Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul

9 reviews for Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul

1. 

   Christine J. Hayward – December 28, 2024

   Jivamukti laid out
   This is an excellent book setting out the personal, spiritual, political, psychological, ethical, musical and physical aspects of Jivamukti yoga. It is highly readable, well laid out and accessible. But not simplistic. It is a solid, fascinating read that weaves yoga, philosophy, ancient terms, quotations and modern life issues seamlessly into a lovely whole. Kind of like the Jivamukti practice itself.Now – when are they going to release a DVD of their full length Jivamukti class? Soon please – for those of us whose nearest Jivamukti accredited teachers are an hour and a half drive away.Certain chapters such as the one on Karma and the one on vegetarianism stay in your mind and while confronting, work away at you. Mine chapters on these topics are covered in myriad margin notes. As a farm raised girl I thought some of the comments about not using milk from cows or eggs from chickens because of cruel animal practices reflected a very old view of choices about these options. For example, in Australia we have options of free range organic eggs certified as being from chickens who do run around outside in the sun, eat natural food only and walk voluntarily to their bird cages at night for food, shelter, fresh straw and to avoid being attacked by foxes. I of course agree totally with their comments about battery farming of hens as being cruel and unacceptable. Similarly their material on cow milk production did not cover cruelty organic free options now available. I read recently that the Dalai Lama had tried to be vegetarian but failed, so I guess he and I are struggling with the ethics of this. It would be terrific if in an updated version of the book they delved into such options so those of us not quite there yet have a pathway to get us there which is not the cold turkey route.The authors are magnificent physical specimens so the arty black and white photography is not only aesthetically pleasing, it shadows the muscles starkly, so you can see the definitions appropriate for each pose. The break out boxes are useful for added detail but the font size is miniscule. I had to use a magnifying glass to be able to read them. The break out boxes break up the page in interesting ways, so look great, but the tiny font size means many readers could miss the detail contained within. It would be great to have the break out box contents reappear at the end of each chapter as Endnotes at the normal font size.

2. 

   CPTScott – December 28, 2024

   A really different book about Yoga!
   This book Jivamukti Yoga is very different than most yoga books in that it is about Yoga in a more holistic sense. It has some material on asana sequencing (very interesting I might add), but that is the smallest part of the book. I would also agree with others that the photographs have a lot to be desired in their size and the way they are cropped. Not user friendly at all. It seems as they were willing to sacrifice clarity for the sake of being “artsy”. Jivamukti Yoga is more of an overview of the more spiritual aspects of yoga and puts the asana practice in the context of this more complete picture. It truly treats asana as just one limb of yoga practice. While I enjoyed it on many levels, I must also say that there are many times where I felt the authors got very preachy and sometimes seemed a bit off base to me. For example, Gannon and Life’s view of “Ahimsa” compared to other authors on the subject. Most writing on this concept of non-harming that I’ve read also stresses not harming oneself, Gannon and Life don’t give very much importance to this aspect of it which has a bit of a “martyr-like” attitude to it. In Desikachar’s book “The Heart Of Yoga” he says (I’m paraphrasing) that “Ahimsa also means acting in kindness toward ourselves”. and goes on to say for example that ” if one is a vegetarian but are in a situation where one must eat meat in order to survive then one must do what they need to do so they can continue to take care of their family and other responsibilities” and goes on to say that “it would show a lack of consideration and arrogance to become stuck on one’s principles”. Gannon and Life often seem to be stuck on their principles which I found to be a bit of a turn off. Even Buddhist Metta practices start with the idea that one has to love themselves in a healthy way(not in a hedonistic or egotiscal way) before they can truly have space and peace in their hearts for others. Only then can people love in a pure and unconditional way as that love expands outward. How can one give what they don’t have? Anyway, besides occasional somewhat “fanatical” attitudes throughout, I enjoyed this book immensely. I am currently reading it for the second time and can see that I will go back to it and re-read it many many times in spite of my occasional disagreements with the authors. I have read some complain of a lack of “thoroughness” regarding the “yoga philosphy” in this book, but in fairness to the authors, this book isn’t a scholarly book on Yoga philosophy but rather an introduction that will surely open many eyes to Yoga as a broader practice than just the asanas. Most people new to the more philosophical and religious aspects of yoga practice are not going to start with Patanjali but would be better off getting the overview from a book like this. As mentioned above, for those interested, I would highly recommend Desikachar’s “Heart of Yoga”, which does have the “Yoga Sutras” translated at the end of the book. It is preceded by an overview of yoga philosophy prior to presenting his translation of the “Yoga Sutras” (as well as some chapters on yoga “asana” practice) to give the reader some background. Desikachar himself is the son (and student)of the late Sri T.Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya himself was also the teacher of Pattabhi Jois (the primary Guru and Ashtanga yoga teacher of Gannon and Life and THE most well known proponent of Ashtanga Yoga). Krishnamacharya also taught BKS Iyengar. That should be enough of an endorsement to convince anyone of Desikachar’s “Yoga lineage” and credibility which would in my eyes put him in a different class than Gannon and Life. Sometimes it seems that some Westerners tend to “romanticize” their experiences in India whereas someone like Desikachar is not apt to do that since he is a native of that land. Still, regarding “Jivamukti Yoga”, I still think it deserves a five star rating and Highly recommend it for those interested in this very interesting approach to yoga. Namaste

3. 

   cjfarms – December 28, 2024

   If you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, this is the book.
   This is the best yoga book I have ever owned — and have MANY of them! Sharon and David provide an accessible and aspirational ‘how to’ manual for launching on your own journey, balancing all 8-limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. I have been practicing yoga for almost 15 years, and yet this book (and my teacher, who is Jivamukti-trained), have exponentially expanded my practice. I am deeply grateful to Sharon and David for this book and for training my teacher, and I will rely upon it until I have the opportunity to practice in person with them, some time.

4. 

   Gwen – December 28, 2024

   Delivers
   Jivamukti Yoga is a relatively new practice, but it is based on the ancient and sacred teachings of the Yoga Sutra: non-harming, and the settling of the mind to uncover our true nature. The teachings are not watered down to make them more palatable to the Western temperament. I appreciate this. The physical practice is vigorous. As far as the book itself, it is well-written. The photos of the posture sequences are a bit small, but they give the reader a sense of the sequencing. If you really want to experience Jivamukti Yoga practice, I recommend getting one of their videos out of the library, or better yet get to a class if there is one near you.

5. 

   Juliet – December 28, 2024

   Excelente libro. Lo que me gustó es que al final trae varias secuencias para poder hacer clases completas bastante creativas

6. 

   Janis – December 28, 2024

   Un libro Maravilloso!! Lleno de sabiduría

7. 

   Costanza – December 28, 2024

   Libro specifico per chi pratica questa tipologia di yoga

8. 

   Bee – December 28, 2024

   Comprehensive in topic coverage and contains detailed explanations including photos. Well written and concepts are more accessible to the modern yogi.

9. 

   Mother of Dragons – December 28, 2024

   If you love yoga and have never tried Jivamukti, this is the book for you !! Postures are unique and flows are the true Jivamukti flows – slightly different that the usual sun salutations and are now my personal favourites 🙂