Victoria Klein

(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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This book was everything + nothing like I expected. Chosen as the 1st of 10 books to read for a Yoga Teacher Training program, I expected it to have a wonderful amount of detail on Yoga’s physical practice + a healthy dose of the other (rarely covered in the West) aspects of Yoga. 

The book certainly delivered on that, but it also took me by surprise as to the LEVEL of detail - a level that is certainly required of any book for to-be Yoga teachers, but I believe that this book could be understood by even your average practitioner. 

I wish I had known about this book when I first started Yoga (right around the time this book was 1st printed, ironically). Even after nearly a decade of practice, I feel as though, after reading this book, I’m practicing Yoga with a whole other level of awareness. 

While I can easily give the book copious amounts of praise, I was sad to see the smaller selection of actual Yoga poses, including the classic Tree Pose. Understandably, there is only so much that you can cover in one book (and this book is STUFFED with info), but I was disappointed to see many of my favorite poses (many of which are beginner-to-intermediate level) left out. I’d LOVE to see Donna Farhi write another Yoga book with more poses - possibly a “Part 2” to this tome.

This book stands as vital proof that Yoga is far more than “just stretching”. I recommend this book to EVERY person who has thought about trying Yoga, practices Yoga, or teaches Yoga - no matter the style or type. This book will reconnect you to your practice in ways you never imagined.

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