Product Description Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the only modern authoritative source that correlates the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. Hatha yoga is comprised of stretching, strengthening and breathing exercises in upright, lying down and inverted postures. Yoga teachers and students, personal trainers, medical therapists, or anyone who is curious or troubled about how the body responds to stretching and exercise will find in this book a cornucopia -- partly new and partly old -- of readable and reliable information. It was written and edited to meet the needs of a general audience largely unschooled in the biomechanical sciences, and yet to attract and challenge the interests of the medical profession. This book features 230 black and white photographs and more than 120 diagrams and anatomical illustrations.
Chapter 1 summarizes general principles of anatomy and physiology as applied to hatha yoga. Breathing is next in chapter 2 because yogic breathing expedites movement and posture. Breathing is followed by pelvic and abdominal exercises in chapter 3 because the pelvis and abdomen form the foundation of the body. Standing postures will then be covered in chapter 4 because these poses are so important for beginning students, and because they provide a preview of backbending, forward bending, and twisting postures, which are covered in detail in chapters 5, 6, and 7. The headstand and shoulderstand, including an introduction to cardiovascular function, are presented in chapters 8 and 9. Postures for relaxation and meditation are treated last in chapter 10.
WINNER, 2002 Benjamin Franklin Award for Health Wellness, and Nutrition - Publishers Marketing Association.
Excellent bookJanuary 14, 2010 Tools 4 Me(Portland, Or) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found the book to be very well written and very informative. It describes what parts of the anatomy are involved in different yoga asanas, and describes how poses should be performed to get the maximum physical benefit from the exercise. Some may find it a little too technical, but that was its intent--to be, as its title states, "a manual for students, teachers, and practitioners". It contains a lot of information (622 pages); it's hard to imagine how any yoga practitioner could not find something in the book to both improve their practice and to understand how the body is executing the poses. I have been practicing yoga for nearly a decade and a half with some excellent teachers, but everytime I open Coulter's book I find something to consider or an adjustment to make in my next practice.
Excellent resource, a must for the bookshelfSeptember 17, 2009 Ross A. Bergfalk(Maple Grove, MN USA) As a Myofascial Therapist and Yoga practitioner, I appreciate David Coulter's excellent blend of technical knowledge and his practical insights from years of being a yoga practitioner. If you are a yoga instructor, this book is a must for the book shelf. It is not a text that you read straight through, but yet an excellent reference for your practice and teaching career. You owe it to yourself and the safety of your students to read this book.
Text book of YogaSeptember 14, 2009 bart737(Ruidoso, NM) Buy this book first for serious study of Yoga. Breath is the basic and this tells you how to and gives you all the ways to get it right. If your going to do Yoga over one year, this is what you need to have as you first book in your Yoga library. I have seen many articles lifted from this book that were published in periodicals with no attribution.
Heavy weight! And I mean heavy as in heavy to carry.July 7, 2009 M Twain(Dublin Ireland) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
When glossy paper is used sometimes the book gets real heavy to carry. It is stone age heavy!
The book is good but nothing you want to carry with you any where and sadly enough not even when you move...house.
detailed posture instructionsApril 13, 2009 Margaret P.(Boulder, CO USA) The first few chapters of this book describe in excruciating detail of nerves and breathing. This is pretty daunting, but I'm sure it's worthwhile for anyone with the patience. Later chapters focus on one type of yoga move (e.g., twists), and convey precise details on how each of the most common yoga moves is supposed to be performed: what to do, what not to do, how to modify the posture when beginning and inflexible, and how to change the posture as you improve. I found the details on the various "standing with legs spread" poses to be incredibly helpful -- which way are your hips and feet really supposed to be facing?
Well worth the money. Fascinating reading. I wish more postures were described.
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