Product Description

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Light on Hatha Yoga) includes the original Sanskrit text compiled by Maharshi Swatmarama with a translation and thorough commentary in english by Swami Satyananda and Swami Muktibodhananda. This text elucidates the entire science of hatha yoga(asana,pranayama,shatkarma,mudra and bandha) as it was conceived and practised not only for healthand fitness but for awakening the vital energies:pranas,chakras and kundalini shakti.It points out that hatha yoga is not just a physical practice but a process of cellular transmutation from gross to subtle to divine.Thus hatha yoga was considered to be the foundation of all higher yogas. Line drawings and diagrams illustrate the text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28229 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-01
• Released on: 1998-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 642 pages

Review
This Book represents the fructification of the author's unlimited wisdom to interpret and illuminate this ancient Hatha Yoga Text for the common man. -- Publisher

About the Author
The author was born on 8th December 1959, in Melbourne, Australia. From childhood she was drawn to the disciplines of yogic sadhana and ashram life. At the age of seventeen she moved to India and became a worthy disciple of Swami Satyananda Sarawati.

Customer Reviews

The best kind of its genre
This book is a must-have for yoga practicioners that want to go beyond simple asanas. This is a wonderful way to learn of hatha yoga's roots as a holistic system, and even put it into practice, since this book is a modern compilation of ancient Indian lesson-texts put into modern English. Hatha Yoga Pradipika means "Light on Hatha Yoga" (not to be confused with modern and lesser imitations that use that title). Holding this book in my hands feels like direct access to a rich history of the roots of hatha unscathed by "new age" ideas. Basically the book is about classical postures, breath control, and cleansing.

Interestingly, the book does not talk about food intake--basically says that it is not important to spend too much time thinking about what food to eat, how much, etc. (this is a nice change in a modern world that obsesses over food). However, it does go into length on the subject of cleansing the body using several methods, some of which are extreme, but some of which a novice could do with some courage.

Another interesting thing about the texts in this book is that although they are traditional, the focus isn't spent on spiritual concepts such as chakras, kundalini, or meditation, etc, it even rarely mentions relatively popular yoga terms such as prana or nadis. As it is well-known about hatha, the people who practiced these ancient rituals believed that persons could not reach enlightenment through stillness and meditation, but instead, through physical asana and purification. There are interesting and clear ideas concerning this inside the book as well.

A treasure trove of hard-to-find information!
The preceding reviews do a good job of appraising this book.

I'd just like to add that this is one of the single most expansive, detailed, and frankly, unbelievably-generous books on the esoteric practices of Hatha yoga I have ever encountered. To be quite honest, this book made me realise, in stark terms, how lacking in depth and genuine content (by relative comparison with this book) a large proportion of the English-language books on Hatha yoga are. Most such books concentrate on the basic practical mechanics of learning how to mimic various selections of the classical asanas, with some commentary and a few philosophical statements from the author, perhaps with a few interpretations from the Upanishads thrown in for good measure. That is not meant as a criticism in itself as it is a very valid and useful approach and they have no pretences to be any more than they set out to achieve. Neither am I suggesting that all such books are to be found lacking - indeed, many are excellent in their own right (Erich Schiffmann's 'Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness', for example, is a SUPERB book, oozing wisdom & compassion and having much to offer the sincere yoga practitioner). All I am trying to point out is that, with some notable exceptions such as Erich's work, many Western books on Hatha yoga cover a rather well-trodden path, such that one could pick 3 out of 100 of these books and garner pretty much all the knowledge contained in the other 97.

Swami Muktibodhananda's treatment of Swatmarama's classic 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika', on the other hand, delves DEEP into Hatha yoga practices with an authenticity and generosity which are awe-inspiring. Page after page, I kept pinching myself, grinning at what an absolute treasure this book is. Topics and practices which the vast majority of Western so-called yoga 'gurus' have CLEARLY never experienced (and in many cases, never even bothered to learn about even on an intellectual level) are not only given their rightful place within this discussion of the Hatha tradition, but are elucidated in a depth which is both a treat and an inspiration. BSY/YPT publications are widely-revered by sincere yoga practitioners, owing to their invariably detailed and utterly authentic approach. They discuss topics which (though this can potentially be a clich'e) have hitherto been unavailable in print to the uninitiated Western yogi/yogini. The thing is, when it comes to BSY/YPT books, there simply IS NO clich'e - these books are the real deal, written by authors who have actually experienced what they are writing about (some extremely esoteric practices, way, way beyond the understanding of the general public), and who have been initiated by absolute masters of yoga. Of course, no matter how authentic such writings are, simply reading them will not provide the reader with true understanding of the practices, since only physically practising them oneself can lead to true understanding (a primary reason for a guru being so beneficial when embarking upon such a course of practice).

That being said, the sincere practitioner in the West, who generally does not have the luxury of a guru, has to begin somewhere and BSY/YPT books are undoubtedly some of the best sources in the world for English-speakers to learn about such practices.


With this in mind, if you are sincerely interested in Yoga for its true purpose, rather than simply for the Westernised 'keep-fit; get-chilled' interpretation, and various variations thereof, then RUN, don't walk, to buy a copy of this book; it is *E-S-S-E-N-T-I-A-L* reading for anyone wanting to learn the REAL, AUTHENTIC, and rarely-discussed Hatha Yoga practices. Swatmarama and Muktibodhananda have bestowed an immense gift upon the world with this masterpiece.

This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best, and best-value English-language books available in the world today on Hatha yoga. All the BSY books that I own are excellent and head and shoulders above the crowd, but 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' is one of the best, even of these.

Speaking of BSY/YPT (Bihar School of Yoga / Yoga Publications Trust) books, Satyananda's 'Kundalini Tantra' is also a highly-informative and enjoyable read (and if you're really interested in Kriya, as a related topic, then I recommend Hariharananda's book 'Kriya Yoga' because although he doesn't describe the actual methodology of Kriya techniques, he does provide very interesting discussion on scientific principles relating to Kriya practice and the cakras).

Not so 'readable', but utterly fantastic if you want to REALLY *PRACTICE* TRUE Yoga, and are not intimidated by the prospect of proceeding upon an extended-duration course of learning, is Satyananda's 'A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya'. Owing to it's seemingly-high cost, I bought this book with some trepidation but it is simply incredible and worth 10 times (yes, really) its price IF you are SERIOUS about practising Yoga with the sincere ideal of achieving spiritual growth of the very highest levels. This book contains such a concentrated breadth, depth and profundity of wisdom, it's enough to make a grown man cry! (...and if you'd like to learn where to go once you've mastered the 20 core kriyas, though this might take several lifetimes, the BSY title 'Dharana Darshan-Yogic,Tantric and Upanishadic Practices of Concentration and Visualization' by Swami Niranjanananda contains interesting discussion about progressing to Laya techniques - the absolute pinnacle, and, frankly, probably unattainable for all but a tiny fraction of even the sincerest and most dedicated sadakhas. Nonetheless, it makes for fascinating reading and provides wider context for your kriya practice. Incidentally, Shyam Sundar Goswami's 'Layayoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini' is about as detailed a text as one is likely to find on the topic of Laya yoga, but be warned that it is intimidating in the extreme - even just attempting to read it coherently is a challenge, such is the depth and detail of this text).

Note that there is some overlap between most of the BSY/YPT titles (in terms of outlining the practical methodology of certain yogic techniques) when placed alongside 'A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya', owing to it's enyclopaedic scope. However, 'A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya' does not flesh out the topics in depth - it describes what their fundamental purpose is, how to go about practising them, and how they relate to one another, as the books title accurately implies. Therefore, if you want to understand, in more detail, the history, variations, philosophical implications, and sundry details etc. then you will still need, as your practice progresses, the other titles in the BSY/YPT catalogue, such as 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika'.

I treat 'A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya' as the core book for my yoga practice, with other BSY/YPT titles allowing me to develop deeper understanding of each technique as and when I am introduced to them, and directed to practice them, by the core text. Please bear in mind that my use of the book 'A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya' as my core text book reflects the fact that my interest in yoga is primarily for the true purpose of yoga - a path of purification, on all levels, with the eventual aim of achieving union with the infinite. Readers who care for yoga only for the purposes of achieving good physical health (a perfectly legitimate reason, in its own right) would probably be better served by practical asana textbooks such as:

'Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness' by Erich Schiffmann

'The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga' by Vishnu Swami Devananda

'Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha' by Swami Satyananda

'Classical Hatha Yoga' by Swami Rajarshi Muni

In summary, 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' thoroughly upholds the BSY/YPT tradition of providing close-to-bullet-proof yoga education (to the extent that the printed medium permits) and is a book for the enthusiast rather than the casual yogi/yogini. If you ARE such an enthusiast you will find the book a HIGHLY-rewarding read. Based, as it is, upon the seminal work of Swami Swatmarama, the lions share of the credit must go to him. However, Swami Muktibodhananda (and her overseer, Swami Satyananda) have been very generous in their elucidation of Swatmarama's sanskrit writings, often discussing details which extend beyond the literal interpretation of Swatmarama's statements, but which are deemed to be useful to the modern reader, either to provide a broader context, or to include actual techniques relating to those originally stated, which may improve or supplement them, to the benefit of the sincere practitioner. It is this generous treatment of the material, and the utterly trustworthy source of the interpretations, which makes this book such a gem.

My only possible criticism of this book is the discussion on Khechari Mudra, which, though I am not advanced enough to have experienced it personally, does appear to be rather at odds with the superbly frank and detailed discussion provided the topic in Swami Rajarshi Muni's 'Classical Hatha Yoga'. That is not to say that Swami Muktibodhananda's discussion of Khechari Mudra is incorrect, but I would advise readers to additionally read Swami Rajarshi Muni's discussion of the practice in his book, rather than considering 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' to represent 'the last word' on that particular practice. Actually, if you are serious about Hatha yoga, in the deeper sense, rather than just keeping fit, I very firmly recommend Swami Rajarshi Muni's outstanding 'Classical Hatha Yoga', too, as it delves deeply into the topic in a manner that compliments 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' very well indeed.

That minor concern aside, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this interpretation of 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' and I'd like to personally thank Swami Muktibodhananda for her huge efforts in bringing this wonderful book of Swatmarama's within the grasp of modern practitioners who may not be fortunate enough to practise under the guidance of a guru, in an ashram environment.

An Ancient and Essential Guide for Yogic Practitioners
An all-encompassing text on the vast teachings of hatha yoga, lucidly expanding on each verse from the original Pradipika written in the 1300's. This book is "the source" for methods of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha and meditation practice providing clear step-by-step instruction. A remarkably easy read for such dense material.