I don't, not yet.
I had a look on Amazon but there was no Look Inside preview feature, I mentioned this on the Svastha fb page ( LINK) and one appeared this morning, perhaps I was not the only one to ask.
So I've been having a look at the generous preview on amazon this morning and it appears to be quite marvellous, I just ordered my copy.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't been that interested in the Hatha Yoga Pradipka for some time, the texts in Mallinson and Singleton's Root's of Yoga strike me as being of more interest and besides, I generally lean more towards Raja than Hatha and have become quite dismissive of the later.
Was hatha a wrong turn ( the turn towards tantra), a distraction?
More recently still, I've turned my gaze back to the West and the contemplative traditions that form(ed) my own horizon/worldview. Why try to appropriate another tradition when I have one of my own, learn about others surely, it's always of value, but if we seek to inquire on a deep level, look perhaps to our own ground (of being). It struck me some time ago, while listening to Ramswami lecture on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, his weaving in of songs and chants, commentaries and illustrative stories from his grandmother, that I could never know the text on a similar level however much I studied it, the text wasn't organic for me, unlike say, the Greeks ( I originally went to Uni to study Classics, switching to single honours Philosophy after a Greek philosophy lecture but I of course also grew up with the Greek myths and legends as much as stories from the bible or Jesus of Nazareth and Ben Hur every Easter and Christmas rather than say the Ramayama and Mahabharata ). I remember too Kristina Karitinou reminding us of our own culture in my interview with her a while back Entelechy : An Interview with Certified Ashtanga Teacher Kristina Karitinou
Anthony: I noticed on your alter a small bust of Socrates do you have any thoughts regarding Ashtanga as a philosophy, yoga sutras etc and Greek philosophy?
Kristina: It is of paramount importance for the practitioners to develop awareness of the cultural heritage of the place they are in. Being in Greece we bear great responsibility towards our ancestors and our roots, so having a small bust of Socrates triggers the energy that surrounds us and constantly reminds us why we actually practice. "Knowing thyself" is the epitome of knowledge, and it should always be there in our practice, in our breathing in our everyday life. "Practice and all is coming" incorporates the true meaning of knowing oneself as this is the only way given to us to actually manage and have some results. Greek and Indian civilisations appear to be connected on a spiritual level throughout the centuries, and they have both set the foundations for the development of philosophical thinking so much in the East as well as in the West respectively. Socratic inquisitive way of approaching discourse and the mental freedom he offers to human existence match uniquely the legacy of practice Patanjali has bequeathed us. Both of them have offered a means to free the mind from the conventionality of life as they give you alternatives and they both require freedom of thought so that man can reach the higher level of existence and the ultimate point of liberation and self - fulfillment. Freedom works as a prerequisite while it is the final destination of each of these two methods. Therefore the presence of both philosophies on my alter seemed like a natural thing to do.
I may hold on to my asana and pranayama practice out of fondness and habit (although I could I suppose just as well run or swim perhaps) but I'm leaning more towards Lectio Divina as a contemplative approach of late rather than the chanting of vedic mantras, to Plotinus rather than Patanjali, Marcus's meditations rather than the Yama/Niyama's and to my old friend Heidegger rather than Shankara.
Note: Lectio Divina, the contemplative approach of the early church. Read, recite or listen to an appropriate a text (traditionally the psalms and/or gospels but it could just as well be the Enneads. There should be no sense that one needs to complete a reading, when a word or phrase strikes you, sit with it, allow it live within you for a time..... for ten minutes, an hour, a month, years.
Note: Lectio Divina, the contemplative approach of the early church. Read, recite or listen to an appropriate a text (traditionally the psalms and/or gospels but it could just as well be the Enneads. There should be no sense that one needs to complete a reading, when a word or phrase strikes you, sit with it, allow it live within you for a time..... for ten minutes, an hour, a month, years.
That said, Krishnamacharya still fascinates, and inspires my practice and here he is in the pages of AG Mohan and his son's wonderful new book, I look forward to revisiting the text.
Below, a selection of pages from the Amazon preview.
Below, a selection of pages from the Amazon preview.
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| Link to Amazon |
Amazon intro
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, authored in the 15th century is one of the most well-known texts on physical yoga. This translation offers unique perspectives and insight from Sri T. Krishnamacharya, who had perhaps the most influence in physical yoga in the modern era. Drawing upon extensive notes of private studies with Krishnamacharya, his long time student, A. G. Mohan, presents critical analysis unavailable in any other translation to date. This translation includes summaries, notes on which practices may be more or less useful or even harmful, and comparisons to the Gheranda Samhita. This book is a worthwhile read and companion to any serious yoga aspirant, especially those interested in knowing what one of the most influential yogis of the modern times had to say on the esoteric practices of hatha yoga: on pranayama, mudras, and bandhas.
About the Author
A. G. Mohan was a student of “the father of modern yoga,” Yogacarya Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), for eighteen years. He is the author of several books on yoga, including Yoga for Body, Breath, and Mind; Yoga Therapy; and Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings. Co-founder of Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda and YogaKnowledge.net, he is respected internationally as a teacher of rare authenticity and knowledge.
Paperback: 164 pages
Publisher: Svastha Yoga (May 8, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9811131333
ISBN-13: 978-9811131332
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
Link to Amazon
AG Mohan's website
Looking Inside
Krishnamacharya's practice guidelines from the introduction
Also from the introductory notes....
Layout, a nice summary of the chapter
Presented in sanskrit, it's transliteration and translation into English, notes by Mohan and in many cases Krishnamacharya.
A nice section from Chapter III
from chapter III
Not all the verses have a note from Krishnamacharya, at times the notes are short but also in some case quite long, this section from Chapter II gives a good indication perhaps.
see too
Yoga Yajnavalkya: Trans: AG Mohan
( My preference over Hatha Yoga Pradipka)
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| Amazon Link |
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