As promised last week, here is a book recommendation for you to help you get to know your asana’s (yoga poses).
I came across Hatha Yoga Illustrated, for greater strength, flexibility and focus. And I’m so glad I did! I think it’s perfect for everyone who works with me for their yoga practice, whether in person, or here on my site.
I’m currently working with a very motivated group of people in my Vinyasa Flow yoga class. Their practice has improved greatly over a short period of time and I’d love them to continue with their yoga daily, in a way that speaks to them, as a form of cross-training, starting a spiritual practice, or to unwind, whatever their motivation.
And with that in mind, I recommend this book to take your yoga practice out of the studio into your daily life. So you can explore the poses on your own.
Hatha Yoga Illustrated provides an overview of Hatha yoga, its roots, the eight limbs of yoga. It also discusses the energy body and gives breathing techniques to practise. It’s a great reference for yoga postures too, which makes up most of the book.
If you’re starting out on your yoga journey, or are already on the path, I suggest grabbing a copy as a great guide to postures you can practise at home. The instructions are easy to follow and the benefits are detailed, along with the contraindications, to help you tailor a practice to your needs. Knowing more about each pose, can give you some confidence in starting your practice on your own.
Some yoga sequences are also provided to help you get your practice started, bringing together movement with breath to connect mindfully from one pose to the next.
If you’re using this book, be sure to let me know your thoughts! How did it help you move from the studio to the mat?
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
A very peaceful webplace you have created.
I shall look out for the book you suggest to supplement my “Yoga for dummies” that I occasionally use. Although you cannot beat yoga mentoring to avoid repetitive learning of subtly incorrect postures/breathing etc..
Also looking forward to any nutritional tips to help me recover from refined sugar addiction !
See you soon.
Take care
Thank you Gilbert.
I agree, attending a class to help correct alignment etc is a must, especially for beginners. Practicing at home can show you how much you know, and remember from class, building confidence. A home practice helps you to tune inwards more than is possible in a class environment, to trust in your intuitive ability to know what is right for you and move deeper into the practice of yoga. It takes time, you just have to start and trust the process.
I’ll share some tasty alternatives to refined sugar soon :). My tip is to add in more healthy sweet alternatives in place of your usual choices.
Nichola x