Victoria Klein

The Yoga Sutras is the pulsing core of the practice of Yoga - which is much more in-depth than the mere asana/postures that are so very popular in the West. 

Unfortunately, the original sutras are presented in an extremely simplistic fashion, meant to be “unpacked” by a long-time teacher, according to the traditional Indian system.

Because of this, there are countless translations + commentaries of the The Yoga Sutras available in-print today (2 of which I’ve read + reviewed before: here + here).

Edwin Bryant’s interpretation of the Yoga Sutras is nothing short of remarkable. Along with his own intelligent perspective (backed by 30+ years of study), Bryant also includes insights from “traditional” commentators who “unpacked” the Yoga Sutras thousands of years ago. Perhaps even more important, he includes detailed information on the spiritual/religious lineage that Yoga developed from; a background in the metaphysics that underpin all Yogic concepts; + comparisons in how Yoga differs from other spiritual lineages that developed from the same root beliefs, including Buddhism.

There is a lot on conflicting information about what Yoga really is, especially due to the rise of importance to asana over the past few decades. If you’re looking to take your physical practice to a whole other level (it involves a lot less moving), this book will crack open your mind to all that Yoga has to offer, along with challenging your spiritual + scientific beliefs.

If you have never read a translation of the Yoga Sutras, this book may be overwhelming, unless you really love diving deep right off the bat. This book is truly vital reading for Yoga teachers of all “types” of Yoga - it takes us back to “our roots” + reminds us why we practice (spoiler: it doesn’t involved flat abs or tight buns).

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Thanks to Yoga Teacher Training, I’ve been discovering some of the best books I’ve ever read. Case in point: Rolf Sovik’s Moving Inward: The Journey to Meditation. 

Once you get past all the woo-woo aspects of what meditation can be and/or what you may experience, the logistics of getting comfortable + spending time sitting in stillness is enough for most people to skip it all together. Rolf’s book does an impeccable job of breaking down those logistical barriers (read: excuses) that stand in the way of enjoying meditation + all its benefits on a daily basis.

From finding a comfortable seated posture + breathing diaphragmatically (easier than it sounds) to truly relaxing before meditating + using the breath and/or a mantra as a point of focus during meditation, Rolf’s writing style is easy-to-understand + graciously supportive.

If you are interested in some of the more subtle aspects of meditation, Rolf also touches on the 8 limbs of yoga, active + cognitive senses, mulabandha, systematic relaxation, yoga nidra, prana vayus, nadi shodhanam, the 3 main nadis, maya koshas, and chakras. If that list sounds entirely foreign or mildly intimating  don’t fret - Rolf explains everything in an easy-to-understand way that you can embrace or set aside.

Whether you are brand new to meditation, have been meditating for decades, or anywhere in between, this book is a must-read to help you step into the practice of meditation or take your practice one step deeper.

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Let me start by saying this is the first full version of the Bhagavad Gita that I’ve ever read, so I can’t make any comparisons to other translations. I have read many quotes from the text, but this is the first time I’ve read the whole Gita beginning to end.

That being said, this translation + brief commentary by Graham Schweig is phenomenal! 

I liken reading the Bhagavad Gita to reading Shakespeare - the text is rich with meaning, though it may be tough to grasp without extra insight. Schweig does a great job of providing a little bit of guidance while you let the text speak for itself. The final appendix, titled “On This Translation”, explains Schweig’s means of translating the ancient text + I highly appreciate how he did everything he could to maintain the text’s integrity + complexity when presenting it in English.

Having studied + practiced many of yoga’s core concepts, reading the Gita is a natural extension of delving deeper into the world of yoga. The Gita adds a much richer concept of what yoga is, compared to just reading the Yoga Sutras (which I’ve reviewed here + here).

Whether you’ve had an introduction to yoga or not, Schweig does a wonderful job making the Gita understandable - and you’ll likely be even more curious about yoga afterward! I can easily see myself reading + referring to this translation for many decades

Note: The Gita is a beautiful book for folks of all faiths to read, whether they consider themselves yogis or not. If you have devoted yourself to a particular religion or faith, keep an open mind when you read this book. Krishna, who is the highest God in the Hindu religion, can easily be seen as the God you have chosen to worship. Each religion has their own version of “the highest power”, but more often than not, they are preaching the same message: love one another + leave the Earth better than you found it.

What is your favorite translation of the Bhagavad Gita?

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I just finished this book + it is so wonderful that I don’t even know where to start this review. Experienced practitioner, total yoga newbie, + everyone in between can benefit from reading this book.

Having read Nischala’s book “The Secret Power of Yoga”, I already knew that I enjoyed her writing style + personal insights. Published 13 years ago (7 years before SPOY was published), HPOY draws on her experience in traditional yoga + modern medical settings to present a detailed plan to improve your mental, physical, + spiritual well-being.

There are oodles of wonderful yoga-related books on the market that delve in-depth into the historical writings + modern physical practices. This book is not one of them.

This book focuses more on the general lifestyle of yoga, as well as mental meditation, food meditation, gentle poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama), imagery, overall relaxation, + how to sleep peacefully. It may seem like a lot to cover in one book, but Nischala does it seamlessly. If this book came in a smaller size, I would carry it around in my purse at all times, consistently referring back to the countless passages I highlighted while reading it.

Being an introductory-style guide to yoga (especially geared towards disease prevention or reversal), my main concern was how the book would be written. I’ve read over 30 yoga books (which, in the grand scheme, isn’t that many) + at least half of them would have probably turned me off of yoga if I read them when I first started practicing. Delightfully, Nischala’s book does touch on spiritual + metaphysical aspects, but mainly stays in the realms of life that even a layman can relate to. In other words, anyone can read, understand, + apply this book to their lives.

I can’t say enough good things about this book, so I’ll end the review here. Go out, buy yourself a copy, keep a highlighter with you while you read it, + prepare to refer back to this book for the rest of your life - yeah, it’s that good. With an open mind, experience the book for yourself + allow it to affect you :)

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Having read 2 of Donna’s books already (Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit + Bringing Yoga to Life), I’ve come to deeply appreciate her frank + professional writing style - and this book is no exception. Donna addresses the complex reality of the student-teacher relationships + the lack of stable/established regulations in the Yoga industry. This book was published in 2006 and, sadly, I think we still haven’t made much progress in that area.

Back to the book! Donna firmly established the need for professionalism on the part of Yoga teachers + reinforces how much power we have to help or harm our students. Mainly geared toward Yoga teachers, I find this book to be quite useful for Yoga students as well, giving them an inside view on what Yoga teachers experience. Even if I hadn’t taken a Yoga teacher training program, as a Yoga student of 12 years, I found this book extremely useful from the student angle as well.

After a wide overview, Donna delves into the myriad of ethical issues Yoga teachers face on a regular basis, including money, class numbers, certifications, communication with students, boundaries, appropriate wardrobe, + much much more. Last but not least, she also includes some sample ethical situations at the end of the book, giving you an opportunity to brainstorm how to handle these (possible) issues before they present themselves in your own career (+ hopefully they never do!).

Being a Yoga teacher is a big responsibility on many levels, and Donna’s book expressed that beautifully. The book also gives teachers an informed perspective + a useful reference for making sound, ethical decisions through the entirely of their teaching career. This is another one of those books that will have a life-long place on my shelf, re-reading it every so often to reconnect with the complexity (and joy) of being a Yoga teacher.

P.S. I have not yet listened to the CD included with this book, but I’ve heard from other Yoga teachers that the CD alone is worth buying the book. Since I’ve already found the book to be wonderfully useful, I am looking forward to hearing the CD :)

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Judith Lasater is known as the Queen of Restorative Yoga - and she doesn’t disappoint! For anyone that has an interest, passion, or simple curiosity about Restorative Yoga, this book is your bible. 

Like most (younger) folks, I didn’t pay much attention to Restorative Yoga … that was, until I came across this book & tested out a few of the poses for myself. 

First, Lasater’s writing style is very informative without being complicated. You feel supported & encouraged by her simply intelligent choice of words.

Second, though most of the poses in the various chapters are just slightly different versions of the ones before it, the variety of sequences & their supportive purposes are good for a lifetime.

Third, the poses work, plain & simple. Try them all & I’m sure you will find a favorite (mine is Supported Bound-Angle Pose using sandbags instead of a strap). Whether you are used to practicing with a live Yoga teacher or not, Lasater’s details for setting up, moving into, settling into, and coming out of each pose leave you confident that you can practice any restorative sequence on your own.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of Lasater’s other 7 books, but I certainly want to read them all after my delightful experience with this tome. This is one of those books that you keep on your shelf for life, re-reading & using it more than often.

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(Worth noting: this review is based on the reading from the 1st edition of this book. Kaminoff recently released a 2nd updated version with expanded introductory chapters that I haven’t had the pleasure of reading yet.)

This is a spectacular book – if you already know a hefty amount of anatomy. If your knowledge on anatomy is slim, this is still an exceptionally useful book, but it can also be overwhelming.

Anatomy pro or no, the introductory chapters set a wonderful foundation for understanding two very important elements of the body & their vital impact in Yoga poses: the breath & the spine. Those 2 elements are revisited in nearly every pose covered in the book. If nothing else, all Yoga practitioners should read this book to get an intelligent foundation on what’s really happening in Yoga postures.

Another useful element of this book: each pose is presented with its original Sanskrit name & English translation. Take your practice to the next level by learning the how to pronounce the Sanskrit names, thanks to the phonetic pronunciations also given. This may sound a big hippy-dippy, but you really do feel a pose differently when you refer to & think of it by its Sanskrit name.

Whether a Yoga teacher, teacher-in-training (like myself!), or a humble Yoga practitioner, this is a worthwhile book to have on your bookshelf. Even though the anatomical terminology can be overwhelming, the introductory chapters, Sanskrit pronunciations, and alignment & breathing notes for each posture make this book very valuable … even if you don’t know what adduction & abduction are.

P.S. Adduction means to move and/or rotate something toward the center of your body/midline (adding something to the center – easy way to remember it) & abduction means to move and/or rotate something away from the center of your body/midline. 

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Before reading this book, I read a “traditional” translation of the Yoga Sutras. I found Devi’s book to be a nice contrast to the previous book, adding another dimension of understanding to the overall Yoga Sutras. I also highly appreciate her lack of the use of “God”, making the Yoga Sutras much easier to understand from a non-Christian/Atheist perspective. 

Billed as a “Woman’s Guide to the … Yoga Sutras”, I feel the need to address the representation of men vs. women in this book. Others who have reviewed this book say that Devi is doing nothing more than promoting the “usual” roles of men being angry + dominant and women being delicate + emotional.

While I see how that could be interpreted, I simply disagree. Women have been fighting for all-encompassing equality for centuries, and we have come a long way. That being said, women are naturally more caring and compassionate - that’s why we are given the biological ability to give birth + nurture children, or perhaps because of it. 

On the other hand, men are physically stronger and no-nonsense problem solvers - that is their natural duty since, classically, they don’t spend as much time rearing children as they do protecting and providing for them.

Please don’t interpret my musings as derogatory or enforcing traditional roles - this is simply Mother Nature. I’m all for feminine equality, such as making the same amount of money and having the same opportunities as men. That’s referring to social/cultural equality. I’m talking about nature/biology. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but the majority of men + women follow the traditional biological personalities at varying levels. 

All that being said, I didn’t find Devi’s interpretations of men vs. women to be offensive or derogatory - merely factual. Historically, women’s “feminine” qualities have been interpreted as weak, which is entirely from a social/cultural perspective. That is what needs to change.

Back to the book itself, I think it is a wonderful read for women AND men, providing yet another dimension of understanding to the widely-interpreted Yoga Sutras, especially in-relation to the exact words used & how they deeply impact your interpretation. The main thing I wish is that the book was longer + even more in-depth.

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There are countless interpretations and commentaries on the Yoga Sutras, originally compiled by Patanjali thousands of years ago. Personally, I’ve only read 2 others before reading this version, so my point of reference may be considered narrow. 

I found Swami Satchidananda’s version to be informative and somewhat blunt - and I mean that in a good way. He uses a few modern examples throughout the text to help improve the reader’s understanding. This book was originally published in 1978 and the examples he uses still apply (both ironic and sad). 

His attempt to explain the overall concept of “never-ending consciousness” that is a key part of the spirituality of Yoga felt a bit incomplete, or at the very least, confusing. His use of the word God to symbolize said consciousness made it hard to distinguish between the Christian concept of God and the yogic concept of consciousness/God/Light … etc.

If you are looking for a complete commentary on the Yoga Sutras, this is not the book for you. Swami summarizes and skips over certain sutras entirely within Books 3 & 4. Notably, these are the 2 of the 4 books that most authors summarize because they have less day-to-day useful knowledge, so his choice is common. 

Personally, I am very happy that I took the time to read this interpretation of the Yoga Sutras and I’d widely recommend it to others, especially those delving into the world of teaching Yoga. That being said, this isn’t a be-all end-all translation (no book is), so I implore you to read other Yoga Sutras commentaries as well.

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Simliar to the first book I read by Donna Farhi (Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness), this book was nothing like I expected, yet still exceptionally wonderful. 

I was expecting an overview of the basic ethical principles of yoga. Instead, I was greeted with an intriguing introduction to all the possibilities yoga has to offer, unique angles on the eight-limbed path of true Yoga, and (last but not least) the various “roadbloacks + distractions” that could slow, stop, or reverse your progress.

Like many wonderful teachers and writers, Donna includes personal anecdotes from her own life + her students (without being too specific or identifiable). This makes all of the precepts she covers much more realistic, attainable, and most importantly, worth making the effort for.

Another thing to be adored about Donna (and this book in particular): Donna doesn’t sugar-coat anything. This is life, we all make mistakes, we are all imperfect - BUT - we are all also divine and capable. The potential is within us all (it always has been) and the author herself stands at a testament to the life-changing abilities of a genuine Yoga practice.

Simply put, I can easily see why this is must-read book #2 for the Yoga Teacher Training course I am taking (Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness being the first). This is another book that, in my opinion, each + every yoga practitioner should read - and re-read over the course of their journey.

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