The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
From the IntroductionOver the last half millennium, one book has established itself as the classic work on Hatha Yoga--the book you are holding in your hands. An Indian yogi named Svatmarama wrote theHatha Yoga Pradipikain the fifteenth century C.E. Drawing on his own experience and older works now lost, he wrote this book for the student of Yoga. He wrote this book for you.Table of ContentsIntroductionAsanasPranayamaMudrasSamadhiContributorsAbout the AuthorNow living in Woodstock, New York, Brian Dana Akers began practicing Yoga at age twelve, learning Sanskrit at seventeen, and working in publishing at twenty-three.Reviews"A new, crisp, no-nonsense translation of this great classic on the practice of Hatha Yoga."--Christophe Mouze, Online Yoga Magazine"This lively and lucid translation includes the original Sanskrit. It is a must-have for any serious student or teacher."--Yoga Site"Beautifully printed and translated. Wonderful pictures, too."--Dominik Wujastyk, Indology"There is a certain magic at work here--it is as if an Indian yogi named Svatmarama has projected himself through time, expressing himself through Akers."--Michael Perkins, Woodstock Times"Written over five hundred years ago by Svatmarama, an Indian yogi, the text is considered by many a seminal work on the practice of, and theory behind, Hatha Yoga."--Chris Meehan, Kalamazoo Gazette"Accurate and accompanied by clear pictures, this translation of an informative Sanskrit text is a very useful addition to the growing literature on Yoga in Western languages."--Ashok Aklujkar, University of British ColumbiaExcerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Eight Sample VersesYoga succeeds by these six: enthusiasm, openness, courage, knowledge of the truth, determination, and solitude.Success is achieved neither by wearing the right clothes nor by talking about it. Practice alone brings success. This is the truth, without a doubt.When the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady. When the breath is steady, the mind is steady, and the yogi becomes steady. Therefore one should restrain the breath.As salt and water become one when mixed, so the unity of self and mind is called samadhi.He who binds the breath, binds the mind. He who binds the mind, binds the breath.Center the self in space and space in the self. Make everything space, then don't think of anything.Empty within, empty without, empty like a pot in space. Full within, full without, full like a pot in the ocean.Don't think of external things and don't think of internal things. Abandon all thoughts, then don't think of anything.