Product Description

Product Description A guide to yoga techniques emphasizes fitness and the proper alignment of the spine, and discusses posture, breath control, and relaxation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121912 in Books
• Published on: 1991-05-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Though she came to yoga later in life, her subsequent 50-year practice and teachings have made a profound impact on hatha yoga. The daughter of artistic Italian parents, wife of a professor of philosophy, and an accomplished pianist, Vanda Scaravelli was accustomed throughout her life to meeting creative artists, intellectuals, and literati. The Indian philosopher J. Krishnamurti came to stay at the Scaravelli's villa overlooking Florence every year. When Scaravelli's husband died suddenly after World War II, she soon began spending summers with her children at a chalet in Switzerland, where she hosted Krishnamurti during his lectures there. B. K. S. Iyengar would come every morning to teach him yoga; he introduced Scaravelli, then in her 40s, to the ancient discipline, and "a new life came into my body." Thus began her ongoing exploration of what she called allegrezza, "the intelligent heart." From T. K. V. Desikachar she learned breath awareness; she later formulated her own approach to yoga (in which "you become intelligent and at the same time you are happy") and began to teach others. Her book Awakening the Spine (HarperSanFrancisco, 1995) became a classic. Since her death in 1999, at age 91, several teachers have carried on her work, most notably Toronto-based Esther Myers. "I practice because it is natural for me to practice," she told Myers in a 1996 YJ interview. "There is no other reason.

Customer Reviews

an excellent introduction to the spirit of yoga
Some of the other reviewers of this book are disappointed that it is not 'practical' and for this reason have described it as 'useless'. I cannot agree. For those who are thinking about practising yoga or those who are already students, it is a wonderful handbook to the spirit of yoga, explained in simple, short chapters.

Not only that, but it is inspiring to see Vanda Scaravelli, in her eighties at the time, doing amazing backbends. She didn't start yoga till she was about forty - proving that it is never too late to start this amazing practise.

If you want a practical book on yoga, I would reccomend Godfrey Devereux's Dynamic Yoga and Erich Schiffmann's Yoga: the spirit and practice of moving into stillness. But Scaravelli's book is invaluable as an adjunct, and precisely because it is not about things like what to do with your legs in virabadrasana. It is informative without being esoteric. When she writes that to practice yoga you need a teacher she is telling no less than the truth. I have practised yoga for a few years and always return to this book. I also always give it to friends who are thinking of starting and they always love it.

Scaravelli died about eighteen months ago, but her students continue to teach her method which is based on using the power of gravity. She does introduce you to some asanas (poses) in the book; but that is not the point. The only way to learn yoga is to do it, but this book will refresh you and remind you why you are doing it. If the reason you are doing yoga is just so you can do the splits, maybe this is not the book for you. For everyone else: Let go of your ego and your goal-oriented mind and buy this book.

A must-have book for your collection
Yoga's a big subject. One book cannot cover everything in detail. Vanda's book focuses on how the spine is key to all your stretching in Yoga. She explains in detail how to use gravity as your friend and healer. This book covers VITAL information for anyone practicing Yoga. There are plenty of videos and books out there with detail about a Yoga routine. This is not one of them. Sandra Sabatini's book on Breathing is another vital key book about the importance of focus on Breathing. Just one subject. Vanda's book is an easy read, that makes you want to try out her guiding words in your Yoga poses as soon as you can roll out your mat.

Creator of the Beginner Tai Chi (DVD)

Poetic testament
This book has amazing pictures and a slow and pleasant pace, but I felt it contained very little 'technical' advice re yoga. It is more like a friendly conversasion about what Vanda learnt and felt about yoga and life. Not what I was looking for. But many will find it inspirational.