The New Swenson Manual

[Guest guest]

Don't know if it's been mentioned here already,

but I just came across a copy of David Swenson's

astanga yoga book for 1st and 2nd series. Anyone else

here?<br><br>I think he did a pretty good job, and for all the

books I've seen on astanga this is definitely the best

one yet. Nice photography and in-depth explanations

of each asana, along with modifications. Lots of

good text on the bhandas, grantis, etc. <br><br>One

thing I found curious: on 2nd series headstands,

Swenson has us doing the baddha hastas before the mukta

hastas. No doubt this'll be exhibit A when he's hauled

before the Tribunal.

[Guest guest]

Swenson's book is my Bible -- for second series

anyway. Yep, it's great.<br><br>A word about variations:

when I first learned paschimottanasana, I was told to

grab toes first, then grab soles of feet. This was in

the summer of 1998.<br><br>In November 1999 I read

Swenson's book, in which one is advised to grab toes, then

grab soles of feet, then grab wrists.<br><br>In July

of this year (just before Jois came to the US) my

current teacher told me to grab toes, then grab tops of

feet, then grab soles of feet, then grab

wrists.<br><br>A few weeks later I was visiting LA and one of the

folks at Maha Yoga told me that the aforementioned

variation is "no longer in fashion" and that I was to grab

toes, then grab wrists.<br><br>Each of these four

fashions are said to have emananated from

Mysore.<br><br>And all along I've been putting my baddhas before my

muktas, which practice I now discover has been out of

fashion for so long that its adherants risk

yogacriminaldom.<br><br>How does a poor yogi keep up?<br><br>Homer