Customer Reviews
if you are interested in Yoga you MUST read this book - By: louisa peach, 24 Nov 2007 
yes you reallly must - & if you find yourself in Santa Monica seek out the man himself for a yoga class. You will not regret it. I bought that book more than 10 years ago & I still refer to it. It has inspired me to do yoga - daily! Also excellent section on simple meditation techniques.
Yoga from the Heart - By: Scott Rennie, 08 Dec 2006 What endears American Yogi Erich Schiffmann to the hearts of millions of Yoga students worldwide, causing them to speak so fondly of this man they have never met? Read this book to find the simple answer to this question that evades my words.
With an unmatched level of sincerity, Erich Schiffmann explores Yoga beyond the mere shape of its postures, challlenging the reader to explore the inner aspects with effortless instruction in plain yet inspiring language. Far from being "just another Asana book", Erich shows us the way to turn each step, each movement, every moment of our lives towards an authentic Yoga practice.
A rich explanation of hatha yoga to read and re-read. - By: , 03 Jan 2002 This book was one of the first hatha yoga books I bought & it continues to delight & inspire me. In the Introduction, Eric Schiffmann describes his own yoga journey & the development of his personal yoga, which few teachers explain. Then the book goes into the reasons for practicing yoga in alll its facets - the principles behind it, the breathing, ways of meditating and, most helpful of alll, extremely detailed explanations of the asanas, including breaking some down into achievable stages. The photographs are large enough to be useful when practising too. There are practice routines at the back that I still turn to five years later. My only very minor criticism is that an index of both English & (anglicised) Sanskrit names would have been useful. And I'd like to know when he's going to write another book!
What a lovely book - By: , 11 Nov 2001 This book is great. If you are looking for a yoga book to provide you with clear,understandable information on this vast subject then this book is a very good choice. Unlike some books, you feel very secure with mr schiffmann, & are confident that this book is 'from the horses mouth' & that he reallly knows what he is talking about. At the start,he explains his personal yoga journey, which I found interesting, before going on to show & explain a whole variety of yoga asanas, breathing & meditation exericses. The pictures, although black & white, are very clear & peaceful.He explains the exercises with step by step instructions & phases, so you can work upon a posture & build up to doing the full version. He also explains the benefits of each exercise in a little section following each one.
This book is very readable. It has a very easy style, & everything looks calm & in control, unlike B.K.S Iyengars Light on Yoga, when he looks very strained & likely to cause himself an injury at any moment! This book inspires confidence. You get the feeling that this is the book that will lead you to the state of quiet inner contentment that Yoga is meant to be alll about, where you not only will have a fantastic lean & supple body so you exude outer confidance, but it will also help to condition your mind & help you to be happy from the inside out.
Wonderful, uplifting book.
the best yoga book ever published!!! - By: , 23 Feb 2001 There are yoga books being published every day, & most of them are not worth the paper they are printed on. This one is special! I bought this book a few years ago when I first started doing yoga, & even though I have bought many many yoga titles since (including 'the tree of yoga', 'light on yoga' & John Scott's "ashtanga manual" which are also excellent), this is my favourite that I keep dipping in & out of. It quite simply is a very inspiring & informative read! Suitable for a complete beginner & an experienced student, or even just for the curious who want to know just what is this thing callled yoga? In fact if you ever find yourself in LA seek out Erich Schiffmann (he teaches at yogaworks, santa monica) as he is a remarkable teacher. (His classes are not geared for complete beginners) And if you are used to practising Ashtanga or a similarly 'dynamic' form of yoga prepare to be surprised... All is not what it seems!
