The Short Summer Yoga Reading List

Philosophy
Yoga Sutras
Bhagavad Gita
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
I Am That

Practice
The Wisdom of No Escape: And the Path of Loving-Kindness

Ashtanga
Yoga Mala
Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings

Stories
Mahabharata
Ramayana

Cooking

The Kind Diet
The Yoga Cookbook
Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living

Beach Reads
Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students
Shantaram
Siddartha
The Journey Home
Holy Cow
The Alchemist
Cat's Cradle
Enlightenment for Idiots
Yoga School Dropout
It's a Long Way to the Floor 
The Dharma Bums

Check out the Shala's library wishlist for more ideas:
http://ashtangayogaalbuquerque.com/library

House Recommendations by Angela Jamison

Angela Jamison's (Ashtanga Yoga : Ann Arbor) "House Recommendations" are definitely on this year's ashtanga yoga reading list.  You can read it online/print for free or order a bound hard copy here.  Design and edits by Laura Shaw Feit. 

Weekend Edition #9

Some notes and highlights from the week:

Leslie Kaminoff explains "accessory breathing":


Meet the Sweetest Vegan:

I'm going to Florida August 17 & 18 (I'll see you there!)
On facebook
The Shala's website
The details:

Sat. 8:30AM – 11AM Led Primary
Traditional Sanskrit count of asanas and vinyasas we well as each and every inhale and exhale. Ride each breath in and out, allow your mind to sink down, and surrender to the current. We will finish with deep relaxation and chanting.

Sat. 1PM – 4PM The Strength to Surrender
When we untether ourselves from mental chatter we are able to soften the heart, trust fully, embrace faith, and open to possibility. We begin to experience a lightness in the body and mind and an ease in practice that flows into all areas of our lives. Spend the afternoon with Elise delving into this topic to gain insight into where you are in your journey, what is holding you back, keeping you stuck, or bringing stuff up. Learn how to tap into the tools you already have to help you trust this process, let go, and feel more joy in life. Elise will touch on the mental and physical aspects of heat, resistance, purification and sweet sweet surrender.

Sun 8:30AM-11AM
Mysore & Chanting The weekend culminates with Mysore practice and chanting that shakes us to the core and aligns all aspects of our being with the light within.

Recommended Reads:
I may have recommended this before and here it is again:  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with commentary by Swami Satchidananda.  Yes, it comes en espanol tambien.

"Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground and slipping from the ground gained -- these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles.
Accompaniments to the mental distractions include distress, despair, trembling of the body, and disturbed breathing.
The practice of concentration on a single subject [or the use of one technique] is the best way to prevent the obstacles and their accompaniments."

vyādhistyānasaṁśaya pramādālasyāvirati
व्याधिस्त्यानसंशय प्रमादालस्याविरति
bhrāntidarśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni
भ्रान्तिदर्शनालब्ध भूमिकत्वानवस्थितत्वानि
cittavikṣepāste 'ntarāyāḥ
चित्तविक्षेपास्ते ऽन्तरायाः
duḥkhadaurmanasyaṅgamejayatvaśvāsapraśvāsā
दुःखदौर्मनस्यङ्गमेजयत्वश्वासप्रश्वासा
vikṣepasahabhuvaḥ
विक्षेपसहभुवः
tatpratiṣedhārthamekatattvābhyāsaḥ
तत्प्रतिषेधार्थमेकतत्त्वाभ्यासः
~Yoga Sutras 1.30-32

Yoga Sutras - Samadhi Pada

1.1   atha yogānuśāsanam

1.2   yogaścittavṛtti nirodhaḥ

1.3   tadā draṣṭuḥsvarūpe'vasthānam

1.4   vṛttisārūpyamitaratra

1.5   vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ

1.6   pramāṇaviparyayavikalpanidrāsmṛtayaḥ

1.7   pratyakśānumānāgamāḥ pramāṇāni

1.8   viparyayo mithyājñānamatadrūpapratiṣṭham

1.9   śabdajñānānupātī vastuśūnyo vikalpaḥ

1.10 abhāvapratyayālambanā vṛttirnidrā

1.11 anubhūtaviṣayāsaṁpramoṣaḥsmṛtiḥ

1.12 abhyāsavairāgyābhyāṁ tannirodhaḥ

1.13 tatra sthitau yatno'bhyāsaḥ

1.14 sa tu dīrghakālanairantaryasatkārāsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ

1.15 dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṁjṇā vairāgyam

1.16 tatparaṁ puruṣakhyāterguṇavaitṛṣṇyam

1.17 vitarkavicārānandāsmitārūpānugamāt saṁprajñātaḥ

1.18 virāmapratyayābhyāsapūrvaḥ saṁskāraśeṣo 'nyaḥ

1.19 bhavapratyayo videhaprakṛtilayānām

1.20 śraddhāvīryasmṛtisamādhiprajñāpūrvaka itareṣām

1.21 tīvrasaṁvegānāmāsannaḥ

1.22 mṛdumadhyādhimātratvāt tato'pi viśeṣaḥ

1.23 īśvarapraṇidhānādvā

1.24 kleśakarmavipākāśayairaparāmṛṣṭaḥpuruṣaviśeṣa īśvaraḥ

1.25 tatra niratiśayaṁ sarvajñabījam

1.26 sa eṣa pūrveṣāmapi guruḥ kālenānavacchedāt

1.27 tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ

1.28 tajjapastadarthabhāvanam

1.29 tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo'pyantarāyābhāvaśca

1.30 vyādhistyānasaṁśaya pramādālasyāvirati bhrāntidarśanālabdha bhūmikatvānavasthitatvāni cittavikṣepāste 'ntarāyāḥ

1.31 duḥkhadaurmanasyaṅgamejayatvaśvāsapraśvāsā vikṣepasahabhuvaḥ  

1.32 tatpratiṣedhārthamekatattvābhyāsaḥ  

1.33 maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣāṇāṁ sukhaduḥkhapuṇyāpuṇya viṣayāṇāṁ bhāvanātaścittaprasādanam
1.34 pracchardanavidhāraṇābhyāṁ vā prāṇasya  

1.35 viṣayavatī vā pravṛttirutpannā manasaḥ sthitinibandhinī  

1.36 viśokā vā jyotiṣmatī  

1.37 vītarāgaviṣayam vā cittam

1.38 svapnanidrājñānālambanam vā

1.39 yathābhimatadhyānādvā

1.40 paramāṇuparamamahattvānto asya vaśīkāraḥ

1.41 kṣīṇavṛtterabhijātasyeva maṇergrahītṛgrahaṇagrāhyeṣu tatsthatadañjanatā samāpattiḥ

1.42 tatra śabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥsaṅkīrṇā savitarkā samāpattiḥ 

1.43 smṛtipariśuddhau svarūpaśūnyevārthamātranirbhāsā nirvitarkā  

1.44 etayaiva savicārā nirvicārā ca sūkṣma viṣaya vyākhyātā  

1.45 sūkṣmaviṣayatvaṁ cāliṅgaparyavasānam

1.46 tā eva sabījaḥ samādhiḥ  

1.47 nirvicāravaiśāradye 'adhyātmaprasādaḥ

1.48 ṛtaṁbharā tatra prajñā  

1.49 śrutānumānaprajñābhyāmanyaviṣayā viśeṣārthatvāt  

1.50 tajjaḥ saṁskāro 'nyasaṁskārapratibandhī

1.51 tasyāpi nirodhe sarvanirodhānnirbījaḥsamādhiḥ

"Raja Yoga" Yoga Sutra commentary by Swami Vivekananda

Various commentaries

Hatha Yoga Pradipika Online

"There exists at present a good deal of misconception with regard to the practices of the Haṭha Yoga. People easily believe in the stories told by those who themselves heard them second hand, and no attempt is made to find out the truth by a direct reference to any good treatise."

Whether young, old or too old, sick or lean, one who discards laziness, gets success if he practises Yoga. 2.66

Success comes to him who is engaged in the practice. How can one get success without practice; for by merely reading books on Yoga, one can never get success. 2.67

Success cannot be attained by adopting a particular dress (Veṣa). It cannot be gained by telling tales. Practice alone is the means to success. This is true, there is no doubt. 2.68

 

Full copy of the "Hatha Yoga Pradipika" translated by Pancham Sinh

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hyp/index.htm

Gheranda Samhita Online

"(Having closed the eyes) let him contemplate that there is a sea of nectar in his heart: that in the midst of that sea there is an island of precious stones, the very sand of which is pulverized diamonds and rubies. That on all sides of it there are Kadamba trees, laden with sweet flowers; that, next to these trees, like a rampart, there is a row of flowering trees, such as the malati, jati, kesara, champaka, parijata and padmas, and that the fragrance of these flowers is spread all round, in every quarter. In the middle of this garden, let the Yogi imagine that there stands a beautiful Kalpa tree, having four branches, representing the four Vedas, and that it is full of flowers and fruits. Insects are humming there and cuckoos singing. Beneath that tree, let him imagine a rich platform of precious gems, and on that a costly throne inlaid with jewels, and that on the throne sits his particular Deity, as taught to him by his Guru. Let him contemplate on the appropriate form, ornaments and vehicle of that Deity.” 

 

Full copy of "Gheranda Samhita" Translation and commentary by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu

http://brihaspati.net/downloads/Gheranda_Samhita_S_C_Vasu.pdf

Where to Buy

Currently AYB offers cotton Mysore rugs, mat bags, and books by request (learn more here). What AYB doesn't supply, I'll definitely will help you find. I'll only recommend what I know works, is of quality, and ethically produced. If I'm not certain of any of these, I'll say so. I try my best to stay current with what is available and what is out there, however, it is impossible to be on it all the time, so, if you have thoughts, suggestions, or updates, your feedback is welcome. Lastly, because we are a Brooklyn-based program, my suggestions are as local as possible. Support small businesses! If you prefer to shop online, check out the AYB Amazon Store.

-Elise


Yoga Mats
How to choose a yoga mat (click here)
Go Yoga: Harmony Mats and Manduka Mats, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Kula Yoga Project Manduka Williamsburg, Brooklyn (more in Manhattan)
Greenhouse Holistic: Harmony Mats Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Lululemon (see below) Manduka
Om Harmony & Prana

Yoga Rugs
Ashtanga Yoga Brooklyn Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Kula Yoga Project Yogitoes Williamsburg, Brooklyn (more in Manhattan)

Yoga Mat Bags
Ashtanga Yoga Brooklyn
Go Yoga

Yoga Clothes
Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York (Malaika Padma Pune Chic Yoga Shorts) Chelsea, Manhattan
Yoga Works (Hard Tail leggings, pants, and shorts) Manhattan
Pure (Tanya-B pants) Upper West/East
Online/find a store (Shining Shakti pants)
Kula Yoga Project Hyde pants (men) and tops/pants (women) Williamsburg, Brooklyn (more in Manhattan)
American Apparel (Leggings--though they wear out quick & t-shirts) Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Jivamukti (organic tops and bottoms for women, some items for men, prancing leopard, inner waves) Union Square
Om Union Square (women)
Yoga Sutra Midtown
Laughing Lotus Midtown
Lululemon Union Square and Brooklyn (men/women)



Books
Ashtanga Yoga Brooklyn
Go Yoga
Barnes and Noble
Yoga Sutra
The Strand
Yoga Works
Jivamukti