Shambala Encyclopedia of Yoga

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Amazon.com review
Any student of Yoga will want to know more about not only the practices of Yoga but also its history and spirituality. One of the best places to turn is to Georg Feuerstein's acclaimed Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga. With more than 100 illustrations (such as the many asana postures and chakra centers) and entries on everything from the Bhagavad Gita to Swami Vivekananda and from the Aryan invasion theory to biofeedback, you can't go wrong. Extensive cross-references also facilitate searches for both English and Sanskrit versions of terms. The Shambhala Encyclopedia is a complete yet concise guide to the galaxy of Yoga. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Review on Amazon.com by Dennis Littrell
This book stands alone in English. There is simply nothing else like it. Feuerstein is the leading academic expert on yoga in the United States while Shambhala is the leading publisher of books on yoga, so it is not surprising that this is clearly a superior work that fills a void. As such it is a boon to scholars and practitioners alike.
It is also very well cross-referenced so that a reader may, by following the starred words, begin or expand his own study of yoga. There is a guide to pronunciation of the Sanskrit words, numerous bits of black and white artwork and photos, and an engaging and informative introduction by Feuerstein. This handsome book has all those words that you won't find in even an unabridged English dictionary, defined and given their expression in an historical and spiritual context. Anyone with more than a passing interest in yoga will find this book invaluable.
I should add that this is a revised and greatly expanded edition of Dr. Feuerstein's Encyclopedic Dictionary of Yoga (1990), and that it dwarfs both Ernest Wood's Yoga Wisdom (1970) and Harvey Day's Yoga Illustrated Dictionary (1971), which I have enjoyed, but which are also very much out of date.
For Dr. Feuerstein's revision (due circa 2010, I would imagine) perhaps some entries on Westerners (and contemporaries) who have contributed to the study and practice of yoga would be appropriate, including, e.g., Theos Bernard (I was pleased to see eleven photos herein of Bernard demonstrating asana), Richard Hittleman, B.K.S. Iyengar, Swami Vishnudevananda, and others.
Bottom line: this is an up to date, thorough, and lively work of reference without peer.

Samadhi: The Highest State of Wisdom

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MyHinduPage.org review. There are many expositions written on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Of these Swami Rama's lectures on The Yoga Sutras is one of the least tacit and most easy to understand. The compilation in the book does not follow the content structure of the Yoga Sutras, nor does it cover the entirety of the Yoga Sutras. Instead Swami Rama was intent on modern relevance of the amazing yoga treatise then a scholarly exposition of the Yoga Sutras.

Editorial Review
The contents of this book have been taken from Swami Rama's lecture courses on Yoga Sutras. Swamiji states that Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are the basis ofancient psychology. The explanations in this book include many practical pointers on how we can work with the mind in daily life, as well as study and direct the mind when in quieter states of meditation. Swamiji's description of the totality of the mind, the functions of the mind,and the emotions, goes far beyond the concepts of modern psychology, and provides insight into the intricacies of yoga psychology, making this aninvaluable edition from the therapeutic viewpoint as well as its practicality as a guide for living a healthy, balanced life.

Review by Francois on Amazon.com
If you are interested by Patanjali or by Yoga as science of the mind, this book is for you. It is not a sutra by sutra commentary of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra but a deep and yet accessible explanation of the meaning of Patanjali's work. It is very suitable for the beginner as well as for the more experienced student. As usual with Swami Rama's books you'll find a very well organized presentation of the Science of Yoga. This book is not about mysterious knowledge and esoteric teachings but a clear, complete and modern explanation of the great teachings of Patanjali. Great thanks to the publisher fot making this work available.

Into The I Of All by Muni Natarajan

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MyHinduPage.org Review
Both the complete novice and the seasoned yogi will benefit from this book. "Into The I Of All" its author, Muni Natarajan, a Western mystic with and Eastern soul, who studied and trained under the enlightened yoga master Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, introduces aspirants of yoga to the entirety of yoga in a refreshingly friendly format.
Yoga is more than exercise. It is a philosophy and path of discovering the essence of one's spiritual Self. This fact becomes evident in Muni's practical approach in his book where chapters are on aspects of life such as Bliss, Love, Breath, Balance and so forth. There are 54 of these chapters and each of these chapters are coupled with a chapter on yoga techniques related to discovering, enhancing or in a few cases eliminating undesired aspects of living. The techniques revealed in this book are effective combinations of different practices of yoga such as exercise, breath modulation and different kinds of introspection or meditation to bring about immediate or gradual effects to ones consciousness.
"Into The I Of All" is best described as a yoga manual for living. A cover to cover read through this book will be the first thing to do. Once you know the contents of the book it will come in handy whenever you need to get to a place in your consciousness or state of being. Just look up the chapter you need and follow the steps outlined to get to where or how you want to be. Thus this will be a very useful book for practicing yogis and others too. The teachings of yoga are universal and can be applicable to anyone of any creed. After all this book is about the I of all.

There are sanskrit words in this book which are well explained in its glossary. There are illustrations of yoga poses, most of which should be basic for practicing yogis, though for the novice I would recommend for them to learn these poses from an adept yoga teacher. A few of the breath modulation techniques (pranayama) also would be best learnt under a teacher, though for the most part the author has taken the initiative to design and explain in detail simple yet effective steps to make the learning auto-tutorials.

Muni Natarajan has been practicing yoga for decades, during which time he served in his master's mission. He is a yoga master of an ancient order in his own right. His wisdom from his unbroken practice of yoga is reflected in the practical and friendly approach of this book. I recommend this for people of all interest and maturity in yoga. You will find something in it that is valuable and fresh to you.

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