Aperture Pub. Date: 30 August, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Loving Tribute
Comment: You do not have to be a serious practitioner of Yoga to appreciate the warmth that Desichakar brings forth in this tribute to his father. This is a story told from the heart, of a sons admiration and love of one of the foremost Yogis to have lived. I found myself finishing the book in less than a day. For those not familiar with the essence of Yoga as art, philosophy and science, this book offers an easy to comprhend overview of this timeless tradition which offers an incomparable richness to anyone who begins the journey. Krishnamacharya's devotion, compassion, and uncompromising discipline are an inspiration. This is Yoga beyond the commercialization and dilution of the art that is now so prevalent in the West.
Rating: 2
Summary: Lacks real content
Comment: Whilst I am in awe of Sri Krishnamacharya and have been for many years, this book, written by his son, is a very difficult and dry read. At page 81, I just gave up and getting to that page took me a couple of months! It is also tiring to constantly read how great Sri K. was - I know that already!
There is very little if any information on the discoveries that Sri K. made from studying Sanskrit literature sprinkled all over India. There is also very little information of his life, hardships and realtionships with his chief disciples.
Interpretation of the Patanjali Sutras is also done from a very physical Hatha point of view which I have never agreed with - see "Bringing the Inner God to Life" by Swami Shankarananda Giri or learn Kriya Meditation to see what I mean. The book by Swami Shankarananda Giri is a translation of Patanjali's Sutras and goes much deeper and beyond Hatha Yoga and presents more logical arguments.
Rating: 4
Summary: A pleasure to read, a joy to hear
Comment: Unlike "Autobiography of a Yogi," this work is not about magic but about the living tradition of yoga, and of a yogi skilled in all six Ways of Viewing, a wanderer, who journeyed for years on end learning the Vedic teachings, finally settling in south India to live yoga and raise a family. Not quite a biography, this book is a mixture of reminiscences, teachings and photographs of the author's father, Sri Krishnamacharya. One of my favorite stories describes Krishnamacharya's journey to a temple known long ago for its learned teachers. When he arrived by foot, exhausted, the gateskeeper suggested he first nap outside the grounds. Later, inside, he met a great teacher "seated beneath a banyan tree granting knowledge to all his disciples" and promptly memorized all his words upon recitation---only to awaken outside to the self-same gateskeeper, who slyly asked if he had found what he was looking for. The lost teachings had been transmitted in a dream. There is much more than this, of course, including many practical aspects and insights on all 8 limbs of classical yoga. There are two related shortcomings in this otherwise superb book. First, look at the fine "Essence of Yoga" by Desikachar's student, B. Bouanchaud. The frontispiece is a drawing by Krishnamacharya depicting Patanjali surrounded by his four students. These students represent the four books of the Yoga Sutras, the same teachings having been presented differently and with different emphases for each student. This skill-in-means is fundamental to Krishnamacharya's whole approach to yoga. While three of his students (B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, T.K.V. Desikachar) are mentioned here, I was surprised to read all 211 pages and find that A.G. Mohan, Krishnamacharya's fourth student for 18 years, was not mentioned once. (Lest there be any doubt, see Krishnamacharya's warm dedication to Mohan's fine book, "Yoga for Body, Breath and Mind.") This oversight taints a full appreciation of Krishnamacharya's true living tradition. Also, I believe there is something more to yoga and healing than the "We care" attitude emphasisized later in the book, but that emphasis may be related to the author's caring, sociable nature. That said, this is a marvelous book about an extraordinary man, well-written by an accomplished yogi who knew him well. There is something poignant in the author's tale of his own expedition to the Himalayas, searching for the cave where his father's guru lived and taught, the plight of a modern man who, like most of us, cannot wholly comprehend Krishnamacharya's accomplishments in the Vedic tradition. There are lessons here for us all. Don't miss it for the world.
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Title: The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T. K. V. Desikachar ISBN: 089281764X Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners by H. David Coulter, Timothy McCall ISBN: 0970700601 Publisher: Body and Breath Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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Title: The Breathing Book : Vitality & Good Health Through Essential Breath Work by Donna Farhi ISBN: 0805042970 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 November, 1996 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Yoga The Spirit And Practice Of Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann ISBN: 0671534807 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1996 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Awakening the Spine by Vanda Scaravelli ISBN: 0062507923 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 11 October, 1991 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
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