Friday Book Report: How to Use Yoga

Mira Mehta’s book How to Use Yoga is a good introductory yoga text.  After some basic background information, it goes through 41 poses in detail with variations and lots of photos.  Some information about pranayama is also included.  Then it all comes together in a ten-week program in which all the poses are deployed in sequences.  Of particular interest are the additional sequences for headaches, tight hips, and the like (a quibble:  menstruation is not exactly a “problem” in the same way backache or tight shoulders can be; perhaps “special cases” would have been a less misogynistic phrasing…).

Because the book is rooted in the Iyengar tradition, there are lots of props, so the poses are more accessible for those of us who are not currently flexible.  This is a good resource for pretty much anyone, although not all poses are appropriate for all people.  Use good judgment and/or check in with a doctor before getting too enthused!