Cannot go wrong with this classic text.

I have used mine so much it is beginning to fall apart.

Cannot go wrong with this classic text.

I have used mine so much it is beginning to fall apart.

I may even say: The Yoga bible. Mr Iyengar gives precise and clear information on every pose. From alignment to health benefits of the practice.

Its great for all- Begginers and advanced Yoga practitioners

If you are interested in yoga, this book is one of the must have books in your collection.

It covers everything from the philosphy of yoga to an extensive range of asanas for your practice. The material is covered in great detail, including images as needed, Highly recommended as comprehensive and an invaluable reference for Hatha Yoga and to refine your practice and approach.

I've been doing Yoga for almost 10 years (honestly, on and off) and recently I decided to Yoga sincerely to get rid of my backpain. My backpain vanished in 7 weeks completely and am feeling really vibrant! Earlier, I tried chiropractor / massages, it gave only temporary relief. Having realized that value of Yoga, I got intersted in knowing the philosophy as well as other asanas. During my research, most of the books and dvds I looked into are junk as they have commercialized and giving some substandard yoga. Finally, I've found this book to be the best and also validated with some authentic yoga masters. Thanks to the author who has presented this great ancient science of mind, body & soul and given it to the world in a practical format!

Read here about Iyengar's Guru: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Tirumalai_Krishnamacharya

I also reccomend the following 2 books:
1)The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T. K. V. Desikachar (seminal book on Yoga)
2)The Sivananda Companion to Yoga (excellent for begginer/intermediate)
(Yoga 101 Essential Tips by Sivananda Yoga Center is also good)

I've been doing Yoga for almost 10 years (honestly, on and off) and recently I decided to Yoga sincerely to get rid of my backpain. My backpain vanished in 7 weeks completely and am feeling really vibrant! Earlier, I tried chiropractor / massages, it gave only temporary relief. Having realized that value of Yoga, I got intersted in knowing the philosophy as well as other asanas. During my research, most of the books and dvds I looked into are junk as they have commercialized and giving some substandard yoga. Finally, I've found this book to be the best and also validated with some authentic yoga masters. Thanks to the author who has presented this great ancient science of mind, body & soul and given it to the world in a practical format!

Difinitive guide by Iyengar. Great for any level. Answers all questions on correct form and alignment. It's the "bible" of yoga.

This is a great book. I especially love the yoga plans given in the end and prescriptions. Great buy. If you truly want to link in to hatha yoga. Get this.

This book generally shows the progression of the poses from beginner to advanced. You will not be talked down to in this book. I like having more information then I need so that I can reference back and progress when I'm ready.

Iyengar himself has disavowed this book long ago...even so, it's the single greatest reference book out there.

The first thing that will blow you away is the treatise on hatha yoga. The ease with which he describes the philosophy of yoga foreshadows his complete book on the subject. It's quite a foreshadowing!

The bulk of the book is an exhaustive detailed pictorial and written description of most practical poses (and several impractical ones).

However, I fell in love with his close to 300-week practice schedule in the back of the book. I must say that it's implausible that someone can follow it exactly and include all the poses all the time (even he says to skip the ones you can't master), it's a very keen insight into what HIS practice might have been like back when this book was published, before he started a huge yoga school.

Now he has curriculum that changes every year (to keep teacher coming back to $$$chool - smart man!). The current Iyengar school details exact angles in which to keep your body in specific poses. I love 'Light on Yoga' because it lacks that exactness, and allows you to feel the energy of poses, rather than getting stuck in anatomy of the poses.

A must read, and must re-read, and a must re-re-re-re-re-.........

Great book for anybody, but especially needed for beginers. For every asana there is at least one picture to illustrate the proper technique. Helps with breathing and flow, describing how your muscles are working and proper focus.

Must read for all yoga students. It has been recommended by my various yoga teachers. It is very descriptive and is filled with photos of more poses than I have seen in any other book.

BKS Iyengar has brought new light to yoga. The way he explains each asana and dedication to practice proves that there is no such lifeless work on this earth that man cannot breathe life into it.

Pera Harish S

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. On the positive side it is very comprehensive: it contains everything from beginning asanas to poses you might never achieve. It contains instruction on breathing, sequencing, bandhas and the effects of asanas. Lots of densely packed information.

On the negative side: it is difficult, like an ornery old uncle that you love and who is brilliant but who also drives you nuts. It is poorly laid out. Often the pictures the text refers to are on different pages. The pictures are not the slick studio shots that many have come to expect based on current yoga magazines and advertising in general (don't bite my head off for saying this, I am just trying to describe the book).

The amount of information in this book can be overwhelming. I am an information junkie and for the first five years of my yoga practice it was too much for me: I felt overwhelmed and discouraged every time I opened it. This book does not hold your hand or spoon feed you: detailed information is there but you have to work to get it out. Iyengar uses only the Sanskrit names for the poses. I realize some camps believe "that is the right and proper way" but others find it overwhelming at first, and I'm not here to debate that, but it is something you should know about the book. In explaining one pose he often refers back to others (which of course are on different pages) so if you don't remember all the Sanskrit names you will be doing a lot of flipping pages.

Now that I have been doing yoga for 8 years I appreciate this book a lot more: It has detailed directions for lots of asanas and covers material that I have not seen anywhere else. But every time I use the book I still have the urge to rip it up and past the pictures next to the text that refers to them. Once I get over that urge though I usually can dig out valuable information, but it does take work.

Although it is a great book and a copy will end up on many serious yogis shelves I would not recommend this book for beginners. Starting with this book would be like feeding your baby champagne and truffles for his first meal: while both are terrific they are too much for newbies. But once you have fallen in love with yoga and have developed a hankering for more than just the basics, this book will be just the thing. There is information in here that will take a lifetime to master.

Light on Yoga (Yoga Deepika) is just that - it throws a lot of light on the 'practice' of Yoga. There is a small introduction on the philosophical aspects of it before Iyengar's trademark precision instructions start.
Iyengar had to learn asanas the hard way. Basically when his teacher sent him off to teach, he had not mastered advanced asanas. So he had to learn certain asanas on his own. Hence his famous quote "Your practice is your teacher". His book is also written with such an audience in mind. He says getting a good teacher is very important but if you cannot I will be your teacher through this book. I mean the volume of information is absolutely stunning.
If you are an absolute beginner please do go to a beginner's class for atleast couple of months before starting your own practice based on Iyengar's book. I say this because his courses that he gives at the end of the book will seem a little agressive for someone who has not understood where he stands. For example he suggests doing Sarvangasana on the first week of your practice. For some it may be right for most it may not be.
This book has been my ready reckoner for the past 5 years. I simply cannot thank BKS enough. I have never met him but he is my Guru.

This book is really excellent! I agree with most of the reviews that are written here. Since my views are about the same as many other reviews here, I don't want to elaborate.

This book is really excellent. I agree with most of the reviews that are written here. Since my views are about the same as many of the other reviews here, I am not writing anything special here.

I have had this book for some time now. It has a brief intro to the philosophy of yoga before diving into the asanas. There are hundreds of asanas described in excruciating detail. A most valuable reference. In the appendices he gives out programs with increasing difficulty for you to practise. What he thinks you can cover in a few weeks is actually something u will master in a few years. Also asanas are prescribed for people with specific illnesses. great book!

Tells you everything you need to know about Modern Yoga, it gives a physical view of the poses and even the back ground. I really enjoy this book.

The best reference on yoga poses with thorough explanations of how to get in, be in and get out of each pose safely and effectively. Also provides excellent context for how poses relate to one another and progress one to the other. Though Iyengar yoga instruction is the key to learning how to practice yoga properly, this book is your best friend after class and when conducting a home-based practice.

I have just started practicing yoga and I think that this is an excellent book for a beginner. I like the fact that each asana is explained in such detail and that the benefits of each asana are also enumerated. It ia an outstanding companion to my Iyengar yoga classes. I read some of it almost every day.

A MUST for all serious students of yoga. It is not an easy read, but the information is necessary for a complete practice.

. . . this would be it. It contains clear explanations and photographs of every asana there is--or, to be more precise, if it isn't in here, you don't need it. The brief section on yoga philosophy is excellent, as is the brief, but thorough, introduction to pranayama. This book has been The Bible of hatha yoga since its publication and deservedly so.

The tone of the book, however, is very austere. Very no-nonsense. And humorless. Given the nature of the book, those are certainly not to be considered flaws. But to lighten and sweeten your yoga reading and library, you would probably do well to add one of Donna Farhi's excellent books, or the Sivananda Companion, or really any other contemporary hatha-oriented text that appeals to you. Iyengar is a master and a master teacher, but his prose here does not make one feel like hitting the mat. It's quite cold and technical. If, like me, you find it helpful to have an author who coaxes and coaches and does some virtual hand-holding, get a more touchy-feely text to go along with this one.

Great instruction, precise, to the point.
Black and white photos that are inspiring and challenge our expectations.
A definite book to own for anyone serious about the study of yoga and asanas.

Great instruction, precise, to the point.
Black and white photos that are inspiring and challenge our expectations.
A definite book to own for anyone serious about the study of yoga and asanas.

As the title says - Bible of Modern Yoga. Very informative, very detailed and is a great reference. It is not a 'fancy' yoga book, so no color pictures but is a must have for anyone who really wants to learn about yoga.

Not flashy or even user friendly (hence 4 stars instead of 5) this book is required reading for serious yogins. Iyengars description of poses is the "industry standard" even if you don't agree with his placement of the arm in one asana or another. I find myself referring to this text over and over in my teacher trainings and in my practice.

It has detailed decomposition of all level of poses.
My favorite part is that the final parts of the book offer a sequence of practive in 300 weeks, which will lead to advance your yoga skil.

This book is a manual for everybody who wants to practice Hath Yoga. Each and every posture is explained in detail along with the benfits of it. Great Book!

A comprehensive guide to the art of yoga that will take you through a lifetime of practice. Contains an extensive compilation of asanas, from easy to extremely difficult, as well as a guide to pranayama, and a helpful index so you can look up poses for specific ailments or weaknesses. The introduction explains the philosophy behind yoga and offers an inspiring way to live. This book is absolutely essential for all serious yoga students!


Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

This is probably the best book in yoga on the market now. For the novice, it provides a step-by-step guide on how to go into each of the yoga postures with good description on the effects of the postures on your body. For the seasoned practitioner, this serves as a reservoir of advanced postures which makes yoga asana practice all the more holistic. I find the section on whih asanas are recommended for certain body conditions especially helpful.

The only grouse that I have is that the font size used in the book is consistent. This makes reading a challenge. The heading of each new pose is only identified by italics. If the editor can make some changes to the layout of the text with emphasis on subtitles, this book would be even more useful.

When I first stumble upon this book some years ago when I started to learn yoga, it was not appealing. Now, years later during which I ceased practising and now re-taking it up seriously, I find this book extremely beneficial. It could also be that I have gone beyond judging the merit of a book by the color of the print on its pages- honestly, the black-and-white photos did not appeal to me then. Now I know why this book is still so enduring 40 years after it was first published. I would say that it is a classic yoga book.

While not a book for everyone, Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar is a fabulous book for anyone seriously interested in yoga. It has good pictures, excellent, progressive lesson plans, and plenty of other information on hatha yoga.

This book really is a must for the serious yoga student and any yoga teacher.

B.K.S. Iyengar is a master. In this book, he shares his wisdom in straightforward language. Likewise, his asana instruction is clear and direct, even including a 1-60 intensity guide for each pose. I highly recommend this book to any serious yoga practicioner and every responsible yoga instructor.--Dana Edison, author and creator of "Dana Edison's Yoga Is Not One Size Fits All Custom Practice Journal" and audio instruction series.

A comprehensive guide to the art of yoga that will take you through a lifetime of practice. Contains an extensive compilation of asanas, from easy to extremely difficult, as well as a guide to pranayama, and a helpful index so you can look up poses for specific ailments or weaknesses. The introduction explains the philosophy behind yoga and offers an inspiring way to live. This book is absolutely essential for all serious yoga students!

I gave up caffeine approximately one week ago in order to end my body's dependence. My caffeine intake was not intense before - 4-5 cans of Mountain Dew over the course of several hours. The first day of no-caffeine, I was more tired than usual, but after the first day my energy levels were up and I felt more alert in the morning than usual. If you don't believe me, then I recommended a book called "The Truth About Caffeine" by Marina Kushner.

I was looking for an introduction to yoga, when I read the reviews and this was called the "bible" of yoga, I thought there would be some easy exercises with a natural progression to more difficult ones. Every exercise in this book is for double-jointed superhumans who can defy gravity and the laws of physics with thier bodies and also leap tall buildings in a single bound. Interesting to look at, but I was looking forward to starting yoga practice, and all I have is a book with pictures of human beings contorted like pretzels. If you have money to throw around, buy it. If you are like the rest of us mortals with limited cash and flexibility, move on.

This is the basic text for understanding yoga, particularly if you follow Iyengar style. It describes how to get into and out of each pose, provides photo "plates"...old timey ones with Iyengar himself, has numerous appendices including a suggested schedule for incorporating various poses from beginner to advanced. Includes background on yoga...its a wonderful reference for me as a beginner. Only drawback is that it doesn't seem to include too many variations for beginners (use of props et cetera, which is weird given that Iyengar is really known for its use of props.

Some reviews here look frustrated. It is common because this book is a manual of asanas, not a basic trainer.

Iyengar style yoga does not begin with a warm-up. So many will end up hurting themselves.

In a cold body, even a small movement can hurt like a hell, it does not have to be an asana.

If you have a good warmup (say, you walk for 45 mins, take a 15 mins break) and then do few basic standing postures, you will see how good they are. Though it looks unreasonable to spend an hour in warmup before doing another 45 mins yoga class, it is worth atleast in the beginning, until your body gets used to asanas and flexible. Once you are flexible enough, then you can minimize the warmup session. But you should really know when your body is ready for the yoga class. If not, none of the yoga styles out there will help you.

So warm-up for 30 mins and enter the course, you will fell very good.

This book has been there for a long time. All yoga books in market are based on the same asana system, one way or other. You find nothing special in any book. So buy one that looks ok to you and stick to it.

This book is cheap and has high level technical steps (!!) along with pictures. You can read the "how to" descriptions one or two times. But when you really do the asana, listen to your body. You can only learn yoga asana from your body not from any book.

This book contains most common asanas one can do or achieve. Again it is up to you whether you want to do complicated postures or not. You can still construct a well defined course that suits your needs with simple asanas from this book.

In reading this book, the descriptions are wonderful on how to do the many asanas. However, even some of Iyengar's tips for beginners are not really suitable. The pictures are great and any practicing yogi knows the influence Iyengar has. I would only recommend this for practitioners on an intermediate level.

Because of the use I put into this book, I had to order another since my original is in such dire straits! VERY informative and helps to give you a different outloook on what Yoga is all about. It's MUCH more than fitness....

If you have lot of money to throw around for no good reason, this is the book for you.

I practiced Iyengar Yoga according to this book and with instruction of good teachers, but found that the book leaves out some crucial aspects of yoga, while emphasising some aspects of posture/asana that may make the practice too mechanical. It is fine to learn good alignment, but it is important to note that what is in the heart is more important than how the posture looks from the outside. A good book to balance this one is Mark Whitwell's "Yoga of Heart," which describes the importance of the goal of yoga- integrating your life- as well as the importance of 1) a regular simple daily practice, 2) understanding how to gauge what YOUR body should and can do from day to day.

This is an excelent book if you want to begin -or become an expert- in the yogasanas. Iyengar show to us each of the asanas.. the perfect way and form to perform them. He explains us what for each asana is. It is the benefits -phsysical, espiritual, mental- to improve "strength, concentration and persistence, determination and endurance".

I appreciate this book as a good one in Yoga area. With the clear explanation and good illustrations,Any readers can understand the way of Yoga practices. Thanks to Iyengar who wrote this book.

If I could rate it with NO Stars. I would.

This is the premier manual on hatha yoga, and by the top teacher in the world today.

I loved this book! It is a necessary addition to anyone interested in examining yoga thouroughly. Mr. Iyengar's prose builds lessons in class and commands meditative attention.

BKS Iyengar, the leading wosrld authority on yoga provides a usable description both of yoga and its history. Do not get too hung up on the asana descriptions. Many are unatainable by the average person. Excellent reference on the subject.

I'm a yoga fan, and I bought this book a few years ago when I was going through a new phase in my practice. It now holds a cherished spot on my bookshelf. One of the reviewers said it was for beginners and they are oh, so wrong. It's a kind of reference guide to Iyengar method of yoga. So if you even know what that means, you are obviously not a beginner, and I'm not being tough, I'm just saying that the other reviewer who was grossed out, that also makes sense to me. For serious yoga folks, this is a definitive guide to all the positions and how they should be done. So if you want to work on a few poses that you've never been good at in class, or you want a home practice that is more scholarly, this is the book for you.

What I like about it is that it's no nonsense (one reviewer says 'blunt'). If you can decode the shorthand of yogaspeak, it's a very useful manual. The photos are somewhat useful but in reality you know most of the poses from class so it's not really helpful to look at this incredibly flexible teacher doing them. The photos in a way give it a historical point-in-time feeling.

Far from other yoga books, this is a very practical one and doesn't go into the theory or religion much (as Iyengar is a more practical practice). This is what I like about it, it is a great catalog of definitive poses.

Addendum to my Nov. 2, 1998, as "a reader": photographs are scattered throughout the book now, near text for postures, rather than collected @the end of the book. (I realize now that the original presentation of photos @the end probably had more to do with editorial convenience than with instructional method.)

I found a hardcover version of this in a public library almost 40 years ago. Despite its multiple editions, "Light on Yoga" appears pretty much as it did originally: dry, matter-of-fact topics (procedure, duration, effects) for each asana & asanas arranged more or less by level of difficulty. Iyengar is blunt but thorough.

The foreward by Yehudi Menuhin (somewhere there's a 60 Minutes segment or PBS broadcast of Menuhin performing some yoga postures for the interviewer) is likewise blunt: yoga provides the opportunity to have the range of motion @80 that you had @25. But it's something you gotta work at.

I have had one or two other books on yoga: I've given them away or sold them. This is the 2d time I've bought "Light on Yoga." What know of yoga in 40 years I've learned from this book.

Many people have a flawed understanding of yoga -- they think it is just on a physical plane. This book not only explains the physical aspect of the Yoga postures but also the subtle unmanifest benefits derived from this ancient Indian science. Iyengar has done a splendid job, this books is for someone serious about learning but not for those who are into hippy-dippy fluff with gloss pictures :)