text: This book has a wealth of information for any practitioner of yoga, from beginner to advanced.  The content is concise and practical, and the poses are sequenced in a way that allows for a gradual and safe progression in the practice. There are also dozens of practice sequences given for both improvement and how to treat common ailments through yoga.  The introduction is especially valuable, as it offers a no fluff in-depth commentary on the philosophical thought behind the asana practice.  I pick it up again and again and am still referring to it after nearly 15 years of owing it.  My copy is dog eared and loved, and was well worth every penny.
  
  An earlier reviewer mentioned that the photos and layout were not user friendly, and only gave the book two stars, which is a shame.  This book was first printed in the mid 1960's - over 40 years ago!  It was the first yoga book of it's kind to ever be printed, and it's content is timeless and as relevant today as ever.  Mr. Iyengar even had to struggle with his then publisher to be allowed to include so many photos, as it was so expensive in those days to print such a book.  I say hats off to the man who brought yoga to the west long before it was ready.  He's a pioneer and a virtuoso of his craft, and his marvelous work should never be over overlooked just because it doesn't come in some glossy package fit for the masses
  