In this much-anticipated follow-up to his first book, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy, Gregor Maehle offers a detailed and multifaceted guide to Ashtanga Yoga’s Intermediate Series. An expert yogi and teacher, Maehle will guide you to your next level with an unprecedented depth of anatomical explanation and unparalleled attention to the practice’s philosophical and mythological heritage. You will learn: • The background and applications of each of the three forms of yoga: Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana • How to use Indian myth and cosmology to deepen your practice • The importance of the Sanskrit language to the yogic tradition • The mythology behind the names of the Intermediate Series postures • The functions and limitations of body parts integral to the Intermediate Series, including the spine, the sacroiliac joint, the shoulder joint, and the hip joint • How to reap the full benefits of practicing the Intermediate Series Maehle meticulously explores all twenty-seven postures of the Intermediate Series through photos, anatomical line drawings, and practical, informative sidebars. He also discusses the philosophical and spiritual background of Ashtanga Yoga and places the practice within the context of Indian cultural history. With passionate erudition, Maehle will prepare you to reap physical, spiritual, and mental fulfillment from your evolving practice.

Recognizing the seemingly universal notion of a grammatical cosmos, this volume addresses the question of how grammar and culturally encoded sounds and signs provide cognitive maps of reality in a variety of great civilizations.

This book will not only give a precise step-by-step description of the meditation technique at the heart of yoga but also put it into context with all other yogic techniques and how they contribute to the breakthrough to spiritual freedom. Yogic meditation derives its power from the fact that it systematically suspends the entire processing capacity of the subconscious mind and diverts it towards meditation. The processing power of the subconscious mind is a multiple of that of the conscious mind. Simply watching breath or watching awareness involves only your conscious mind. For quick and effective concentration the entire power of the subconscious mind has to be harnessed. This is the secret of yogic meditation. You will also find information on the importance of Kundalini as support for meditation and the factors that make it rise, such as chakra and Sushumna visualization, mantra and breath. The text then explains how the chakras represent evolutionary stages of brain and mind development. Chakra meditation, if done in a sophisticated, high-powered way, will propel the evolution of the brain and mind of the practitioner and the awakening of higher intelligence.

Chakras are the centers of subtle energy in our bodies that can affect our health and well-being. In this colorfully illustrated guide, you'll learn about the seven main chakras and how to bring them into balance. Use of reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, yoga, and other self-healing techniques can positively impact these energy centers.