Book Reviews - The way of yoga

by Sharukh Vazifdar

It’s not easy to write a book on something that has been around for more than four thousand years and still keep it interesting. There are numerous books on yoga, but few have information other than the asanas taught in yoga. This book goes beyond just the exercises and tells us about the body and its functions, and also how to have an altogether happy and healthy life.

Trehan begins with the body, its systems and organs and their functions; something I forgot once I finished school. He also tells us what yoga includes, i.e. yama (code of conduct), niyama (self-discipline), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (super-consciousness). He shows us 35 different asanas, 14 types of pranayama practices, simple meditation techniques, mudras, eye and other yogic exercises. The thrust is to reveal how yoga helps us in a variety of daily activities and also how to effectively incorporate yoga into our daily routine. Issues like diet and emotional health are also addressed. This book has inspired me to practise yoga as it highlighted the all-round benefits of yogic exercises. It gave me a better understanding of myself, and how to move toward a more holistic lifestyle.