The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
About this product
The first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga--yoga adapted to the needs of the individual.
• A contemporary classic by a world-renowned teacher.
• This new edition adds thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings.
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value.
In 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. Read more
Editor's Take
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice is widely described as a clear, practical, and deeply insightful yoga text. Amazon reviewers say it is easy to read and understand, with many noting that it strengthens understanding of yoga and works well for teacher training or deeper study.
Review blogs also praise the book’s balance of theory and practice, and several readers call it a timeless guide for students and teachers. On Goodreads and other book sites, readers describe it as thoughtful, inspiring, and a book worth revisiting rather than reading quickly.
On Reddit, a discussion about the book calls it one of the finest works available, highlighting its practical guidelines and philosophical depth. Other forum and blog mentions similarly emphasize its clarity, compassion, and usefulness for building a personal practice.
YouTube results included real videos specifically about this book, including a review titled “Heart of Yoga Book Review | T.K.V. Desikachar” and a recommendation video titled “The Heart of Yoga Book Recommendation.”
- Common praise: clear explanations, practical guidance, philosophical depth
- Common use case: yoga teacher training and personal study
- Common impression: accessible but substantive, especially for intermediate students
Price History
Specifications
| Topic | Yoga |
Product Details
| Publisher | Inner Traditions |
| Publication date | March 1, 1999 |
| Edition | Revised |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 244 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 089281764X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0892817641 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Dimensions | 8 x 0.8 x 10 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #8,133 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Yoga (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,446) |
