(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
For yoga aficionados who wish to dig deeper into the theory of their practice, this is the book for you.
Author Dr. Raj Balkaran’s hope is that the book “will not only deepen your inner life, but will also introduce you to and inspire you to learn more about the lore of ancient India, from where yoga stems, and the profound life wisdom it encodes.”
The book is easily structured by pose and the myth behind it. Balkaran starts out with the theme of the pose, and after the story, he advises what to think about while initiating and maintaining the pose. However, he doesn’t instruct on how to perform the pose, which is actually a good thing.
Each pose is accompanied by a related illustration, which combines the actual pose to the story. Though they are detailed and beautiful, I couldn’t figure out which most of them were. No problem—I just googled the name to find the pose.
These stories are interrelated, so you may want to read them sequentially. If not, there is a comprehensive index to assist you in your search for the desired pose.
The Stories Behind the Poses will appeal to a very niche audience, which admittedly I am not part of. Still, I see this as the perfect gift to one who is a serious yoga devotee.
