Selling Yoga

Premodern and early modern yoga comprise techniques with a wide range of aims, from turning inward in quest of the true self, to turning outward for divine union, to channeling bodily energy in pursuit of sexual pleasure. Early modern yoga also encompassed countercultural beliefs and practices. In contrast, today, modern yoga aims at the enhancement of the mind-body complex but does so according to contemporary dominant metaphysical, health, and fitness paradigms. Consequently, yoga is now a part of popular culture. In Selling Yoga, Andrea R. Jain explores the popularization of yoga in the context of late-twentieth-century consumer culture. She departs from conventional approaches by undermining essentialist definitions of yoga as well as assumptions that yoga underwent a linear trajectory of increasing popularization. While some studies trivialize popularized yoga systems by reducing them to the mere commodification or corruption of what is perceived as an otherwise fixed, authentic system, Jain suggests that this dichotomy oversimplifies the history of yoga as well as its meanings for contemporary practitioners. By discussing a wide array of modern yoga types, from Iyengar Yoga to Bikram Yoga, Jain argues that popularized yoga cannot be dismissed--that it has a variety of religious meanings and functions. Yoga brands destabilize the basic utility of yoga commodities and assign to them new meanings that represent the fulfillment of self-developmental needs often deemed sacred in contemporary consumer culture.

With the freshness of a memoir, author and yoga teacher Christina Sell draws upon her first visit to an extraordinary temple in southern India to present basic principles of yoga. Beyond the ordinary aims of yoga as a means of stretching and strengthening, or even for being happier or more centered, My Body is a Temple is an instruction manual for dedicating oneself to a life of the spirit, in and through the vehicle of the human body. The body as a temple is a common metaphor within many spiritual traditions. In this book, Christina Sell delves into the “how” and “why” of this widely accepted comparison. My Body Is a Temple will encourage readers to listen to and honor the body; and to enter more fully into their everyday lives to see that each activity contains a Divine blueprint for success. It will help any yoga student to reclaim the raw materials and energy, always already present, to build his or her body as a temple-to provide refuge and sanctuary for themselves and inspiration for others. While the author’s tradition is that of Anusara Yoga, a strongly heart-centered approach, the book is written for any hatha yoga aspirant or practitioner. Her commitment is to traditional yogic practices and ideals, without being rigid. My Body Is a Temple is a vital and realistic treatment about the process of human change and transformation. Beyond Fitness ... Yoga is a Means of Self-Honoring and Spiritual Transformation This book will be well-used by both students and teachers of yoga. It should be included in all yoga and fitness centers and in popular library collections.

"In Peace Love Yoga, Jain analyses growing spiritual industries and their coherence with neoliberal capitalism. "Personal growth," "self-care," and "transformation" are just some of the generative tropes in the narrative of these industries. Jain illuminates the power dynamics underlying what she calls neoliberal spirituality, illustrating how spiritual commodities are rooted in concerns about deviancy, not only in the form of low productivity but also forms of social deviancy. Jain, however, does not just offer one more voice bemoaning the commodification of spirituality as a numbing device through which consumers ignore the problems of neoliberal capitalism or as the corruption or loss of "authentic" religious forms. Instead, she asks what we should make of subversive spiritual discourses that call on adherents to think beyond the individual and even out into the environment, claims to counter the problems of unbridled capitalism with charitable giving or "conscious capitalism," challenges to the imperialism behind the appropriation and commodification of products from yoga to mindfulness, calls for women's empowerment, and efforts to greenwash commodities, making them more environmentally "friendly" or "sustainable." Rather than a mode through which consumers ignore, escape, or are numbed to the problems of neoliberal capitalism, many spiritual commodities, corporations, and entrepreneurs, Jain suggests, do actually acknowledge those problems and, in fact, subvert them; but they subvert them through mere gestures. From provocative taglines printed across t-shirts or packaging to calls for "conscious capitalism," commodification serves as a strategy through which subversion itself is contained"--

Experience the physical benefits and body awareness from hatha yoga—the most popular form of yoga today. Hatha Yoga Illustrated presents nearly 650 full-color photos to visually demonstrate 77 standard poses from hatha yoga that apply to all major hatha styles including Iyengar, Astanga, Anusara, and Bikram. Individual poses are presented from start to finish, showing you how to achieve proper alignment and breathing to ensure challenging yet safe execution. The result is an increase in the effectiveness, both physically and mentally, you'll experience with each pose. Several pose variations based on your personal preference, ability, and fitness level are also included. Eleven sample yoga routines show how to assemble the poses into workouts that meet your specific time, difficulty, and intensity parameters. Colorful and comprehensive, Hatha Yoga Illustrated is organized for your ultimate convenience and use. Use it to guide your muscles, as well as your mind, and increase strength and stamina, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce blood pressure, and increase flexibility.

Most people assume that 'postural' yoga is an ancient Indian tradition. But in fact, as Singleton shows, this type of yoga is quite a recent development. Singleton presents a study of the origins of postural yoga, challenging many current notions about its nature and origins.

Widely respected yoga teacher and author Richard Rosen draws on ancient yoga encyclopedias to explain how yoga was practiced before it became popular in the West. He compares the three main existing sources known to yoga scholars to describe how complex and rich the practice of yoga once was. It included systematic teachings on personal hygiene, good health, and good relationships, and other practices of yoga that went far beyond just the physical postures. Each section of the book offers a guided practice session of ancient poses and breathing techniques to enable readers to connect to the roots of their yoga and to offer a framework from which to understand the sequences they use in their regular sessions.

“One of the simplest yet most comprehensive yoga books to be published in recent memory, Miller’s work could become a classic . . . appropriate for all levels.” —Publishers Weekly From the bestselling author of The Yoga Deck comes Essential Yoga—the only hatha yoga book to offer this many poses (over 100), this many illustrations (over 180), and this many suggested sequences (over 50). Focusing on the poses themselves, it provides clear, concise instructions and detailed illustrations for each. It also includes six classic moving meditations (such as Sun Salutation and Camel Vinyasa), ten beginner-to-advanced sessions, and 48 mini-sequences designed to build strength for specific activities or alleviate health problems. Essential Yoga combines physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayamas), and meditations (dhyanas) into a simple and complete reference guide for yoga practitioners of all levels. Along the way, author Olivia Miller provides guidance on proper technique and alignment; modifications for beginners or those with knee, neck, or back pain; suggestions for preventing injury; and ways to keep a regular practice interesting and active.

Turn your yoga routine on its head! Designed to take you from a beginner to an advanced yoga student, this helpful guide will help you to progress from downward dog to even the more intricate of handstand poses. Improve focus and ability as you tone your upper body and core. The Complete Guide to Yoga Inversions is the ultimate collection of the most common arm balance poses and yoga inversions that are found in a variety of styles of yoga including ashtanga, bikram, power, hatha and more. Challenge yourself with XX arm balances and yoga poses with detailed step-by-step instructions from fitness and yoga instructor Jennifer DeCurtins. Each pose includes a helpful photo along with modifications and progressions. Learn to do pivotal, foundational poses such headstand, handstand and crow. The Complete Guide to Yoga Inversions is the perfect guide to improve your ability.