Yoga: A Gem for Women

If you teach or are serious about yoga and are a woman, get this book. The Iyengar name continues to never disappoint. Its a great reference book when you are finished reading.

I first got this book from the library when I was waiting to have surgery for uterine growths. I had never done yoga, and I was looking for a way to ease my pain. This book can actually help with many mild medical conditions. It is set up in an easy to reference way, with lots of pictures and clear, detailed descriptions. Many of the positions even have 2 possible methods, one for the novice, and one for the advanced student. This is great when you are first starting out and you lack flexibility. My favorite thing about the book is that it allows you to look up positions by name and by function. If you want to ease back pain, or just get more flexibility in your back, you can reference moves that aid the spine. There are even suggestions for building a routine. I highly reccomend this book.

Great book! Very practical information. I have bought this book when I was pregnant. I was not confused what I can or what I can not during pregnancy. As well the pictures help believe that is possible to do yoga even nine month pregnant!

This is a wonderful book with specific reference to the main biological stages of a womans life & identifies which asanas (poses) should be practiced or avoided at those stages.. i found this book during my pregnancy at a time when i was confused whether to continue with certain yoga poses.. the book helped to clarify all my questions and has helped me continue with yoga confidently during pregnancy. My copy of this book is published in india in 1983 & subsequent publications may have a different format, but my copy is not the sort of book that you can open up at a page, & simply copy a pose by looking at a picture, some of the newer yoga books i have noticed follow this "easy" format which is weak in content & high in glossy pictures.. this book is very rich in content - be prepared to spend some time reading in detail about useful background information as well as the poses & their effects & various techniques for achieving a pose.

If you want to learn about hatha yoga, this is a wonderful book written by Mr. Iyengar's daughter. She writes about the philosophy of yoga, how the poses fit into it, about the poses themselves, and the benefits and cautions for each, along with suggestions for a daily practice. It has detail on yoga practice for women, and since most people with Geeta Iyengar's experience and expertise are men, it is nice to get her perspective- but it is just as good for men who want to learn more about yoga. There are many pictures of the poses, including the ones meant to be done during pregnancy. If you want to learn more about practicing yoga during pregnancy, this one has a whole chapter on the subject. I used this book and the advise of my teachers during both of my pregnancies, and both my babies and myself were/are exceptionally healthy.