Reviews

Yoga is now as mainstream as Madonna, as indispensable to fitness culture as the StairMaster. In Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, 82-year-old Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar (Light on Yoga; The Tree of Yoga), one of the world's leading yoga teachers, makes it even more accessible, offering detailed instructions for postures of all levels of difficulty, illustrated by color photos and accompanied by helpful explanations of their health benefits. The basic Adhomukha Svanasana (Sanskrit for "downward-facing dog posture") stimulates the nervous system, while the more daunting Salamba Sirsasana (headstand) promotes clarity of thought and improves your memory. Other postures, according to Iyengar, boost the respiratory and immune systems, tone muscles and, most important, relieve stress. Not only a how-to, Iyengar's book also includes a concise explanation of yoga's spiritual dimension. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

One of Iyengar's (The Illustrated Light on Yoga) goals is to connect the practice of yoga's asanas ("postures") with its spiritual side. The opening section of the book deals with the spiritual side of yoga and its importance in bringing the body into balance with itself and the environment. However, the simplistic discussion lacks the depth of Donna Farhi's Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit (LJ 4/15/00). The strength of Iyengar's book is its photographs and texts, which illustrate and explain how to perform yoga postures correctly and safely. The author shows the postures being performed with props that help beginners slowly develop the necessary flexibility and strength. The book also contains a section on yoga therapy, illustrating different series of postures aimed at alleviating and preventing certain physical ailments and stress. The last section is a 20-week course that slowly fosters and develops muscle tone, flexibility, and inner peace. Since the postures are listed using transliterations of their Hindi names, the most difficult aspect of this course is stopping to look up each posture. This text, which is aimed mainly at beginners, can be adapted to fit the needs of most intermediate and advanced yoga practitioners. Recommended for public libraries and health sciences libraries that support alternative medicine courses. Debra Mitts Smith, Jamaica Plain, MA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.