Daniel DiTuro

This is an Early Reviewer book. This book is not a guide to the practice of yoga. The book contains an alphabetized list of yoga asanas with a picture of the completed asana and a short guide, two to three sentences, of the movements necessary to get into the posture.
There is no discussion or guide on how to practice yoga. I do not see how the book could be of any use to a beginner interested in practicing yoga. If the reader has no understanding of the practice of yoga this book will not be helpful at all.
If the reader understands the practice of yoga I don't what need they would have for the book. Anyone who has practiced yoga does not need another book of pictures with bare bones instructions.
One of the books great faults is that there is no mention of the breathing sequence that accompanies the movements to get into the asanas. Breathing is an integral part of doing yoga. Each movement during an asana is coordinated with specific breathing patterns. You simply can't do the asana correctly without breathing properly as you move through the posture. I have to consider the book a waste of time and paper.… (mehr)

This is a wonderful reference for yoga teachers and intermediate/advanced practitioners. I really enjoy the clear photography, as well as the succinct descriptions of the yoga asanas. However, a brand new beginner would need a book with more detail given to alignment and how to get in and out of the poses, in order to avoid injury. A great feature is the assignment of a difficulty number. This is so important because often I wish to utilize poses in class because they seem easy or interesting to me. But, often after using the difficulty factor as a guide, I decide not to implement them right away or not at all, depending on the skill level of my students, which can vary from class to class. This allows me to design a class specifically to challenge seasoned students or to help other students build up to more intense asanas.

The introduction provides a quick characterization of yoga basics and history. What is very interesting is seeing many poses that are new to me. This is great because as a yoga teacher and student, it is amazing how often we perform the same poses over and over, even if we change the routine frequently. This book has given me new and challenging asanas to try alone, as well as in class with my students. The sun salutation at the end varies slightly from what I have been practicing. But, again, that is what makes this reference a great book. It shows you how wonderfully diverse yoga is, while maintaining the integrity of the discipline and its benefits. I highly recommend this book to all yoga teachers and experienced students, as a quick guide.… (mehr)

Here is an easy to access photo-list of around 160 individual poses and includes the sun salutation. They are listed in a-z order by common English name. Each page has one photo of the asana. The Sanskrit name is included, along with a difficulty rating and the starting position, which is often another asana with its page number referenced. Very brief instructions are given. Several different models are photographed throughout the book.
A very good quick reference guide for all practitioners. Details about yoga, sets of asanas, or how to use props will have to be sought elsewhere. This book is great for memorizing how each asana looks and its basic movements-very practical and helpful.… (mehr)