Power Yoga

This is a great book that really details how yoga can benefit you and goes through the entire Ashtanga series. Great for beginners and yoga vets!

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A great book for those already in shape

I am personally having a great experience with this book. The explanations are clear, the pictures are very helpful, and the beginner modifications are encouraging since most people including myself do not start out as very flexible. After reading some of the other reviews, however, I've concluded that the book is probably most helpful for those who are already in good physical condition. Some of even the beginning asanas take a moderate amount of strength. If you do not think that you can do 5-6 pushups or hold your weight with your arm strength, it would probably be better for you to take a class where a teacher could spot you and give you more specific instruction.

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Does the best job of breaking down the Primary Series

As a previous reviewer said the Primary Series should not be learned solely through a book. This book does the best job of breaking down most of the difficult poses, offering great modification poses to help work a person into the pose that's part of the series. For instance the half bound lotus forward bend is by not means an easy pose (at least not for me). Bender offers beginner and intermediate modifications to help you work to the full version of the pose. She does this throughout the book giving the reader a chance to build up his/her endurence while he/she is learning the series. I used this book in conjunction with Julie Pegrum's "Ashtanga Yoga: The Complete Mind and Body Workout" Book. Together they are the next best thing to going to class. Overall, I have seen nothing better that helps a person learn the Primary Series, and at the same time, making finishing it semi-attainable.

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