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Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout
The official yoga program of the New York Road Runners club, Power Yoga is a unique combination of dynamic breathing and strong, flowing movement, which creates a high-heat, high-energy workout.
Unlike any other yoga program, Power Yoga is a choreographed sequence of postures that flow into one another, building strength, unwinding tight joints,and loosening muscles. Beautiful photographs and clear instructions guide you through this effective and popular routine.
Based on the classical and original yoga system called astanga, Power Yoga is a complete mind and body workout that develops concentration and reduces stress. With its focus on mindful breathing and body heat, Power Yoga goes beyond the relaxation benefits of traditional yoga to offer a route to health and fitness that athletes of all levels will embrace.
Unlike any other yoga program, Power Yoga is a choreographed sequence of postures that flow into one another, building strength, unwinding tight joints,and loosening muscles. Beautiful photographs and clear instructions guide you through this effective and popular routine.
Based on the classical and original yoga system called astanga, Power Yoga is a complete mind and body workout that develops concentration and reduces stress. With its focus on mindful breathing and body heat, Power Yoga goes beyond the relaxation benefits of traditional yoga to offer a route to health and fitness that athletes of all levels will embrace.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 1995
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290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 16, 2016
A delightful book to read, both because of the personal history, but also because of the genera background written in an interesting writing style. Although I say I have 'read' it, it outlines a program take will years to work through to doing the more advanced poses. And if I never get there, that's all right. As I went through the book, the poses and sequences were familiar because I had a yoga teacher that used them, even though she didn't use the words 'power yoga' or 'Ashtanga'. Most of the people in the class were athletes, and mostly male, and the group was reasonably stable. Thus as the years went by, we started working on some advanced poses, although at the time I didn't know that they were advanced.
Since then, I've been using videos. This book has got me excited about a more energetic practice, like what we used to do when we lived in Tempe, Arizona. Birch gives some guidelines about how long to work on a sequence before moving on to more difficult poses. I appreciate the cautions to do the poses correctly, not try to go beyond one's ability, and in general, exercise some sanity.
Power Yoga is one of the Styles of Yoga mentioned in .
Axioms of Power Yoga
1. You have to be hot to stretch.
2. Strength, not gravity, develops flexibility.
3. Sports do not get us in shape. In fact, sports get us out of shape
4. All injury in sports is caused by structural and muscular imbalance.
5. Muscular imbalance and structural irregularities don't fix themselves.
6. Even iron will bend if you heat it.
7. Stopping training does't correct a imbalance.
8. No matter how fit you are at what you do, when you start something new you have to ease into it.
9. Stretching doesn't equal warm-up.
Since then, I've been using videos. This book has got me excited about a more energetic practice, like what we used to do when we lived in Tempe, Arizona. Birch gives some guidelines about how long to work on a sequence before moving on to more difficult poses. I appreciate the cautions to do the poses correctly, not try to go beyond one's ability, and in general, exercise some sanity.
Power Yoga is one of the Styles of Yoga mentioned in .
Axioms of Power Yoga
1. You have to be hot to stretch.
2. Strength, not gravity, develops flexibility.
3. Sports do not get us in shape. In fact, sports get us out of shape
4. All injury in sports is caused by structural and muscular imbalance.
5. Muscular imbalance and structural irregularities don't fix themselves.
6. Even iron will bend if you heat it.
7. Stopping training does't correct a imbalance.
8. No matter how fit you are at what you do, when you start something new you have to ease into it.
9. Stretching doesn't equal warm-up.
Currently reading
November 17, 2010Birch's brand of "Power Yoga" is, simpley put, the Ashtanga Yoga as practiced by K. Pattabhi Jois and his disciples. What makes this book unique is Birch herself, and her story of how she came to yoga, and then to Ashtanga. Her introduction is a fascinating slice of what yoga in the late 20th century was to America—from hippy cults who rode the bandwagons of various gurus, to hatha systems that constantly broke poses up with moments of rest, to the Joisian flow that Norman Allen brought to New York in 1980—Birch reminds us that that our perceptions of yoga have changed rather quickly. Even since this book was released in 1995, the West has seen Ashtanga-based vinyasa systems rise as the norm alongside further innovations through the work of Ana Forrest and John Friend, and new information has recently come to light in 's book [title:Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice], about modern yoga asanas actually owing a great deal to early 20th century European fitness fads. Beyond that, B.B. Birch eases us into Primary Series, gives a tast of secondary series, and lays on some Eight-Limbed philosophy on for good measure. A fine book for the layperson, the Western Ashtangi, or anyone wanting a peek at what was was, is, and will be up with a tradition that's sometimes centuries old and often brand new.
April 26, 2016
In my twenties, I was too intimidated to go to a yoga class, so I bought this book. I literally based my Ashtanga practice on this book. About six months later, I worked up the nerve to go to a yoga studio. I went to a 90 min intermediate Ashtanga class. After class, I confessed to the teacher that it was my first yoga class, ever. She was agog. "But... how did you learn your practice?" I told her I had read a book. She shook her head and smiled. "Wow. That must have been *some* book."
September 1, 2021
Finished rereading this book all the way through� now time to start practicing.
October 2, 2008
A bit wordy to use with an active practice, but some great advise from a long time practitioner of the Ashtanga sequence. I like to use this as a reference more so than a practice manual.
December 15, 2017
Amazing book and very important to my growth in yoga. I love the stories and the pictures. I will use this for many, many years to come.
July 29, 2019
The first yoga book I ever read years ago as a fledgling ashtangi. Nineteen years on it is richer than ever. Intelligently written and offering real insights into how the physical practice enriches the mind. Why Beryl is not lauded widely as a yoga pioneer astounds me ... perhaps because she refused to submit and become his Pattabhi Jois’s acolyte. We should be grateful she is an independent thinker and has combined her questioning with decades of teaching experience to produce illuminating writing on the practice of yoga and its power to heal.
July 1, 2018
I was instructed in different schools of Ashtanga and “Power� yoga, (both derivations of Kriya yoga); but this entire book was familiar to me. I truly enjoyed this expression of the practice. I particularly enjoyed the interweaving of exercise physiology, which is essential to modern yoga practice.
December 29, 2018
I read and enjoyed this as part of my YTT. It’s a readable history of Ashtanga Yoga in America as well as a guide to the Primary Series. I especially liked her description of the subtleties of savasana.
December 28, 2020
Axiom #6: Even Iron will bend if you heat it up.
If I forget everything else from the book, this is the one axiom that significantly changed my thinking about flexibility. I'll definitely hold onto this.
If I forget everything else from the book, this is the one axiom that significantly changed my thinking about flexibility. I'll definitely hold onto this.
December 5, 2021
Had to read for YTT. Good book in the 90's, just curious why we were't assigned a more modern reading.
October 1, 2023
3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
April 20, 2012
The pictures of asanas in the book are wonderful. I especially like that there are variations of common poses as well as "textbook" positions shown.
There are a few pictures where I would suggest changing the alignment, and I felt the personal narrative was slightly unnecessary, but overall this was a wonderful introduction to power yoga and would be suitable for people who what to begin a personal practice but don't know where to start.
There are a few pictures where I would suggest changing the alignment, and I felt the personal narrative was slightly unnecessary, but overall this was a wonderful introduction to power yoga and would be suitable for people who what to begin a personal practice but don't know where to start.
April 16, 2009
This is a good overview if you are just starting yoga. It give detailed photos and descriptions of the poses without going too far so you get lost. This is a textbook for a course that I have taken several times and is an all around good overview for pure astanga yoga.
October 11, 2014
This book details a vigourous system of Hatha Yoga that I suggest one try after taking a Yoga class.
March 31, 2008
This is a great intro to power yoga to supplement/enhance anyone's yoga practice. It was a textbook for school and I kept it and it's a great refresher and has lots of pictures and descriptions.
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May 29, 2009Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout by Beryl Bender Birch (1995)
June 6, 2010
I paused for now, but it's a good read for who wants to actively practice Yoga
May 20, 2011
This was a required text for my hatha yoga class, now I'm rereading it more in depth. I love Birch's analogies, she is truly someone I would love to meet someday.
May 6, 2011
This was my textbook for my first yoga class. This stuff is hard. If it doesn't hurt, you're doing it wrong.
October 30, 2011
Instructive manual on astanga yoga. Intellectually a little fluffy...
August 30, 2014
A great resource for power yoga practitioners and teachers. I found the information on specific injuries to be very helpful.
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