• Paperback: 272
• Publisher: Inner Traditions; Rev. ed edition (March 1, 1999)
• Price: $48.40

The Heart of Yoga Desikachar offers a distillation of his father’s system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as “a program for the spine at every level--physical, mental, and spiritual.” This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga--poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy--and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is a revised edition of The Heart of Yoga.

• Paperback: 256
• Publisher: Aperture (August 30, 2001)
• Price: $44.00

“My father's teaching first and foremost was based on the truth that each student must be taught according to his or her individual capacity at any given time. And each step is to be experienced for what the Bhagavad-Gita shows it to be: an episode in the greatest of all adventures, the eternal journey of the soul.”--T. K. V. Desikachar.

• Paperback: 230
• Publisher: Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (February 2005)
• Price: $48.40

In the early 20th century, when India’s traditional teachings were in danger of being lost, Krishnamacharya revived the ancient tradition of yoga. This knowledge was then spread to the modern world by his students, some of whom are well-known yogis: B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, Srivatsa Ramaswami, and Krishnamacharya’s son T.K.V. Desikachar.

The book is a well-rounded mix of yoga philosophy, biography of Krishnamacharya and his family and many personal family stories told in the first person by Kausthub Desikachar, his grandson. Because of Krishnamacharya’s mastery in so many different fields, many scholars, politicians, philosophers, artists and people of all professional and cultural backgrounds came to him for healing, personal advice or consultation on various subjects. As we read their stories, we learn how yoga can improve our lives.

• Paperback: 288
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 4, 2002)
• Price: $35.00

While there is no denying yoga’s popularity as a form of physical exercise, the other life-enhancing aspects of this tradition remain obscure to many Westerners. In Yoga for Transformation, Gary Kraftsow introduces techniques that treat not only the physical body but also the emotions, mind, heart, and soul of the practitioner-the places where real transformation can take place. There are breathing techniques to control energy levels, exercises to train and sharpen the intellect, and meditative practices to help increase self-awareness. With more than 350 black and white photographs throughout, this unique and accessible book is dedicated to strengthening the whole self-body, mind, and spirit.

“Gary Kraftsow . . . will inspire every Yoga enthusiast.” (T. K. V. Desikachar)

• Paperback: 384
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 1, 1999)
• Price: $44.00

There’s more to yoga than stretching and bending and twisting. In Yoga for Wellness, one of America’s top yoga teachers gives a clinic on the holistic nature of yoga practice, especially in regard to healing and well-being. With over a thousand photographs, Gary Kraftsow covers the basic postures, the specific movements of each posture, and how to sequence postures in a routine. More importantly, he moves from form to function, showing how sequences of postures can alleviate ailments in each system of the body, from lower back pain to hypertension – even depression and multiple sclerosis. In case studies of his own clients, we see how Kraftsow’s holistic approach has him recommending not only posture prescriptions, but breathing exercises, sound techniques, and visualizations, not to mention such commonly neglected wisdom as eating a healthy breakfast and getting closer to nature. Yoga for Wellness is the rare yoga instruction manual that teaches the basics of yoga while also paying more than just lip service to the original intention of yoga--achieving a balance of mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.

• Paperback: 240
• Publisher: Shambhala (December 14, 2004)
• Price: $44.00

Most people think of yoga as a solitary activity that is inherently therapeutic. While that is generally true, yoga poses and breathing practices can also be prescribed for specific health problems – often in combination with dietary advice taken from Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine. Yoga Therapy is an essential guide for yoga teachers, advanced practitioners, and anyone who wants to make therapeutic use of yoga. A. G. and Indra Mohan prescribe postures, breathing techniques, and basic Ayurvedic principles for a variety of common health problems, including asthma, back pain, constipation, hip pain, knee pain, menstrual problems, and scoliosis.

Yoga Therapy is one of the few books that shows yoga teachers how to put together appropriate yoga sequences and breathing techniques for their students. Mohan details how to correctly move into, hold, and move out of poses, how to breathe during practice to achieve specific results, and how to customize a yoga practice by creating sequences of yoga poses for a particular person.