The Best Ashtanga Yoga Books to Help You Get Started
Are you looking to get started with ashtanga yoga? There are a lot of great books out there that can help you do just that! This blog post will discuss some of the best ashtanga yoga books. We’ll talk about what makes these books so great and why they can be a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn more about this type of yoga. So if you’re ready to start your journey into ashtanga yoga, read on!
What is Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga is a type of yoga that is very structured.
There are five different series of Ashtanga poses, and a student must be able to do every pose in a series before moving on to the next one.
The goal of this yoga style is to purify the mind and body. As you practice, your body will heat up. This is a good point because it helps expel old and unnecessary energies!
This style of yoga is not for everyone. It is best for people already familiar with yoga and who want to challenge themselves.
Top Picks: The Best Ashtanga Yoga Books to Help You Get Started
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Why Buy An Ashtanga Yoga Book?
Since Ashtanga is a demanding and disciplined style of yoga, it is beneficial to have a home practice. But if you are starting and learning the practice, it can be challenging to remember all of the asanas!
Ashtanga yoga books are a great way to learn each pose and master your practice outside of yoga classes. They include helpful guides to each asana, including proper alignment and form cues.
Not only this, but open houses are also a great way to learn about the Ashtanga yoga philosophy and history if this is something that interests you!
The Best Ashtanga Yoga Books
If you like to know more about Ashtanga, some excellent books are available.
David Swenson’s “Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual”
Ashtanga’s fundamental and intermediate series of asanas are all included in this book’s 650 photographs. It’s a lot of information, so don’t be afraid! The book is written in an approachable style for readers of different backgrounds.
Greg Maehle’s “The Philosophy and Practice of Ashtanga Yoga”
Learn about the history of Ashtanga and the fundamentals of practice such as the breath, bandhas, drishti, and asanas with this book!
Aspiring teachers, as well as home practitioners, will benefit from this guidance. All of the positions are explained in full, including a tutorial on the Yoga Sutras and yoga terms.
Kino Macgregor’s “The Power of Ashtanga Yoga: Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner Peace”
The creator of Ashtanga yoga, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, personally qualified Kino MacGregor to teach Ashtanga yoga in the United States. This book is a must-have for those who want to learn about Ashtanga yoga’s fundamentals!
Each position is broken down into manageable stages, and the relationship between breath, posture, and gaze is emphasized throughout. This will help you learn how to do each stance appropriately.
Kino Macgregor’s “The Power of Ashtanga Yoga II: A Practice to Open Your Heart and Purify Your Body and Mind”
The Ashtanga main series has a sequel in this book. Kino discusses pranayama methods and components of practice purification in greater depth.
However, keep a mind that this book is intended for Ashtanga practitioners who have already finished the introductory course!
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’s “Yoga Mala: The Original Teachings of Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois”
The guy who introduced Ashtanga yoga to the West has released an official handbook to the practice, Yoga Mala. The book takes the reader through the core series, explaining the asana’s philosophical and ethical underpinnings and each pose’s physical and mental advantages.
If you’re new to meditation and want to learn more from someone who has practiced it, I highly recommend this book!
John Scott’s “Ashtanga Yoga: The Definitive Step by Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga”
This book will benefit people who desire to master Ashtanga postures in the correct form and alignment. The author explains how to breathe, look, and transition between poses as part of this series. Even if you’re a complete novice, you’ll be able to follow along with the diagrams and photographs!
Petri Raisanen’s “Ashtanga Yoga: The Yoga Tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois”
Ashtanga Yoga for Beginners is an excellent resource for those new to the practice. Numerous details are provided on the main sequence asanas, philosophical considerations, and breathing exercises.
Easy to read and comprehend, this Ashtanga yoga book is. People of all skill levels will like it!
Richard Freeman’s “The Art of Vinyasa: Awakening Body and Mind Through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga”
This book on Ashtanga yoga is unique in that it emphasizes the contemplative side of the practice rather than the physical asanas. Ashtanga is described as a kind of yoga that aims to awaken the body and the mind.
In contrast to previous Ashtanga yoga publications, The Art of Vinyasa does not follow the usual sequence. Instead, it serves as a bridge between yoga’s eight limbs.
Gregor Maehle’s “Ashtanga Yoga: The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice”
This is the best resource for those who are already proficient in yoga and are interested in learning more about the intermediate series.
When it comes to the Sanskrit language and Indian mythology and cosmology, Gregor Maehle goes into great detail. Also included in this book is a discussion on yoga anatomy and how it relates to intermediate-level postures!
Kino Macgregor’s “Ashtanga Yoga Practice Cards”
You may use Kino MacGregor’s Ashtanga yoga practice cards to practice at home. Detailed directions, Drishti, and the benefits of the position are included on each card.
To learn the Ashtanga poses and enhance your posture, try this out.
For more information about how yoga works, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ashtanga Yoga Books
Hard to explain, but Ashtanga Yoga is unwavering in its commitment. The more you practice, the less you remember how difficult it is. Yoga novices may find this daunting and disheartening.
Madonna practices a type of yoga called Ashtanga. This type of yoga encourages more dynamic movements and transitions between the postures.
Incorporate Ashtanga yoga into your workout routine to help you create lean muscle. Three studies indicated that Ashtanga yoga helps strengthen the core, upper body, and leg muscles. The multiple vinyasas help increase core and upper body strength, while the standing postures help build leg strength.
A specific set of positions in Ashtanga yoga’s primary series are connected using the vinyasa flow. Ashtanga yoga practitioners follow this pattern every day as their main practice. Students begin with the main series.
There are 35 vinyasas in the primary series. This is the number of times you jump back and jump through between the seated poses and the finishing sequence. However, if we count how many times you breathe in and out during the sun salutations and standing poses, there are 88 vinyasas.
Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga are the same type of yoga. The difference is that Ashtanga yoga follows a set sequence of poses, while a vinyasa yoga class varies from class to class.
Strength and compassion are cultivated in the Advanced Ashtanga Series of yoga. Then you’ll feel more confident and aroused as a consequence. There are more than a hundred postures in this collection.
Ashtanga yoga is suitable for beginners. Most studios offer a beginner’s class, either a 1-hour led class where the teacher guides the students along the set sequence of postures. There will be a lot of explaining to help the students with each pose.
It can take about a month of practice to learn the poses in the Ashtanga yoga primary series.
The Ashtanga Yoga method recommends that you practice six days a week. In the traditional “Mysore Style” of practice, you follow your breath and movements, not the guidance of a teacher leading a class through the same sequence of poses.
