Book Review : Kino's new book The Power of Ashtanga Yoga

Just added a new tab/page to the top of the blog with the 'reviews' of books, dvd, mats etc that I've posted on over the past six years REVIEWS

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“I highly recommend The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. Not only is it chock-full of practical advice and tips for the beginner and for those with injuries or obstacles, it also treats asana practice as a fine contemplative art by its emphasis on smooth, focused movement in and out of the postures in sync with the breath. Its presentation of the subtle and deeper aspects of yoga is clear and accessible, making this book useful for all types of practitioners.”—Richard Freeman, author of The Mirror of Yoga

Link to buy from Amazon.com

"The Quiet Strength of a Woman's Body

Contemporary dogma of what is possible for men and women contribute to what yoga practitioners believe is possible for male and female bodies. If you are a woman, you may wonder whether you are the wrong shape, size, weight, gender to be able to catapult your hips through the air and resign yourself to being just flexible. But this type of thinking undermines a true sense of the power for either gender.
   In yoga there is an unfair assumption that all men effortlessly perform gravity-defying lifts and all women snake their way into positions a contortionist would envy. While the mind-set of teachers and students often perpetuates some traditional gender roles, reality tells a different story. There are men who are hyper mobile and unable to lift their butts off the ground, and there are women who are stiff as a board but can balance unwaveringly". Kino Macgregor -The Power of Ashtanga yoga p172

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So Kino's new book is finally out, this very day I believe. In fact I noticed this morning that she's posted a video on her Youtube channel (link below) where you can get a free copy of the book just by entering a comment, the comments then going into a draw.

http://youtu.be/GrY6BXe1oQc

Good place to mention too perhaps that my own copy of the book is a free review copy sent to me by the publishers Shambhala. That wouldn't stop me from being critical of the book but so far I'm struggling to think of anything bad to say about it.

Shambhala are of course an excellent publishing house, worth taking a look at their site especially this page about the history of the company and it's approach to publishing (not saying this just because they sent me a free book but I loved this page, interesting stuff).

http://www.shambhala.com/about-shambhala

So lets get started.

I remember there was a bit of fuss about the cover art to Kino's book when we first caught a glimpse of it last year (lets get it out of the way before somebody raises it again).

You can play yourselves....what's wrong with this Asana?

Link To buy from Kino's website store

She's looking up, the gaze appears to be broomadhya drishti...but hang on, she's holding her heels not her toes, can't be Ubbaya padagusthasana. Well, if she's holding her heels surely it must be Urdhva Mukkha padangusthasana..... but then wouldn't the gaze be nasagrai drishti...?

And so it goes, Kino does seem to attract criticism

Mystery solved

There's the cover art Figure 7.46 below, what I like to call hidden asana and this is a nice feature of the book in that Kino focuses not just on the asana itself but stages of it's entry and exit.

When the book arrived I showed it to a colleague at work who asked "Is this the one every makes a fuss about for wearing shorts?" In Black and White it's hard to see what all the fuss was about.

I like the b and w, this isn't a glossy picture book but a serious treatment of the nature, attainment and purpose of asana in the Ashtanga practice of the Krishnamachaya/Jois lineage. It has a very strong focus on the spiritual dimension of the practice, of the energetics of practice, of the breath and the bandhas (and how to actually engage and employ them).

I'm happy with my first impressions as posted on fb over the weekend.

 "Kino's new book- review copy. Take a moment and think what you were expecting and hoping Kino's book would be like.......yep, it's EXACTLY llike that. Every posture crammed full of the tips, hints and encouragement we've come to expect from her DVDs and YouTube videos. Plus some surprises. Home Ashtangi's will love it, but teachers too for an endless supply of ideas to help their students. Kino at her best. Had planned on being a stern and objective critic but she had me with hello ( her intro chapters anyway). Great job Kino, thank you for sharing all you've learned in those hundreds of workshops. Main review to come on my blog probably Tuesday assuming I can put my Mac back together".

Must be something about the book I can be critical of...

Kino does refer to her teacher Sri K  Pattabhi Jois throughout as Jois, that's irritating right... although it's something I tend to do on this blog also. I do the same with Krishnamacharya, Ramaswami, Iyengar, Heidegger.... for some reason not Macgregor.

"When I arrived in mysore, far from my own culture, I had no idea what to expect. A student of 2001 academe, I was skeptical of the idea of a guru. The nearly thirty-hour journey took me across two continents, through three airports, and down old dirt roads where cows wandered freely. A taxi finally dropped me off at the Ashtanga Yoga Nilayam in an old neighbourhood of lakshmipuram. I walked up the steps to the back-alley entrance and found Sri K. Pattabhi Jois teaching a group of twelve sweaty yogis; many more were waiting their turn. He turned, looked me in the eyes, and asked if I was there to practice. Before doubt surfaced, my heart opened, I fell to my knees, saying, "Yes, I'm here to practice. Thank you Guruji". I knew I had met my teacher- not only because I had seen him in a dream but because his very presence opened my heart, eased my pain, and brought me peace. From that day forward, I called him Guruji, an honorific title that students use to indicate acceptance of their teacher as their spiritual guru. For the remainder of this book, I will refer to him as Jois for the sake of clarity, but in my heart, he will always be Guruji". p. xvi

OK. we'll give her that, but how about the Index, I love index's why do so many books not bother to include one these days.

I'm scraping the barrel to think of things to complain about here but really, what's not to like, they've done a good job.

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No surprise to anyone who's followed Kino's work perhaps but yes there is a section on jumping back and through including the lotus jump back from padmasana should you choose to explore it. This is found in a chapter on Strength : The Yoga of true power where Kino looks more closely at the bandhas.

 The strength chapter also includes a section on The Quiet Strength of a Woman's body, here's a taste of it.

And it's true, I never thought that I'd be flexible enough for, I don't know...  Kapo with heels say or Marichi H, Yoga Dandasana, the side splits Sama konasana, all of which I've managed to explore over time.

I've mentioned Intermediate and Advanced postures there to make the point and I did wonder if Kino would be bringing out a book on Intermediate and Advanced series in the future but in a sense she doesn't have to. She goes into such detail in this book on the Primary series that if you manage to develop the breath and bandha focus, activate the networks of movements, bring together all the different elements that bring about comfort and steadiness in an asana then this will carry over into any other asana, whatever the series, the principles are the same. 

OK, perhaps some more on backbending, she touches on them in this book, they do have their own section with an introduction but it's only really Urdhva danhurasana and dropping back and paschimottanasana as a counter. The backbend sequence from second series and the leg behind head postures would be nice for a Kino treatment. Shame this book doesn't go into both Primary and Intermediate series the same as David Swenson's book but then with Kino's attention to detail that would mean another 150 pages.

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Kino is an enabler. 

This book is all about what is possible and, more practically, how it's possible as well as the possibilities this practice opens up.

"While the Spiritual benefits of yoga are central to this ancient path, the physical aspect is what draws most students. It is certainly true practicing yoga leads to better health, less stress and a happier more peaceful mind. But while it may be tempting to think of yoga as merely another exercise routine, it's real healing benefits come from it's integrated approach to working with the body and mind" p3

In the 'Strength' chapter at the end of the book Kino focuses on the bandhas in detail but in a very down to earth practical way. When I first started Ashtanga I remember coming up against, "...engage the bandhas and jump back". 

"...engage the bandhas", that's great but HOW do I engage the bandhas, well Kino goes into graphic detail... 

She tells you to..

Squeeze...

and exactly where to squeeze..

to feel....

to draw....

to increase....

to activate...

to contract...

to lift...

"...Over time you will be able to activate this whole network of movements in one fluid contraction". p175

This is how I've come to see this practice myself, each asana, each vinyasa, entails a number of elements and we need to employ all of them effectively. Thing is we all pick up or more naturally employ one or more those elements at different stages of our practice, we all end up with a different missing piece or pieces. Kino lays out all the pieces, it might be nothing more than a lean forward at just the right time that makes the difference for you in a particular asana or a reminder to keep the pelvis level to help with your balance or the drawing up of the bandhas in an already, naturally stable posture that actually activates and (en)lightens it.

This enabling feeds through the whole book, every posture has a wealth of tips and hints for engaging X, facilitating Y and achieving Z. It's very much a hands-on book, the focus is on helping you not just to get into an asana but to achieve greater comfort and steadiness (in life as well as in practice). As such I find myself asking 'Who isn't this book for?' It's perfect for the beginner whether starting at in a shala with a teacher or at home with a book and a dvd (she mentions the home practitioner. But it's also for somebody who has practiced for a number of years and wants to not just tidy up the alignment of a posture but to achieve greater facility at every stage of the practice. Many of the instructions or rather suggestions that Kino includes I've come across before, most no doubt from her own Youtube channel and all it's tutorials but never so many in one place and in and for every posture. As such this is also strikes me as an excellent resource for the teacher.

But then it would be, Kino has been conducting hundreds of workshops all over the world over the last, what, seven years or so. The workshop environment strikes me as very different from adjusting in a Mysore room. I'm sure Kino could produce a book on silent Mysore adjustments but this book is a dialogue with the student. She's listened to her own body in her own practice of course but also to all those workshopee's she has worked with over the years and and then of course also to her own students in Miami with whom she's worked no doubt for a number of years, watching and assisting as their practice flourishes.

Amazon.com gives a good preview of the first part of the book. Here's the contents page.

In each of those chapters we find several sub sections, 

My yoga Journey

The heart of Ashtanga

Practical guidelines for yoga practice

Getting started in your practice

Listening to the wisdom of your body

The ancient origins of Yoga poses

The origins of Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Spiritual practice

Ashtanga Physical practice

Finding your teacher

The heroic Healing journey of Yoga

How yoga poses really work

Drishti; single pointed gaze

Gazing with the lamp of knowledge

The Magic of the breath

Relax and breath into it

Ujjayi: The breath of life

Granthis

The ritual of Vinyasa

The Ashtanga yoga diet

The hidden power of food

Ahimsa; The Yogic Diet of Nonviolence

Ayurvedix Guidelines

Cleansing and Purification

Practice yoga. heal the planetThe spiritual Journey of Asana: Yoga beyond bending

Stretching your mind

Walking the spiritual path

Life lessons on the yoga superhighway

Revela your true self

Complete healing

Strength: The yoga of true power

The quiet strength of a woman's body

Bandhas

Mula bandha

Udiyana bandha

Foundation

Direction in strength

How to jump back

How to jump through

How to jump back from lotus position

Chakrasana

Opening mantra

Closing mantra

Sanskrit vinyasa count

for example here's 

Kino on the breath...

"If you focus solely on attaining the asanas when you practice, you will most likely sacrifice the breath for the form, but the ends do not justify the means in Yoga. In fact, the means themselves are the ends. Yoga is about the journey and the process and if there is no space to allow a deep inhalation and exhalation to be your guide, there may never be space for you to be calm in your life" p27

Kino on ujjayi

"Each breath has four distinct components; the inhalations, the space between the inhalation and exhalation, the exhalation and the space between the exhalation and inhalation. It is important to give a gentle pause between the breaths so you float effortlessly for a moment between each inhalation and exhalation. When you advance to more in-depth breath work that includes holding or retaining the breath the space between breaths will be crucial." p28

Kino on Method 

"The Ashtanga yoga practice  recommends that you practice six days a week. traditionally, this practice was meant to be done in the Mysore style" in which you follow your own breath and movement rather than the guidence of a teacher leading a class through the same movements....Memorising the postures allows you to focus internally, which is the real goal of yoga. When you do not know what you are doing next your attention will always be on your teacher rather than within yourself. Once you memorise the sequence of postures that your teacher determines is right for you, the entire practice moves to a deeper, subconscious level" p12

...and on a six day practice

"Taking a six-day- a-week practice is often hard for for new students, so I usually recommend that they begin with three days. Once they establish that level of regularity, they can add one day every six months until they reach the full six days a week. To make the transition from a fitness orientated approach to yoga to a devotional one, you need to practice consistently and regularly. A daily spiritual ritual in which you take time to connect internally to a deep sense of yourself requires dedication. The six day requirement is meant to develop the kind of mental, spiritual and devotional determination needed to progress along the internal path of yoga" p12

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The Amazon preview looks mostly at the first couple of chapters but lets take a look at how the asana are treated in Part 2 of the book to show what I've been talking about.

I've chosen these two mainly because they scan nicely on two pages, some of the others spill over into a third or fourth page. Also in my comments somebody mentioned they were struggling with Utthita Hasta Paddangusthasana (don't we all).

Notice that in the sequence beginning with Utthita Hasta Paddangusthasanashe's addressing, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced practitioners, we all do primary even if only on Friday's. Marichiyasana D is a good example of this, Kino includes beginner modifications, a standard intermediate expression and the advanced version of the pose with both sit bones down.

But perhaps this is too much, too overwhelming for the beginner. In Kino's defines the levels of proficiency are well indicated.

And Baddha Konasana because it's a favourite of mine and also because Kino mentions...

"My teacher would recommend that students who felt very tight in their hips hold this pose for up to fifty breaths".

I tend to stay in Baddha Konasana for ten, fifteen long slow breaths but have never stayed for more than twenty-five, something to explore tomorrow perhaps.

I should also mention that the asana sections each have an introduction outlining the characteristics of the group of postures. So there's a Surynamaskara section, Standing section, seated, backbends and finishing.

There's also an appendix outlining the vinyasa count for every posture, nice and handy having it in a separate section. Petri found a way to include it on the same page, Gregor too but I think I prefer it all in one place.

and there's a practice cheat sheet. 

Still can't decide about this. Make the pictures smaller and you can have the whole sequence on a two page spread for ease of reference for beginners.

Also a nice, quite extensive, glossary too with a strong focus on how Pattabhi Jois would introduce these terms

I'm till struggling to find something to frown at with the book but mostly I found myself saying "Yes" again and again as I would find Kino presenting approaches to aspects of the practice that I've come to settle on in my own path. This book is very much part of and of the tradition and yet not in anyway dogmatic, that's a neat trick. There is a lot going on in the book, it's smart but approachable. Kino seems to have a knack for presenting the practice in a way that draws you in but without dumbing it down.

I'll be coming back again and again to the asana descriptions of course (sure there'll be more posts to come on it), can't flick through it without wanting to jump on the mat to try something, and as soon as I finish my practice I want to grab the book to check how she approaches a particular asana or vinyasa.

On my next day off I want to work through it posture by posture while on the mat, perhaps a post to come on that.

But I'll also be coming back to it for the ideas around the physical elements of practice, many of them will strike you as obvious as if they are things we've known all along but never verbalised , but timely reminders all the same and nicely put.

"If you approach your practice from the perspective of attaining the perfect asana, sooner or later you will fail. even the strongest and most flexible person will get injured or grow older one day. Eventually a new generation of stronger, more flexible students come through. When all this happens, it is not time to quit or punish yourself. Moments of perceived failure are often when the most yoga happens. Sometimes we have to gain the perfect yoga body and the perfect yoga poses just to 'lose" it to injury or age; thus, we see that the whole point of the journey has nothing to do with asana after all. Yoga asks you to tap into a place within yourself that has faith in results that are not immediately evident. " p52

(I did know that didn't I?)