Full Description
Enrich your yoga practice with this in-depth look at the poses (asanas) and the spiritual basis for their creation. Modern yoga instructors often emphasize the body while neglecting the mind and spirit, and many practitioners are unaware of yoga s underlying philosophy, symbols, and rituals. To remedy this, Yoga Mythology recounts the stories behind more than sixty asanas, drawing attention to an Indic worldview based on the concepts of eternity, rebirth, liberation, and empathy. Learn how svana-asana (dog pose) is connected to Shiva and bhujanga-asana (cobra pose) was inspired by shape-shifting beings who live below the earth. This playful book includes stories from Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism that nurtured the idea of yoga and shaped the development of its most iconic asanas.
Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments by Matthew Rulli xv
Authors' Note xvii
Introduction: Yoga's Narrative Canvas 1
What Is Yoga? 3
What Is Mythology? 11
What Is Yoga Mythology? 17
Structure of the Book 24
Devi
1. Surya Namaskar 37
2. Ardha Chandra-asana 43
3. Purvottana-asana 49
4. Paschimottana-asana 53
5. Vriksha-asana 57
6. Padma-asana 61
7. Baka-asana 65
8. Krauncha-asana 69
9. Kakka-asana 73
10. Kukkuta-asana 77
11. Gomukha-asana 81
12. Vrischika-asana 85
13. Manjara-asana 89
14. Makara-asana 93
15. Bhujanga-asana 97
16. Bheka-asana 101
17. Dhanura-asana 105
18. Pasha-asana 109
Brahma
19. Omkar-asana 119
20. Hamsa-asana 123
21. Marichi-asana 127
22. Vasishtha-asana 131
23. Durvasa-asana 135
24. Ruchika-asana 139
25. Vishwamitra-asana 143
26. Galava-asana 147
27. Ashtavakra-asana 151
28. Kaundinya-asana 155
29. Kashyapa-asana 159
30. Vajra-asana 163
Shiva
31. Parvata-asana 173
32. Siddha-asana 177
33. Bhairava-asana 183
34. Svana-asana 187
35. Virabhadra-asana 191
36. Nataraja-asana 195
37. Shava-asana 199
38. Skanda-asana 203
39. Shanmukhi Mudra-asana 207
40. Mayura-asana 211
41. Gaja-asana 215
42. Matsyendra-asana 221
43. Goraksha-asana 225
44. Danda-asana 231
Vishnu
45. Ananta-asana 241
46. Garuda-asana 245
47. Mala-asana 249
48. Chakra-asana 253
49. Bala-asana 257
50. Matsya-asana 261
51. Nava-asana 265
52. Kurma-asana 269
53. Varaha-asana 273
54. Simha-asana 277
55. Ganda Bherunda-asana 281
56. Trivikrama-asana 285
57. Bhadra-asana 289
58. Setu Bandha-asana 293
59. Hanuman-asana 297
60. Tola-asana 301
61. Hala-asana 305
62. Bhuja Pida-asana 309
63. Vatayana-asana 313
64. Pinda-asana 317
Conclusion: Metaphors of the Yogini 321
Glossary 329
