A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya

At close to a thousand pages and almost two inches thick, this book from the Bihar School of Yoga is a veritable one-volume encyclopedia of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's integral yoga. The material is grouped into three major parts totaling 36 lessons, each of which includes discussions of yoga theory along with detailed guidance on personal practices, including cleansing, postures, breathing, mudras, and meditations. Another book from the Bihar School, "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha," goes into even greater detail on the postures and other practices. The book itself is a work of art. It comes shrink-wrapped in a protective cardboard box, which can be converted into a handy slip case. Highly recommended.

Magnificent! The guide to life itself! The print is double column and very tiny. Difficult to read w/o my glasses but weel worth it! I had NO idea so much yoga knowledge could be compiled into one volume. I am overjoyed with this item! Thank you for yoga, Lord Shiva! Om namaya shivaya

This Guide is all you will need to gain an in depth understanding of Yoga. In is essential for beginners and can be used as a reference for advanced practitioners. The guide is structured in 3 parts consisting of 12 Lessons in each part. Part 1 lays out the basics of Asana, Pranayama, Bandha, Mudra and Meditation. Part 2 expands on the basic techniques to provide a full understanding of yoga. If you follow the Lesson plan, by the end of Part2 - you will have built a daily 2hr yoga practice that can guide you for a lifetime. Part 3 explains the Kriya practices that will lead to the awakening of Kundalini. This involves deep explanations of Chakra stimulation. The 3 parts include 12 months each of structured practice, totaling a full 3 year training program to reach the pinnacle of Tantra yoga. The guide is written in a very straightforward language and is not dogmatic. It provides warnings and guidance for anyone that has health issues and provides alternative practices. I would also recommend the accompanying Bihar published book on Kundalini Tantra which supports the Kriya practices in Part3 if you have advanced to this stage in your practice. As many have pointed out, this book is a Practical guide to be followed, not to be placed on a shelf. I recommend it without reservation.

I am a graduate student doing my Phd in Electrical Engineering but yoga and meditation are my hobbies (along with hiking and biking). As some of the other reviewers have pointed out, this book is one of the most comprehensive, articulate and informative book I have found so far on meditation and yoga. The book emphasizes that, 'There is no need to believe before hand that the techniques will work. Practice and you will know it to be true'. The book starts with Hatha yoga, basic asanas and progresses through basic breathing techniques. Along the way it gives an in-depth analysis of various forms of yoga - Karma yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti yoga, etc. It emphasizes that these different yogas complement each other and do not go against each other. Some people might ask, well isn't there 'one god'. Shouldn't there be one path? This is a narrow way of looking at things. Sure there is one 'Mount Everest' but there are probably many different ways to get to the base-camp! And each has its own scenic views and obstacles. Same with the different yogas. Pick one that best suits your personality or better integrate a few of them - E.g. Karma yoga (This is easy to begin - If you work everyday!), Bhakti yoga (Prayer, devotion,etc) and Raja yoga (Breathing, Meditations,etc). The book gives precise instructions especially in the breathing techniques and gives it to you in steps, so that you can measure your progress and move onto the next level. The book moves onto advanced kriya techniques towards the end of the book (these require some level of mastery over postures and breathing techniques). This is a book to keep for a lifetime and go through again and again to understand and integrate more knowledge as one progresses on the path.

One of the unique aspects of this wonderful book is that it calls yoga what it essentially is: a tantric spiritual path. Moreover, in a section on tantra, Swami Satyananda explains how tantra developed separately from the Vedas and gave birth to what we know as yoga today. Most of the hatha yoga trends practiced in the West today can be traced back to Krisnamacharya and his disciple B.K.S. Iyengar, who often blended the original hatha yoga (which also originated within the tantric system) with Western style gymnastics, props, etc. In this book, we get a practical course in the ancient techniques of yoga before being Westernized and modernized by teachers focusing mostly on the physical side of yoga. In tantra, hatha yoga is used as preparation or as an integral part of spiritual practice; in other words, as an integral part of meditation. The program in this book is very systematic and hands on, but also quite demanding and only for those who are serious students on the path of yoga. The only limitation with this book is simply that it is a text and not a living teacher. Ideally one need to study tantra with a competent teacher or guru. A book, no matter how comprehensive, cannot be a substitute for a personal student teacher relationship. Apart from that, I highly recommend this book.

This is an imposing volume for sure, the great length and expense of the book may lead some people to try something else. I encourage you to go ahead and try this one if you have any inclination to do so. It starts you out gently, the first chapter contains some exercises to increase the flexibility in ankles, hips, and knees, and the only meditative pose given is shavasana or corpse pose, which is just laying on your back on the floor. You can handle that. The method given of moving from boat pose into corpse pose for relaxation is fantastic. Everything is explained thoroughly and aimed at a complete novice, though the explanatory text is rewarding even for those already versed in yoga practices. The course also provides some bodily cleansing methods which may freak you out a little bit. Right off the bat they give you Jala Neti which requires you to pour salt water into one nostril and have it flow out the other one. This feels odd at first but you get used to it and even start to crave it after a few days. You spend as long as it takes to fully assimilate each chapter before moving on to the next. Fantastic progress can be made in an hour a day, though it looks like as you reach the more advanced teachings that time will increase. So don't be intimidated, begin this journey.

I have begun the practices outlined in this book, having added them to my existing but somewhat beginner asana practice. Even after one week, it is profound. I can't imagine that there are many books better suited for guiding a yoga practice. Also of note is that this book assumes NO prior experience with yoga. It is structured in such a way that it systematically takes you through an advancing practice. I read a review here before purchasing the book that said if the person was stranded on an island and could only have one book with them, this would be it. I would have to agree with that sentiment!

Great book but came damaged

El libro de consulta, un excelente compendio de las ensñanzas de Yoga que sugiere como incorporarlas a tu vida. Dividido en tres secciones o libros. El 1 y 2 lecciones mismas que hablan de filosofía, ritos de limpieza, y postura. El libro3 introduce a las práctica de Kriyas - los retos del Yoga.

All good, Font is small…

Excellent yoga text for practitioners & yoga teachers

シヴァーナンダヨガ のATTCを卒業していますが、 ビハールの教える内容は親切であり、勉強になります。

Libro eccellente che non può non essere letto da chiunque si interessi di yoga