Pick Your Yoga Practice

November 4, 2013
With an estimated 15.8 million yoga practitioners in the U.S., the number of new training centers has exploded. In her first book, Los Angeles–based yoga teacher McCrary provides an encyclopedia of yoga styles that helps readers define a term when reviewing a class schedule or decipher the nature of a certification claimed by a particular instructor, though most teachers will end up using methods from a variety of practices. McCrary provides an overview of the basic tenets of yoga, such as the important of breath, the significance of the bandhas, and why spirituality and philosophy sometimes play a role in the practice. In addition, the author defines Hindu yoga terms—like yoga nidra, which are often integrated in the class parlance—and translates key chants, such as the ones common in Ashtanga classes. With thorough introductions to familiar styles of yoga, this is a solid, if not scintillating, introduction, but may not provide as much guidance as the title suggests. Such a noble goal may be unreachable, as the author admits: “American yoga masters have emerged to found their own styles of yoga… to meet our evolving cultural needs and develop all-inclusive approaches.” Agent: Elizabeth Evans, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency.