THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VINYASA YOGA: An Authoritative Presentation Based on 30 Years of Direct Study Under the Legendary Yoga Teacher Krishnamacharya

Having studied for more than three decades with renowned yoga master T. Krishnamacharya, and taught for more than two decades, Ramaswami attempts to offer a more complete picture of the practices developed ages ago to heal the body, train the mind and cultivate inner peace. He calls much of Western yoga practice "blatantly aggressive" and altered to appeal to Western tastes, omitting such essential aspects as yoga philosophy, breathing techniques, correct sequencing, chanting and meditation. In his descriptions of more than 900 poses and variations, he guides students on ways to integrate these aspects. While Ramaswami says his book can be used by students of every level (the sequences are rated according to difficulty), some may feel intimidated by the photographs, which show highly advanced yogis in many positions that are rarely taught in the average group class. The author's approach is somewhat didactic, emphasizing the "correct" way to do the poses, without acknowledging differences in body type and structure. The book's format makes it more of a practice manual, and most likely readers without much background will need to read Ramaswami's Yoga for the Three Stages of Life to put the instruction into a larger context. Agent, Bob Silverstein. (July)