The 8 Limbs of Yoga: Pathway to Liberation

by Bhava Ram

The 8 Limbs of Yoga is the centerpiece of the Yoga Sutras. In this book Bhava Ram applies the 8 Limbs to circumstances of our modern lives and shares how each of us can transform ourselves through this profound wisdom. Bhava's message is that each of us possesses a great inner power to unfold our creativity and manifest our fullest potential.

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the eight limbs of yoga, great nuggets despite the brevity of the chapters. The author may come off a little strong for some but I loved his passion. The book makes you want to continue your studies which is a huge compliment.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan of the philosophy of "there is only one true path."

Not a fan of "Don't believe everything you think. Believe what *I* tell you."

I found Pema Chödrön's wisdom far, far, far more applicable to my life in my world, which includes the Internet, mass media, the occasional illness, bills to pay, and yes, nature walks. But apparently I'm just a brainwashed tool.

This is going to be one fun book club discussion...

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided a really nice high level over of yoga and ayurvedic medicine. One of my favorite things about the book are the "practice" sections near the end of some chapters, giving a nice explanation of how you can begin integrating the eight limbs of yoga in to your life.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of yoga from a man whose practice literally saved his life.

[Julie Komarc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study on the Eight Limbs! Bhava Ram explains in great deal what they mean and how they can be applied in our daily lives.

[Cheyo DW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Magnus Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you are a Yoga practitioner, interested in the deeper aspects of Yoga.
Don't read this book if you are new to Yoga, or want to keep Yoga as a purely physical pursuit.

This book covers the Ashtanga Yoga system (The 8 limbs of Yoga) and the Yoga Sutrani of Patanjali from an entirely western perspective. It is short, simple, and accessible. It is light on the Sanskrit, and very practical. The majority of books on these topics are written by Brahmin Indians, and are deeply steeped in their own cultural context. The author ignores many of these established interpretations and directly applies the ideas from the original Sutras to modern occidental life.

The best aspect of the book for me is that it does not dictate any strict philosophy or dogma. It merely widens your perspective to see the yogic view of what you are already experiencing.

For yoga teachers wanting a way to distill the deeper teachings of Yoga to digestible sound-bytes for their students, this book is a good resource.
For busy individuals looking to apply the deeper dimensions of yoga to their life without having to trawl through and interpret the Bhagavad Gita or the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, this is a great tool-kit.
For the Yoga devotee, who's practiced for a decade or more, this will help keep them grounded, and perhaps take their Yoga a little less seriously.

But for the 200hr 'qualified' yoga teacher shouting "open your heart centre", this won't help you pack out your classes more so you can afford that new iPhone.
For that Lululemon sporting socialite who uses Asana to sculpt her butt, this book will be dry and boring.
Take a second to decide what yoga is for you before you read this book.

[Kev · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rare that I would read a book about the eight limbs of yoga written by a westerner usually preferring a writer from the source area - but this popped out at me in a 2nd hand bookstore and I'm glad it did. It simply explains the eight limbs of yoga from a westerners perspective with smack in the face honesty. A great book to read and re-read if you can get hold of a copy

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming a yoga instructor, this book helped me understand the depth of this philosophy. I also had a workshop with the writer during my yoga training. Very interesting...

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lot's of information, but boring.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, describes the practice of yoga simply and effectively

[Johannes Bertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writer conveys esoteric subject matter in a very accessible and clear way. A handy reference to keep on your shelf and revisit from time to time.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on yoga! I've been practicing and reading yoga texts for 20 years and this is by far the best book I've read to date.