Light on Yoga
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- Create Date：2022-05-28 06:58:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：B.K.S. Iyengar
- ISBN：0805210318
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Summary
Light on Yoga has become the bible for hundreds of thousands of people who practice Yoga daily with the Iyengar method， for exercise， meditation， or simply relaxation。 With more than 600 photographs depicting all the postures and breathing exercises， it remains the fullest， most practical， and most profusely illustrated guide by the world's foremost yoga teacher。 Light on Yoga is a comprehensive and definitive source-book for the initiated， as well as the best introduction for the novice who seeks the healthful benefits of Yoga for mind， body， and soul。
Reviews
Susan
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The only book on yoga you need and the introduction is the best comprehensive understanding of what a yoga practice strives to do and is worth the price of admission alone。 “It is the oneness of the breath and mind and so also the senses and the abandonment of all conditions of existence and thought that is designated yoga。”
Enrikia Santis
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This book is wonderful！ I'd like to start by saying Yoga is an entire system， not just Hatha Yoga poses。Not only does this book provide the Asanas （Hatha Yoga poses） preformed perfectly by the author， but BKS also does an excellent job explaining the Yogic philosophy （which is a must if you are looking to receive the full benefit of Hatha Yoga）。If you fully apply the teachings in this book daily you will become far more than just a flexible body （:Apply as much or as little as you'd like but res This book is wonderful！ I'd like to start by saying Yoga is an entire system， not just Hatha Yoga poses。Not only does this book provide the Asanas （Hatha Yoga poses） preformed perfectly by the author， but BKS also does an excellent job explaining the Yogic philosophy （which is a must if you are looking to receive the full benefit of Hatha Yoga）。If you fully apply the teachings in this book daily you will become far more than just a flexible body （:Apply as much or as little as you'd like but rest assured that this book and the Master that wrote it knows what he's talking about and has made a convenient map for you to follow that even includes an 'Asana Courses' in the appendix that map out your entire 300 week Hatha Yoga regimen。 Give the book a try， you will be glad you did。 。。。more
Sol
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Iyengar es uno de los grandes maestros del yoga cuyo estilo sigue perdurado。 Hace algo más de un año que empecé a practicar yoga， 8 meses que asisto a una Shala para practicar Ashtanga， y no dejo de sentir curiosidad por esta enseñanza。Este libro está constituido por varias partes que constituyen la práctica del yoga。 Primero una introducción a qué es el yoga que he disfrutado muchísimo y he leído con curiosidad， el yoga no es simple acrobacia。 El lenguaje y la forma de comunicar tantos temas， q Iyengar es uno de los grandes maestros del yoga cuyo estilo sigue perdurado。 Hace algo más de un año que empecé a practicar yoga， 8 meses que asisto a una Shala para practicar Ashtanga， y no dejo de sentir curiosidad por esta enseñanza。Este libro está constituido por varias partes que constituyen la práctica del yoga。 Primero una introducción a qué es el yoga que he disfrutado muchísimo y he leído con curiosidad， el yoga no es simple acrobacia。 El lenguaje y la forma de comunicar tantos temas， que chocan con mi visión occidental y atea， me ha parecido adecuada y cercana， simple， pero sin omisiones。Habla de los estadios del yoga， de los 8 miembros de Patanjali， explicando uno a uno con sus matices y aplicaciones de forma muy extensa。 Los primeros estadios es lo que más he disfrutado del libro。 La segunda parte recoge una guía de práctica de asana que me ha resultado útil en algunas ocasiones consultar o reforzar cuando acabo llevando vicios y malas costumbres a mí práctica。La tercera parte a mí me ha sido de menor utilidad ya que no busco una práctica avanzada de pranayama， pero no deja de tener un gran valor para quien lo busque。 。。。more
Ali
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I've read Light on Yoga in parts over five years。 It's my favourite to go to for understanding， routine and development of practice。 ** though fully read， i’m always still reading it I've read Light on Yoga in parts over five years。 It's my favourite to go to for understanding， routine and development of practice。 ** though fully read， i’m always still reading it 。。。more
Chazz Glaze
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Thorough but dry and somewhat repetitive。
Laura Ardila
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La biblia del yoga。 Super útil este libro。
Jessi
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Much like an original song that is better when covered by ANYONE ELSE except the songwriter， Iyengar's ideas and poses translate better in most any other yoga book。 Bless his heart。 Much like an original song that is better when covered by ANYONE ELSE except the songwriter， Iyengar's ideas and poses translate better in most any other yoga book。 Bless his heart。 。。。more
Mandy Partridge
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The Yoga Bible。I was fortunate to grow up next door to an ex-ballerina who taught Yoga。 As an adult， I attended Yoga and Acro-Yoga classes。 But the Iyengar book still has postures I've never tried， so I try his ideas like the twisting headstand。 Iyengar， from India， introduced Yoga to the West， at the suggestion of violinist Yehudi Menuhin。 His children continue to teach Yoga， this book is the textbook at Yoga schools everywhere。 The Yoga Bible。I was fortunate to grow up next door to an ex-ballerina who taught Yoga。 As an adult， I attended Yoga and Acro-Yoga classes。 But the Iyengar book still has postures I've never tried， so I try his ideas like the twisting headstand。 Iyengar， from India， introduced Yoga to the West， at the suggestion of violinist Yehudi Menuhin。 His children continue to teach Yoga， this book is the textbook at Yoga schools everywhere。 。。。more
T
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It’s a reference book full of wisdom on Indian thought and way of life。
Jessica Surgeon
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Some yoga history and philosophy。 Detailed instructions on Asanas and Pranayama。
Robert
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Book Report - Light On Yoga by B。K。S。 Iyengar - 544 pages long。Iyengar draws from his own extensive personal experience， ancient scripture， and the thoughts of his contemporaries to present a foundational introduction to the study and practice of yoga to an English-speaking audience。 The book has almost 600 photos， instructions for over 200 exercises （as well as other instructional aids）， and delves into yoga ethics and philosophy。 It may be a little intimidating for the newcomer to learn Sanskr Book Report - Light On Yoga by B。K。S。 Iyengar - 544 pages long。Iyengar draws from his own extensive personal experience， ancient scripture， and the thoughts of his contemporaries to present a foundational introduction to the study and practice of yoga to an English-speaking audience。 The book has almost 600 photos， instructions for over 200 exercises （as well as other instructional aids）， and delves into yoga ethics and philosophy。 It may be a little intimidating for the newcomer to learn Sanskrit words and phrases， and so an extensive glossary and index help the student with this challenge。 First published in 1966， the book has been translated into at least 23 different languages and remains a keystone text for most serious yoga students。As with many instructional books， the text isn't necessarily meant to be read from beginning to end。 However， for purposes of this review， I will look at it sequentially。 Additionally， I'll note that it was useful for me to go through it from beginning to end， as I found out a lot of information that I would have surely overlooked had I only turned to look at a page when I decided to practice a certain pose。In the 40 page introduction， Iyengar addresses the question "What is Yoga？" He states that "Yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy directed into constructive channels"。 Further， he likens yoga to a well-cut diamond with many facets where each facet reveals a different shade of meaning。 With this in mind， yoga means many things， all related， and among them are: selfless service， harmony， wisdom in work， and union with Brahma （the creator of the universe）。Iyengar emphasizes the necessity of a teacher/student （guru/sisya） relationship for both the expedient and confident development of the student。 He also mentions the various states of mind that are conducive or destructive to the student's maturation; as well as various mental and physical obstacles to practice and how to overcome them。After addressing these points Iyengar returns to the 8 stages or limbs of yoga。 These are initially defined briefly， and then Iyengar looks at each limb in detail。 I will follow his example here。 The first two of these limbs are the outward quests of the yamas （ethical conduct） and niyamas （self-purification by discipline）。 Next are the 3 inner quests; these stages are asana （poses）， pranayama （rhythmic control of the breath）， and pratyahara （freeing the mind from the domination of the senses）。 Finally， he considers the last 3 limbs， known as the quests of the soul。 These are dharana （concentration）， dhyana （meditation）， and samadhi （union with the divine） a state so profound that words fail to adequately describe it， but which is marked by unutterable joy and peace。As Iyengar goes into some detail about these limbs or stages of yoga the reader unfamiliar with Sanskrit will be grateful for the glossary and Iyengar's introducing each word or phrase with its English equivalent when it first appears in the text。 I will only give a brief overview of the content that he includes in this book， and that in turn is merely an introduction to these concepts and not a complete analysis of them。Iyengar mentions 5 yamas: ahimsa （non-violence）， satya （truth）， asteya （non-stealing）， brahmacharya （continence）， and aparigraha （non-coveting）。 He devotes several paragraphs to each of these concepts。With ahimsa， as with the other yamas， he takes an expansive view and focuses past the obvious injunction to not cause harm and instead encourages the reader to consider the cornerstone of this yama to be love。 When we love another， our environment， a deity， or the world， we treat it with love。 Guided by love our actions are instilled with a tendency towards non-violence。As for satya， Iyengar quotes Gandhi: "Truth is God， and God is Truth"。 Truth purifies our prayer and keeps us grounded in reality。 Truth in word， thought， and deed keeps the yogi in tune with reality; whereas untruthfulness knocks one out of harmony with reality。With asteya the yogi is encouraged to take a broad view。 It is not literally taking what is not ours， but also （for example） using a tool for a purpose that it was not meant for， or keeping something longer than we had agreed to borrow it。 The yogi has little because what is owned but unused may be considered theft from those who might use it。The idea of brahmacharya extends beyond misuse of sexual energy， to considering that the divine is all around us， and to experience that divinity we need to hone our awareness of it continually through our day-to-day existence。 Immersion in the divine creates vitality， physically， mentally， and intellectually。 The yogi is encouraged to use this cultivated energy wisely for the benefit of the people。The final yama covered is aparigraha （non-hoarding） which is similar to asteya。 This yama more explicitly encourages the yogi to live a simple life。 It cultivates faith that the great spirit will provide what is needed when it is needed。While these yamas （and other aspects of yoga） are refined in the yoga student and mastered by the guru; they are present in all life。 Not heeding these commandments will bring results counter to those acquired by those who follow them。 Heh！After looking at each of the yamas in turn， Iyengar turns to the niyamas and discusses the five that are mentioned by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras。 These aspects of self-purification are saucha （purity）， santosa （contentment）， tapas （austerity）， svadhyaya （study of the self）， and Isvara pranidhana （dedication to the lord）。 Again， he first defines each with a word or short phrase， and then develops each with a few paragraphs or so。As for saucha it extends beyond cleanliness of the body， to purifying thought， word， and deed。 He believes that a vegetarian diet will eventually emerge for the yogi as this diet will allow for greater attention to one-pointed devotion to the great spirit。 The yogi studies in a clean place， and this encourages purity。 The greatest purity is ridding the emotions of negative emotions， and the mind of impure thoughts。Santosa - contentment - is something to be cultivated。 This was a big insight that I got from reading this text for the first time （January 2022）。 A contented mind better focuses。 The yogi serves the great spirit and knows love。 With tapas （tap in Sanskrit means to burn） the yogi is enjoined to seek union with the great spirit。 They are encouraged to embody a burning effort to this end in body， speech， and mind。 The yogi's speech is loving and truthful。 They remain equanimous mentally。 The yogi works without regard for gain but rather in service of the great spirit。Svadhayaya， the study of the self， is the effort to cultivate our optimal self。 The yogi considers his actions and will revise them as needed to more closely embody bhakti （devotion） because this is the relationship with creation to be developed。Lastly， Iyengar writes about Isvara pranidhana。 This is the movement from thinking about personal gain to a mind that is filled with thoughts of the great spirit。 For me， as with some of the other aspects so far discussed， it is mostly theoretical at this point。 However， it is clear that when I am focusing solely on my own benefit then I am more likely to be caught up in the drama。 My experience of times when I have cultivated one-pointed attention have indeed been times when I feel the most connected， graced， grateful， and awed by the creation that surrounds us all。Having considered the outward quests， Iyengar turns his attention to the inward quests。 The first of these is asana。 The bulk of the book is dedicated to pictures of Iyengar getting into various asanas， along with instructions on how to get into the pose and the benefits of the pose。 In this section of the book， he also mentions some other bits and pieces of philosophy， scriptural stories， and the importance of certain poses as they relate to yogic practice。 Here in the introduction， he makes clear that asanas are not just athletic， but also tone the inner organs， and help to create a clear and focused mind。 Further， as the asanas are named after all variety of animals and plants， as well as gods， sages， and legendary figures， asana practice reflects the fact that the same energy moves through all aspects of reality。 The yogi eventually finds union with this divine energy through the practice of asana。The health of body， mind， and spirit is gained through asana practice。 This health is rooted in equilibrium and brings the yogi closer to the great spirit。 Iyengar encourages the yogi to continue this process of equilibrium through the practice of pranayama。 He cautions that a master of pranayama is needed to guide the student through the practice of breath control， and that without guidance， one may be injured or die because of the power of pranayama。The fruit of the practice of asana and pranayama is intensified for the yogi in the 5th stage of yoga， pratyahara。 Here the yogi encounters and develops the withdrawal of the mind from the senses。 This is to say that the yogi is not moved by external objects， but rather brings their attention to focus on the ever-present great spirit。 These stages of yoga become loftier， or to paraphrase Iyengar， many follow the path of sense gratification and only a few follow the stages of yoga。 I am reminded of the phrase "Sweet mind， bitter practice。 Bitter mind， sweet practice"， which resonates with Iyengar's statement that the road to salvation lies within。It is during the discussion of pratyahara that Iyengar brings up the concept of the three gunas: sattva （illuminating， pure， good）， rajas （mobility， activity）， and tamas （dark， restraining）。 These gunas are more or less useful to the yogi in their journey as the ultimate goal of yogic practice is to transcend all three states。 The gunas are said to be inherent in people， though through practice one can become more enlightened; and ultimately transcend them all。The sixth stage of yoga is dharana， single-pointed concentration。 This is concentration on the great spirit， and here Iyengar introduces the word Aum。 He suggests using this word as a mantra， a focal point for one's concentration。 The word is the highest prayer， and various interpretations of its significance are outlined in the text。 For example， it is said that the three letters represent length， breadth， and depth; while taken as a whole Aum represents Divinity， which transcends the limitations of dimensions。 The common theme outlined is that aum represents various trinities that are transcended when the whole word is spoken。 Aum， I believe， is the same as Om， only spelled differently。As the Buddhists say concentration is meditation， so it's not surprising that the next stage is dhyana。 Again the yogi meditates on the divine。 Meditation is concentration that is uninterrupted。 There is an integration of "body， breath， senses， mind， reason and ego" through this meditation with the great spirit。 The yogi experience "SUPREME BLISS" and "LIGHT"。The stage of dhyana leads to samadhi。 Here the yogi is at ease as if asleep， alert in mind and reason， yet beyond consciousness itself。 They have merged with the great spirit， even though the individual soul is infinitesimal， they have merged with what is infinite。 This experience is beyond words， and so is described as "Neti！ Neti！ - It is not this！ It is not this！" by the ancient sages。 It sounds similar to me as the Buddhist word Mu！ Which I have heard to mean not that， or the void。Iyengar ends the introduction with （I think a traditional） poem "Song of the Soul。"Part two of the book is mostly concerned with the proper way to practice asanas and what the name of each asana means， often some sort of animal。 He also has a few pages dedicated to exercises that encourage the upward flow of prana （these are called bandhas）。 Additionally， there are a few stories from scripture that he shares。 He also mentions larger aspects about some of the asanas， for example， that Sarvangasana （whole-body pose - generally called shoulder stand these days） is called out as the "Mother of asanas"; and Sirsasana （headstand pose） is likened to the Father of all asanas。 Further， he states that one should not practice Sirsasana by itself， but to follow it with Sarvangasana as only doing headstand one will become quick to anger。 It is therefore useful to read up on the poses that one is practicing to see if he has any hints， cautions， or anecdotes to share。Overall， part two takes a decidedly practical approach。 There are generally multiple pictures for each pose discussed， accompanied by numbered instructions for the practitioner to follow。 I'm sure that there is some underlying logic as to why he ordered them in the way that he did， but that alludes me at this point。 Additionally， he has a numbered system of difficultly for each pose from 1 to 60。 Again， I'm not sure how he came up with this system， though it seems useful， if for no other reason as to encourage someone if they are finding a pose difficult to do。Part three is dedicated to pranayama exercises。 He follows a similar format here， with reference photos， the name of the exercise， and the English translation or approximation thereof。 He forgoes the numbered difficulty system but includes a section of hints and cautions about pranayama generally and cautions about each pranayama in particular。 It is a relatively short section， and again， Iyengar emphasizes the necessity of a pranayama instructor over using the book alone。Following the main text of the book are two appendixes。 These are also potentially very valuable， perhaps the most valuable parts of the book。 The first appendix， the asana course， outlines a 300-week program of practice whereby all the various poses in the book may be mastered by the disciplined student。 He recognizes that even this program may be beyond the means of some people， though he suggests that most people with perseverance can do all the poses he outlines， and gives words of encouragement in this section for those who are dedicated enough to follow it。 The second appendix is very useful as it suggests poses that can be curative for people who suffer from various ailments and diseases。 Here you will find suggestions for poses to help with high blood pressure， diabetes， migraines， hemorrhoids， as well as for quite a few other specific and general complaints。 It is a very worthwhile appendix。As mentioned earlier， the book ends with both a glossary and index， invaluable tools for both the owner of the book and any of their friends or associates that might be interested in looking at it。Light On Yoga was a book ahead of its time， and due to its comprehensive and well-informed nature remains one of the books that is most often recommended for students。 It is a keystone text for many yoga teacher training programs。 The book covers the philosophy and practice of yoga。 It includes an asana course plan， hints on how and when to practice asanas and other yogic pursuits， as well as cheering on the reader with words and suggestions for practice。 Since the book may be used as a manual the glossary and index are very valuable and extensive。 。。。more
Vipul Musani
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One of the best book for various asanas。 It also lists the difficulty level with the asan as also it gives its benefits and the process and also the precautions to be taken。
Markus
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Not much to say here。 It’s a great entry level book for yoga， by one of the foremost masters of the art。 Excellent starting point for anyone who wants to pursue the subject。 I do wish there was a list of further reading。 Iyengar feeds small morsels of vedic philosophy in the Introduction， which leaves the reader wanting more。
Lizzy Hore
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I always feel at ease with yogic books。 B。K。S。 Iyengar certainly simplifies living the yogi way。 It was easy to trust these words knowing his past which lead him into this life long inward journey。Soothing and enjoyable。 A contemplative， reflective piece of work。
Jessica
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Habla sobre cómo mejorar tus posturas， definiciones básicas del yoga y manera de comenzar a hacer pranayamas。 Excelente guía。
Anna
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Read introduction， but not all the poses yet。 Was surprised to see the references/similarities to Western Christianity
Xuan Truong
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Detailed， systematic， thorough。 Good for the study of yoga， especially the courses from Week 1 to Week 300。
Alicia
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Does anyone ever "finish" this book？This book will remain a staple in my collection。 So far， no electronic version does it justice， and Iyengar is my yoga lineage （as one of the founding forefathers of yoga in the West）。 It provides a short summary of the Yoga Sutras， loads of pictures and descriptions of the yoga poses， including breaking down the sanskrit and the benefits of each pose。Even if you aren't a yoga teacher/instructor or a current yogi， this book would be extremely helpful with a fe Does anyone ever "finish" this book？This book will remain a staple in my collection。 So far， no electronic version does it justice， and Iyengar is my yoga lineage （as one of the founding forefathers of yoga in the West）。 It provides a short summary of the Yoga Sutras， loads of pictures and descriptions of the yoga poses， including breaking down the sanskrit and the benefits of each pose。Even if you aren't a yoga teacher/instructor or a current yogi， this book would be extremely helpful with a few pranyama （energetic breathing） exercises and a schedule for yoga poses to further your asana （physical practice）。 。。。more
Rachel
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I keep this in my bathroom to read sections again and again。 A great reminder of alignment and purpose of asanas。 A must have for all yoga teachers and students of yoga。
Paige
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a bit tedious to work through but a great manual for someone actively practicing yoga。 i finally understand the intention of the bandhas
BookishlyWise
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Beautiful book - with all the wisdom behind Yoga， and all yoga poses and sequences explained with photographs。
Angie Taggart
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Like Light on Life， this book is a must have for anyone who is serious about her yoga practice。 I especially love the detailed lists for Asana practices， the very specific instructions regarding each Asana， and the origin stories for the names of many of the poses。 Also helpful is the descriptions of the effects of each pose and the index for which poses to do depending on an ailment you might have。 Love it！
Deepali Jain
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Good for the people whoare more into props and Iyengar yoga。
Carole Fontaine
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This is the Iyengar Bible。 I used it while studying yoga - Excellent book by the master himself。
Carlee Ferrell
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Amazing descriptions of poses， Iyengar filled the pages with tons of valuable information。
Amanda sebert
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Bad advice and does not provide the context around yoga I was seeking from a book。 This book advises needing to keep semen， honor god， never do certain poses when on your period， and never do certain poses unless you pooped before your practice！ I have been practicing yoga for 14 years and found this book ableist， preachy， and boring， with downright misleading advice。
Sara Delaney Rose
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This is just a book that gives in depth explanations of each pose， very helpful for reference。
LPG
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I made the mistake for the past year to try to read this thing cover to cover。 There’s too much information in here for that。 Today， I read the parts that suited me， then placed it next to my yoga mat and props to have on hand as a reference。 Fascinating stuff on every page and very clear。 A must if you want to stop relying completely on studios that still haven’t reopened and deepen your yoga practice。
Rose Moore
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This book is a must have for anyone who wants to teach yoga。 the directions are spot on for hundreds of poses。 there is so much information， so that if you have a question itll likely have an answer。 there is asana， breathing exercises， and lots of 'platelets' which are the pictures of BKS。 My yoga teacher trainer had this on the required books for class and I'm glad I have it。 Great reference book for any practicing yoga enthusiast。 This book is a must have for anyone who wants to teach yoga。 the directions are spot on for hundreds of poses。 there is so much information， so that if you have a question itll likely have an answer。 there is asana， breathing exercises， and lots of 'platelets' which are the pictures of BKS。 My yoga teacher trainer had this on the required books for class and I'm glad I have it。 Great reference book for any practicing yoga enthusiast。 。。。more
Logan
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This is a comprehensive yoga book， it has an index at the back of the book labelled with specific benefits and directs you to all of the postures for that benefit。 People with any experience level in yoga will be able to utilize this book， it ranges from entry level to master level postures。 Videos and lessons still have a place for someone learning yoga， but getting this book can describe things in more detail than you may receive in a session。 If you see a posture that you like and want to dev This is a comprehensive yoga book， it has an index at the back of the book labelled with specific benefits and directs you to all of the postures for that benefit。 People with any experience level in yoga will be able to utilize this book， it ranges from entry level to master level postures。 Videos and lessons still have a place for someone learning yoga， but getting this book can describe things in more detail than you may receive in a session。 If you see a posture that you like and want to develop it， it is still useful seeing someone do it in a video。 As far as giving me something that captures the spirit and complexity of the Hindu philosophy， i would say it was a great success。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Light on Yoga
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Light on Yoga&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Light on Yoga&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0