Ashtanga Yoga The Definitive Step by Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga
John Scott’s Ashtanga Yoga draws on his expertise as a teacher of this most energetic form of yoga. An easy-to-use guide, it features color photographs and a series of step-by-step exercise sessions — starting with a simple sequence designed for beginners that, once mastered, provides the foundation for moving to the next cycle.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Excellent self-teaching tool
This book is beautifully and intuitively laid out. I have some experience in yoga classrooms, and a variety of various types of home video yoga products. Ashtanga is my favorite practice, and I wanted to learn a good deal more about the practice that I was unable to glean from home videos. The book begins explaining about the bandhas (3 locks or seals that you should control during yoga practice), the breathing techniques (ujjayi) and the dristis (gaze points). Next are sun salutations. The way in which the book is laid out for learning the movements is brilliant. First, little pictures of a yoga practitioner are laid out on one page in order to demonstrate the transitions through an entire movement. This is followed by pages of the movements (larger pictures of the practitioner) with detailed explanations neatly laid out next to each movement. After the sun salutations, the format changes slightly, but the overall layout remains the same with pictures and neat explanations, with clear indication on which positions need to be held longer, etc. This is an excellent home reference tool for Ashtanga yoga. I have found it extremely helpful. Besides the ease of use, I was particularly pleased to have something that explained more thoroughly through words and pictures how to transition precisely from vertical to horizontal positions, for example, and a reference helping me to understand which dristis to look toward, and which bandhas to focus on during each movement.
5 Stars Very helpful
This book is a great compliment to the David Swenson practice manual, or great on it’s own. It has a lot more detail than David’s book, with things to watch for in each pose, and also defines what you need to be working towards. The thing that I love most about it is that it has photos of each part of the vinyasa after each pose so that you can visually see exactly what you should be doing, rather than trying to read the words “take a vinyasa.”
A must have for anyone serious about ashtanga.
5 Stars Awesome
I bought this with David Swensen’s book and the two complement each other well. The pictures are really great, and there are useful highlighted tips. I haven’t used it as much in practice as Swensen’s book because it doesn’t stay open as well (the binding is more difficult than the spiral of Swensen’s book), but the information conveyed is useful and well done. Good Choice.
3 Stars Ashtanga Yoga: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga
The book has good step by step instructions however the instructions are for advance yogis. A beginner or someone who has been doing yoga for a short time would find it difficult to do the majority of the poses.
5 Stars Get It
This book has been my companion since I began practicing Ashtanga Yoga. John’s detailed and thorough description of the vinyasa and poses are extremely helpful both as a student and, now, as an Ashtanga teacher. I now use it as an occasional reference but remember when I would consult it almost daily in order to refine my practice. I highly recommend this text as one of the only “pure” Ashtanga books, ideally complimented by taking Ashtanga classes if you can. A++.
