Community on Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda and Spirituality

What is your favorite Yoga Book?

Let us know: What is your favorite Yoga Book?
In what respect has it helped you in your Yoga Path?
What was your first Yoga Book? What did it mean to you?

Tags: book

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Permalink Reply by SWAAMEE_APRTEMAANANDAA_JEE on June 3, 2010 at 6:22am

"PARA UPADAESHA KUSHALA BAHUTAERAE"
- Ramacharitamaanasa

1.It's easy to PREACH to others, but when it comes to practising the precepts/lessons/quotes/sayings by one's own self then it becomes very diificult to practise the same by one's own self.
2.Any one who loves quoting kabir's famous saying that "Pothi padh padh jaga mua pandit bhaya na koi, Dai aakhar prem ka padhey so pandit hoy." MUST REMAIN FULLY AWARE THAT SHE/HE could find this saying from some POTHI[BOOK] only in the first place itself. and NOT from THIN AIR out there...! So, how can one devalue any book of the knowledge? We would not have come to know the instant saying by kabir IF THERE HAD BEEN NO POTHI[BOOK] containing this saying.
Also, any one LOVING to quote THIS LOVELY quote by Kabir MUST ASK HER/HIM SELF HONESTLY - AM I MYSELF PRACTISING THIS VIRTUE IN MY OWN LIFE? DO I REALLY LOVE EVERY ONE AROUND? A HEART/MIND/SOUL fully SOAKED with LOVE SHALL SEE LOVE IN EVERY BEING AROUND...
I give you a simple test to find out if you really are following this quote in your life or not?
Ask - IF I AM FINANCIALLY CAPABLE, DO I DO SELFLESS WILLING CHARITY BY DONATING/USING 10% OF MY EARNINGS EVERY MONTH FOR FINANCIALLY NEEDY AND POOR PEOPLE OR DO I DONATE SOME OF THIS 10% CHARITY AMOUNT TO SOME SELFLESS NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE Yoga Vidya [WHICH IS a non-profit community group which aims at spreading the teachings of truth („vidya“), the practice, exercise and techniques of classical, holistic Yoga. Founded in 1992 in Frankfurt. The seat is now Döttesfeld. Yoga Vidya Centre Westerwald was founded in 1996 and Yoga Vidya Retreat Centre Bad Meinberg was founded in 2003.]? IF YOUR ANSWER IS 'YES', WELL YOU HAVE PASSED THIS TEST. ELSE, YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER"PARA UPADAESHA KUSHALA BAHUTARAE" TYPE SPIRITUAL SEEKER OF WHICH WE HAVE PLENTY...
Another simple test which requires us spending no money. ASK - IF MY HEART HAS REALLY BECOME FULL WITH LOVE FOR EVERY ONE AND IF I HAVE MASTERED THE 2 AND A HALF WORDS OF LOVE, DO I LOVINGLY FEEL LIKE AND DO I INDEED ACCEPT OTHER SPIRITUAL SEEKERS AS THEY ARE AS MY FRIENDS WHEN THEY ADD ME AS THEIR FRIEND ON THIS YOGA-VIDYA YOGA SITE? IF YOUR ANSWER IS 'YES', YOU HAVE PASSED THE TEST OF LOVE SUCCESSFULLY. IF YOUR ANSWER IS A BIG 'NO', WELL MY DEAR FRIEND, HONESTLY AND LOVINGLY SPEAKING YOU STILL HAVE MILES TO GO AND MILES TO GO BEFORE YOU HAVE ANY MORAL RIGHT TO QUOTE SUCH LOVELY SAYINGS BY KABIR............................................:-)

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Permalink Reply by AYYAPPA SASTRY on June 4, 2010 at 2:33pm

Sir,
There is no specific book as first book.I read what ever yoga book which ever comes across with me. I am interested in
yoga and meditation since my Boyhood days. i have no C.D's or D.V.D's with me. I have a Desk top computer and Internet
connection.I search for sites related to these two topics. At this age I feel it is apt to Follow these Two i.e Yoga and
Meditation for Physical and Mental health. As I am in 70's i do only those asanas which are easy and able to do within my ability daily in the morning about an Hour at my home and Meditation also for one Hour in the morning. I worked as a lecturer
in govt colleges and retired,leading a peaceful life at present at my home in Hyderabad. I am very much Interested in this site namely
"YOGA VIDYA INTERNATIONAL"which gives full details to my satisfaction Thanking you sir with regards
Sd/sastry (bagawan_sastry@yahoo.co.in)
HYDERABAD

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Permalink Reply by ted ryan on June 4, 2010 at 5:13pm

Raja yoga by Swami Vivekananda......Blew my mind
complete illustrated book of Yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda....has it all. The genius is in his simplicity.
I have over 300 yoga books on the shelves and they are all great

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Permalink Reply by Sharon A. Kattke on June 5, 2010 at 4:18am

The book that first got me interested in yoga meditation was "Autobiography of a Yogi," by Paramahansa Yogananda. You can find this book in 14 languages in most libraries and book stores. If you cannot find it, please go to Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA. Paramahansa Yogananda has written numerous books and lessons. He is a self-realized Master and the truth of his words brings the student closer to God. These writings overcome any division of culture, language, race, creed, etc. that separates us from The Infinite and our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Namaste, Sharon Kattke-Birchfield

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Permalink Reply by Beatrix Theresa on June 11, 2010 at 9:58am

Dear Sir

There are a few things I am quite sure of (yes, it is all maya, but) and one of them is that I am a women. (So) In the moment the yoga book of "Patrica Walden and Linda Sparrow, Yoga (and Health) for Women", was and is the most important yoga book for me, as it answers my specific questions, which I have as a 'middled aged' woman.
The book which some kind of initiated (or better re-voke, as I did yoga as child in school) my yoga path was a book by a female German/Swiss author "Milena Moser" called: "Schlampenyoga". You can translate the title with: 'yoga for ladies who are tramps' or being exact as 'b..ch yoga'. Mrs. Moser starts her book, telling, that after she moved to San Francisco with her husband and her three childs, burned out and desorientated, she started again with ashtanga yoga.
She writes, that after not exercising for years, she couldn't move for two days and felt pain in muscles, she wasn't aware of that they even existed.
These books are both rather practical and down to earth and made up for my specific needs as a woman so they suit me best.

Yours faithfully

Beatrix Mainz, Germany

PS: As English is not my mother language, please excuse every mistake appearing within this email.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Beacham (Sankar) on June 12, 2010 at 1:26pm

My favourite Yoga book is Awakening the Life Force: The Philosophy and Psychology of 'Spontaneous Yoga' by Swami Rajarshi Muni. It gives detailed overviews on the Hindu sense of time and space, karma and reincarnation, and metaphysics. Closely following is Merging With Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Metaphysics by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami for its detailed discussion of the seven Chakras below the Muladhara, the seven from the Muladhara to the Sahasrara and the seven within the Sahasrara. Both of these books have helped me to have a perspective on life. I don't remember my first Yoga book, but the first book I bought was Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works again because the overview it offered.

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Permalink Reply by babbu on June 23, 2010 at 11:52am

The Bhagavad Gita is our old religiuos book.
i get very helpful for me .in the book tell us about karma .
so this is help[url=http://www.sivanandabahamas.org/]Retreat yoga[/url]ful for me .

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Permalink Reply by babbu on June 23, 2010 at 11:55am

The Bhagavad Gita is our old religiuos book.
i get very helpful information for me .in the book tell us about karma .
so this is help[url=http://www.sivanandabahamas.org/]Retreat yoga[/url]ful for me .