What I find interesting about yoga practices in America is that there is so much emphasis/focus on just the 1st level (Physical).<p>Physical - Annamaya kosha<p>Energy - Pranamaya kosha<p>Mental - Manamaya kosha<p>Wisdom - Vijnanamaya kosha<p>Bliss - Anandamaya kosha<p>Self - Atman<p>Even the grueling 200-hr Yoga training which some of my friends have endured is about doing all the poses (which can be quite difficult, especially if you are older and have something like a bad hip).<p>The 5 Koshas of Yoga:
<a href="http://www.swamij.com/koshas.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.swamij.com/koshas.htm</a>
With so many different types of yoga out there, BKS stuck out to me as something different and approachable. I was apprehensive when my wife dragged me along the first time, but that quickly changed. The classes are actually about learning the poses, not just doing them. For a beginner with no flexibility like myself it is perfect. The teachers walk you through all the different variations of the poses and help you along the way, so you can actually apply it yourself (properly) when doing it at home. There's also a level of trust for the teachers since it takes them years to become certified from what I've learned.<p>Highly recommended for anyone interested in yoga. Anyone in the Boston area check out <a href="http://www.yoganow.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.yoganow.net</a> run by Patricia Walden.
A fascinating take on yoga and exercise from British documentarian Adam Curtis: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/posts/bodybuilding_and_nation-buildi" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/posts/bodybuilding_and...</a>
I started doing yoga in '94, when I was 14. My mom gave me two books on my birthday: Richard Hittleman's 30-day Yoga Plan and Light on Yoga. They changed my life back then and I continue to practice Iyengar's version of yoga today.
If yoga is a way to watch the way we spend time, this is a beautiful tribute: a short montage of yoga demos by BKS Iyengar over the years. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaba-PUd5PU" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaba-PUd5PU</a>
RIP BKS
And it became a $27 billion pa business.<p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/how-the-yoga-industry-los_n_4441767.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/how-the-yoga-indust...</a>
Every software engineer at some time in their working life will experience lower back pain. Before, you waste time/money going to your favourite medical practitioner, who will most likely advise you with a chemical cocktail - please visit your local yoga practitioner and ask him for a one minute session on Salamba Bhujangasana. This will 'cure' your backpain completely and irrevocably.<p>If you havent yet crossed over, welcome to the world of yoga.<p>RIP BKS.