Yoga is neither a religion nor a cult. The Complete Yoga Tutor makes that point very clearly, defining yoga as a set of techniques that, when practised correctly, can enable the practitioner to gain not just physical, but also mental and spiritual powers.
The Complete Yoga Tutor By Mark Kan Gaia Books, 256pp, 850 baht ISBN: 978-1-85675-330-2
As its name suggests, the book is meant to be a bible on the subject, a comprehensive guide to every aspect of this mode of exercise/philosophy. Written by Mark Kan, founder of Dharma Yoga London as well as a mentor-teacher at the Dharma Yoga teacher-training faculty in New York, this informative, 256-page volume is divided into six main chapters, dealing with the history and origins of yoga, yoga anatomy, the science of yoga, asanas (yoga postures), the art of breathing and teaching yoga.
The first chapter brings readers back to the dawn of yoga, thought to have evolved in a civilisation that existed in India over 10,000 years ago, and introduces us to several schools of yoga including Tantra and Hatha. This section also covers the six main schools of Indian philosophy, helping us better understand how yoga has evolved. In the next chapter we learn about yoga in association with anatomy and physical health. Regular practice is believed to enhance the flexibility of one’s joints and muscles and boost the function of the respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic and digestive systems.
The chapter on asanas focuses on practice, listing 65 yoga postures with photos to demonstrate how to achieve them, step by step. Each position is further explained with info boxes explaining its anatomical function plus its potential benefits and adverse effects.
And if, at some future point, you decide to turn your passion for yoga from a hobby into a profession, the last section in this book, on teaching yoga, supplies all the basic data you need to know, from teaching guidelines and codes of conduct to how to create your own networks and how to prepare for classes. A few pages at the end of the book are also given over to important instructions with regard to yoga for pregnant women, the elderly and children.
Kakasana, the ‘crow’ posture, strengthens arms, wrists and the abdominal muscles and stretches the upper back.
Vishvamittrasana, the ‘flying warrior’ posture, strengthens the hands, abdominal organs and thighs.
Freshly squeezed juice is a quick and easy way of adding more raw vegetables and fruit to your diet.
A set of beads can be used to keep count during meditation and as an aid to concentration.
Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana I is not recommended for people with a sacroiliac, ankle or knee injury or those suffering from tightness in the hips or thighs.
Using animal names to describe postures — in this case the locust, left, and camel, right — can give yoga teachers a narrative and encourages child practitioners to try adopting the characteristics of those creatures.
Yoga teacher Sri Dharma Mittra demonstrates the ‘upward-facing dog’ posture to students attending a masterclass he gave at the Dharma Yoga Centre in New York.
Patanjali, the man who compiled the yoga sutras, an important collection of aphorisms which systemised yoga practice, is considered the founder of modern yoga.
