Myths of the Asanas : The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition

Practitioners around the world reap the physical benefits of yoga, assuming poses and frequently calling them by their Sanskrit names. While many know that hanumanasana is named for the deity Hanuman, few understand why this is the case. Behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop’s fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is the first book to collect and retell these ancient stories. The myths behind yoga’s spiritual tradition have the power to help students of all levels realize their full potential. Meditating on the tolerance of trees while standing in tree pose can help one become more tolerant. Learning how the disfigured sage Astavakra came to be the teacher of a king can liberate us from anxieties about our external appearance and our self imposed limitations. Marveling at Hanuman’s devotion to Ram can serve as a source of spiritual strength and determination. With more than sixty beautiful illustrations to frame the stories, Myths of the Asanas will add a new dimension to your practice and study of yoga. The ancient lore behind yoga poses: “Transports us to a world where gods and goddesses, saints, and enlightened animals serve as our teachers.” —MC YogiPractitioners around the world reap the physical benefits of yoga, assuming poses frequently called by their Sanskrit names. While many know that hanumanasana is named for the deity Hanuman, few know why. But behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop's fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is the first book to collect and retell these ancient stories. The myths behind yoga's spiritual tradition have the power to help students of all levels realize their full potential. Meditating on the tolerance of trees while standing in tree pose can help one become more tolerant. Learning how the disfigured sage Astavakra came to be the teacher of a king can liberate us from anxieties about our external appearance and our self-imposed limitations. Marveling at Hanuman's devotion to Ram can serve as a source of spiritual strength and determination. With more than sixty beautiful illustrations to frame the stories, Myths of the Asanas will add a new dimension to your practice and study of yoga.“Truly enhances our yogic lessons. Some of the nuances of ethics, posture, breath, and meditation can only be touched through metaphor and mythology and we thank them for taking us on this journey.” —Rodney Yee, author of Moving Toward Balance Millions of yoga students around the world attend class regularly to reap the physical benefits of yoga, assuming the different poses and frequently calling them by their sanskrit names. While many probably know that hanumanasa is named for the Hindu deity Hanuman, fewer know why this is the case. Behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, a sage, or sacred animal, much like aesop's fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is the first book to compile and re-tell these ancient stories. The myths of yoga's spiritual tradition have the power to bring about a change of heart, helping readers and students realize their full potential. Meditating on the tolerance of trees while standing in tree pose can help one become more tolerant. Learning how the disfigured sage Astavakra came to be the teacher of a king can liberate us from our anxieties about external appearance and our self-imposed limitations. Marveling at the devotion of Hanuman to his lord Rama can serve as a source of spiritual strength and determination. Through discovering mythic tales such as these in Myths of the Asanas, readers will add a new dimension to their practice and study of yoga. As Eknath Easwaran, the founder of passage meditation, put it, "yogic myth has a genius to clothe the infinite in human form." " ... Behind each asana and its corresponding movements is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop's fables or European folktales. Myths of the Asanas is a ... retelling of these ancient stories ..."--Page 2 of cover