Nikita Desai

A Beginner's Guide to the Roots of Yoga

How to create a more authentic practice

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Learn how to incorporate traditional yoga into your modern practice - and feel the benefits. Yoga in its traditional form is a practice focused on inclusivity, inner work and peace. But the yoga that is practised today in the West has got a little lost along the way. In this accessible beginner's guide, Indian yoga teacher Nikita Desai brings us back to the authentic roots of this ancient practice. In A Beginner's Guide to the Roots of Yoga, Desai unpicks the complexities of the modern yoga space. Moving away from the focus on physical poses, expensive outfits and Instagram-perfect bodies, she delves into traditional resources to show how yoga can help your mental and spiritual wellbeing. With a range of enlightening essays, she explores why change in the industry is vital, before centring key yogic texts, philosophy and history in a digestible manner to give us a basic understanding of the origins of yoga. Desai then guides us through integrating these foundations into our current practice both on and off the mat, so you can enjoy the benefits of the tradition while helping to make yoga today a more inclusive and diverse space. A Beginner's Guide to the Roots of Yoga is the perfect jumping off point for anyone wanting to make their practice more authentic.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Seitenzahl: 224
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Januar 1900
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 234mm x 153mm
• ISBN-13: 9781399411103
• ISBN-10: 1399411101
• Artikelnr.: 70600631

Autorenporträt

Nikita Desai is a yoga practitioner and educator who owns the Arya Yoga Studio. She is passionate about promoting the traditions and health benefits of authentic yoga to the modern yoga space, and runs workshops on this topic both online and at festivals. Nikita is based in London. @nikyyoga https://www.aryayogastudio.com

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction How to use this book A note on Sanskrit Part 1: Why we should aim for an authentic yoga practice 1
Problem 1: The emphasis of physicality in modern yoga 2
Problem 2: Cultural appropriation in modern yoga 3
Problem 3: Commercialisation in modern yoga 4
Problem 4: The lack of diversity in modern yoga Summary Part 2: The foundations of yoga and a (very brief) history 1
A brief timeline to the history of yoga 2
The roots of yoga 3
Significant literature in yoga 4
Significant gurus of yoga Summary Part 3: Integrating authenticity into your practice 1
Three key yogic teachings 2
Types or styles of Yoga 3
Traditional yoga: The four key margas 4
Traditional yoga: Hatha yoga 5
A note on chakras 6
Traditional yoga: Ashtanga yoga 7
Limb 1
Yamas
Our nehaviours 8
Limb 2
Niyamas
Self Ooservations 9
Limb 3
Asana
Physical postures 10
Limb 4
Pra?ayama
Regulation of breath 11
Limb 5
Pratyahara
The influence of our senses 12
Limb 6
Dharana
Concentration of the mind 13
Limb 7
Dhyana
Meditation 14
Limb 8
Samadhi
Pure awareness 15
Yoga Nidra
A practice for deep relaxation 16
Studying yogic texts/scriptures Part 4: Continuing your journey 1
10 next steps 2
My hope for the future 3
Resources References Acknowledgements Index