The Power of Ashtanga Yoga: Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner Peace

I have been exploring a yoga practice since I was 17 and stumbled across my mom's VHS copy of Raquel Welch doing what I later learned is the Bikram series (sans heat, which I strongly recommend). Almost 30 years later, I am still exploring and yoga never ceases to amaze me. My fascination with the practice, and desire to experience many different "forms" led me to take Kundalini yoga teacher training and to this day I rotate between that, Ashtanga (and the wonderful variation on that theme which is presented by Bryan Kest) and Bikram (practiced at home). Part of me admires people who can choose one path and walk it with utter devotion without meandering off to explore other areas because I am not that gal. My body loves to experience so many different things and each type of yoga I have embraced has brought with it some unique and beautiful lessons and healing. Like most yoga-nuts, I am familiar with Kino and have watched her videos on Youtube, which offer quick and powerful tips on various postures, many of which changed my entire approach and experience of something I had been doing for decades, so I already know what a remarkable teacher she is. What surprises and delights me in this book is what a lovely writer she is as well. Her deep love and abiding passion for the practice comes through loud and clear, dripping from every well-chosen word. This book is a gorgeous companion to ANY yoga practice, regardless of sequence or form. It is inspiring, informative and offers physical modifications and perspective which will benefit any style of practice. She offers up her own story, which gives us a glimpse into her connection to yoga and what it means, as well as invaluable information for even an advanced beginner or intermediate yogi (like breathing cues and drishtis). While the sneak peek inside of the book on amazon doesn't show this, there are tons of beautiful photos as well, making it very clear and helpful for someone exploring the Primary Series for the first time (or maybe someone who's rusty, ahem, or just loves the insight you receive when you open to a lot of teachers instead of just one or two). The book is so beautiful I wish they offered a hardcover edition with color photos inside, but even as-is I honestly feel that this book stands alongside "Light on Yoga", "Yoga Mala" and David Swenson's indispensable book in terms of content. Yes, it is that good. And I can tell you this...my practice has been FAR from consistent lately but reading this reminds me of just what my life and body are missing by skipping mat time and has compelled me to reconnect. I don't know of higher praise than that for a book about yoga.

I'd like to start my review by saying that I am not a begginer and have read many Ashtanga Yoga manuals written by extraordinary teachers like David Swenson, Gregor Maehle and Lino Miele to name just a few. When Kino MacGregors book was released I was curious to see how she would present the practice and more importantly if the content of her book would provide any new insights to this transformative practice. After reading the book I am impressed by the composition of the information. I really enjoyed how she presented the history and philosophy of the lineage before presenting the asana's. Although some eager practitioners will skip ahead and bypass these fundamental sections, I found her delivery of often dogmatic and confusing philosophical content to be easy to understand and to the point. These sections build up the foundation of the practice, especially for new students, in an easy to digest format allowing for interest to build organically for individuals. The portion on practice is beautifully presented with visual cues along with the written explanation for each posture in the Primary Series. MacGregor also took the time to give the distinct health benefits for each asana as well as "krama's" or short/modified versions so begginers can slowly and safely work up to the full version of each position. The last sections after the practice portion focus on the development of "flying" by giving tips and techniques to develop strength and ability for jump back's/throughs. I especially like the final section which gives the opening/closing chant (with its respective translation) and the correct vinyasa count, in sanskrit, for each asana which is what's I believe is what truly completes this guide. In my opinion, Kino MacGregor did an exceptional job. She packages the information that took her years of study to assimilate and wrappes it up nicely making it easy and enjoyable for all who have the opportunity to read this book. Every Ashtanga Yoga practitioner should have this one on thier night stand. Along with a qualified teacher, this book will enrich the yoga experience for anyone on the path to life transformation.

I've practiced Ashtanga since 2000, took a small break in 2008 and came back full swing in 2012. The first thing I did after I'd been practicing for a few months again was to drive to Chicago to study with Kino at Moksha Yoga. I was always someone who poo pooed anyone younger than me and thought how could they possibly know more than I do, and was amazed at myself that I was actually learning from this being who is almost a decade younger than I am and who had started practicing around the exact same time as me. But of course, she was approaching it differently than I was and from her own perspective. I'm still not sure what angle I was approaching it from lol. Just a couple weeks ago I received my book in the mail and the following weekend drove to Chicago again to study with this lovely young lady and this time she blew me away, moreso than last time. Its amazing to me how she juxtaposes the spiritual side of this particular asana practice with the extreme physicality of this practice and inspires and delights you into doing more, and more. The book and its narrative are no exception. From her insight into what each section of the practice is about to her insight on diet and even the elusive bandhas, that no one has ever given instruction on to my liking, until now that is, she takes you on a journey deep inside yourself so that you are ready to take a look at why you do this practice and to keep questioning yourself along the way, as we are ever evolving creatures, who are hopefully using this practice to navigate our way through life with as few chinks in our armor as possible. Beginners should buy this because it will show them there is so much more than just the extreme physicality, but how to use the marriage of the breath and the movement (along with the bandhas) to deepen their experience and take themselves to new realms. But also experienced practitioners like myself will benefit just as much because her take on Ashtanga is unique and completely inspired from the fact that she's dived deep into herself through this practice. It shows the vulnerability and the strength that one can achieve through the sustained practice of the Ashtanga Yoga method. We should all applaud this effort, and of course, purchase it!

When I stumbled onto Kino MacGregor's YouTube channel, I watched a lot of her content. She's bright, communicates well and teaches clearly both simple and complex concepts and poses. I read more about her and found this book, and thought it would be helpful to me as a new yoga practitioner, even though I don't practice Ashtanga style. It has certainly been helpful. The book contains two parts. The first is theory and story, and I was immediately impressed with how well it is written. From the history of yoga through Kino's personal discovery of it, discussion on diet and spirituality, her work is encouraging and respectful both of her reader and the tradition. The second is practice, with photos and descriptions that illustrate the Primary Series of Ashtanga. It is certainly helpful to a beginner, and I believe it would be helpful to more advanced practitioners as well. This book is by far the best on the subject on my small but growing yoga shelf.

The title says it all. The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. Kino has always said that ashtanga made her tap into her inner power, and power is what this book is all about. Kino has also stated that she was quite flexible from the onset, so extremely stiff people -like yours truly- will find less insights on flexibility than on power, but still this book is amazing for its combination of philosophy, detailed practical advice, dietary points and many-many-MANY other gems of ashtanga wisdom. It is also extremely reader-friendly. In a word, one of the best ashtanga practice manuals available.

Kino MacGregor is one of my all-time greatest role models. I love this book. It is well written and thoroughly informative for folks just getting into the spiritual and lifestyle aspects of yoga, in addition to the physical practice of yoga/asanas. I will say that I find the need to read the intro sections a few times because there is so much to remember and learn. I also find that there are a few crucial details that are lacking in the practice section of the book. I will list the gaps below for anyone interested in a more thorough review. Gaps: Opening and closing mantra: I would have to double check, but I don't recall anywhere in the book mentioning that there is an opening and a closing mantra located in the appendices that should be said out loud before and after every practice. It took me weeks to realize there was a closing mantra on the back page of the opening, so I had been reciting the opening mantra before and after the practice up until then. Breaths: The appendices have a breath rundown for each series. However, because it does not also depict the poses, it can be very confusing to follow. I had errors in my practice for several weeks because I misunderstood these instructions. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND subscribing to her website, OMStars, or her videos can also be accessed on Alo Moves/Cody App. It is worth watching her videos on each series to get a hang of the breaths and form pointers. Closing Postures: I don't recall ever seeing that closing postures should be practiced after every practice, regardless of whether you have progressed from the first series or not. There is a section on closing postures, most of which are completely inaccessible to the newer practitioner. Some of these poses will take years for most people. That said, I must again encourage you to subscribe to OMStars because there is a video on there where she shows you WHICH closing postures to use after your practice. It is different depending on how far along you are. Mastery: She mentions in this book that practictoomers should seek out an in-person teacher as early as possible. Unfortunately, there isn't a teacher within 60 miles of me ad Ashtanga is best practiced early in the morning, so... Regardless, here are the gaps I've noticed so far. A critical part of the practice of Ashtanga yoga is mastery of one set of poses before moving to the next. However, there is very little guidance on what that means. For example, I am working on it daily, but admit that I may never be able to do full Chaturanga. I am larger than the average yogi, and while I do not feel any less at home with yoga for it, I do feel that, for a yogi who regularly promotes the ethos that YOGA IS FOR EVERYBODY AND EVERY BODY, she does not indicate if being able to perform each pose to its most advanced degree is the definition of mastery, or if master simply means knowing and being comfortable in the motions and poses, while keeping the gaze and breath appropriately placed is the defining factor. I haven't really found an answer for this, but I know that I am capable of more than sun salutations, so after two months of practicing nothing but that and still not being able to do full Chaturanga with extra strength work later in the day, I moved to the second set of sun salutations, and plan to progress past that even if Chaturanga is still not accessible to me when I can make it through the full set without extra breaths and no mistakes/skipped transitions or poses.

Like many Ashtanga practitioners, June 4th, 2013 was a special day. Kino MacGregor's book, "The Power of Ashtanga Yoga" was released and for many of us, delivered to our doorstep that afternoon. There are many books on Ashtanga available to the public, notably by David Swenson, Gregor Maehle, and the recently released Astanga Yoga Anusthana by Boss-Man himself, Sharath Jois. Kino's detailed primer on the practice will certainly be praised and heralded with the group mentioned above. Quite frankly, the level of depth and detail blew me away. If you were expecting a thin, casual walk-through of the practice, you will be thrilled that it is the exact opposite and similar in richness and depth as Maehle's book. Guruji always taught his teachers, "to teach the way I have taught you." And although books will never replace the authenticity of parampara (lineage) of an authorized teacher, they play a valuable role for both the shala and home-practioner, filling in gaps in both practice and theory. Each book is a representation of how they have learned the practice from Guruji. I find this aspect fascinating. The first few chapters are rich in theory: the background of tristhana, the Ashtanga yogic diet and the spiritual journey of the asana. The middle portion focuses on the practice by breaking down each section from sun salutations to standing, sitting, back-bending (including drop backs) and finishing poses with modifications explained when appropriate. The final section focuses on mantras and a pictorial of the entire primary series. This book is highly recommended. You can feel the enthusiasm and passion she has for the practice throughout each page. Many thanks, Kino!

The book is written in great depth. The author's mastery of the subject of Ashtanga Yoga, is evident as one reads the pages of this book. Part One deals with Theory and Part Two with the Practice. There is sound advice given at each stage. There is a sequence of photos for the Surya Namskara A and B, given on pages 59 & 60, which helps the beginner. Many photos of various asanas are given throughout. Appendix B is also useful. It lists all the poses with summary for each.

Très bon livre pour découvrir ou progresser dans la pratique de l'ashtanga. La partie théorie est une belle source d'inspiration et de motivation, les photos sont impressionnantes et présentent un idéal à atteindre (dommage qu'elles soient en noir et blanc). On a parfois un peu de mal à se représenter la dynamique des postures tellement les indications sont détaillées mais en pratiquant une ou deux fois avec des videos disponibles sur youtube, ça devient vite clair. Kino McGregor nous fait partager sa passion et nous livre tout un tas de conseils et d'explications pour vivre le yoga au quotidien et découvrir la part de divin en nous!

A follower of her yoga series on Insta and YouTube, this is a good reference book. She explains how to get into a posture very well

Unbelievable resource for anyone practicing yoga. Well written accessible, responsible and meaningful. If there Is one book you will refer to as a standard and come back to this book is it. This book is life changing. The detail of the poses are described and attainable. Nice work Kino :-)

The author was a student of the founder of Ashtanga Yoga, and she makes this complex discipline accessible for all. She adds in other information around the discipline and her book could be followed to become an ashtanga yogui. It is the book I reference to to teach. 10/10

Obwohl ich ein sehr großer Fan von Kino MacGregor bin, habe ich mich dennoch gefragt: braucht die Welt noch ein neues Buch über die Ashtang Primary Series? Letztendlich sind es ja schließlich immer die gleichen Asanas und es gibt viele gute Bücher von David Swenson, Gregor Maehle, Tara Fraser oder John Scott. Die Antwort ist jedoch ein eindeutiges "Ja" - ich bin wirklich selbst davon überrascht, wie gut Kinos Buch letztendlich geworden ist. Wer Kino Macgregor von ihren Youtube Videos, Workshops, Podcasts oder Blogs kennt, weiß dass sie eine absoluter Profi auf dem Gebiet des Ashtanga Yoga ist und damit meine ich nicht nur ihre beeindruckenden körperlichen Leistungen innerhalb der vierten Ashtanga Serie. Kino steht für Wissen und praktische Tips und an beiden hat sie zum Glück auch nicht in ihrem Buch gespart. Los geht es mit "Getting Started with Ashtanga Yoga History and Tradition", ein Kapitel welches über die Herkünfte von Yoga generell, Ashtanga Yoga und Pattabhi Jois spricht. Ebenso erklärt werden grundlegende Begriffe der Yoga Philosophie wie Samskaras, Tappas, etc. Da darauf folgende Kapitel "Heart of the method: Breath, Pose and Gaze" erklärt eben die drei fundamentalen Begriffe des Ashtanga Yoga. Es wird erklärt warum man auf bestimmte Punkte schaut, welchen Effekt das Starren während den Asanas hat, warum der Ujjayi Breath so viel Hitze aufbaut, warum wir Vinyasas machen und warum alle drei zusammen Veränderungen auf körperlicher, emotionaler und spiritueller Ebene hervor rufen könnten. Das dritte Kapitel beschäftigt sich eingehend mit der "Ashtanga Yoga Diet", sprich einer einfachen vegetarischen Ernährungsweise mit ayurvedischen Einflüssen. Wen das abschreckt, dem sei versichert: es ist kein bloßes Bekehrungskapitel, vielmehr geht es auf grundlegende ayurvedische und yogische Prinzipien ein soll einen nur dazu anregen nachzudenken. Nichts Dramatisches also ;-) Das letzte Einführungskapitel "The Spiritual Journey Of Asana" beschäftigt sich noch einmal mit der tieferliegenden Dimension der Yoga Asanas und diskutiert was Yoga von normalem "Sport" unterscheidet. Der Hauptteil des Buches bildet natürlich der Praxisteil, der sich mit jeder einzelnen Stellung der Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series befasst. Wer Kino MacGregors Videos oder DVDs oder Workshops kennt weiß, dass sie wirklich praktische Tips liefern kann, die einen tiefer in die Asanas führen. So auch hier: zu jedem Asana gibt es mindestens ein Foto, oft sind es aber mehrere, welche entweder Modifikationen oder das Hinein und Hinauskommen aus dem Asana darstellen. Geschrieben daneben sind detailierte Schritt für Schritt Erklärungen, wie man sich die Asanas am Besten vornimmt. Ebenso aufgelistet wird die Wirkung jeder einzelnen Stellen auf körperlicher, energetischer und spiritueller Ebene. Ich kann wirklich sagen, dass in diesen Teil so viel Wissen hineingepackt wurde, dass es unmöglich ist, alles auf einmal zu erfassen. Ich werde auf jeden Fall öfters Kinos Anleitungen durchlesen, um meine Asana Praxis zu verbessern und zu verfeinern. Letztes Kapitel des Buches ist "Strength: The True Power of Yoga" - dieses befasst sich mit den wichtigsten Komponenten, die Stärke erfordern. Die Bandhas werden beispielsweise erklärt und es gibt hilfreiche Anleitungen und Tipps für die Jump Backs und Jump Throughs, sowie Chakrasana. Im sog. "Appendix" werden dann noch aufgelistet: Die Ashtanga Yoga Mantras, der genaue Sanskrit Vinyasa Count für die Asanas, sowie die komplette Primary Series in Bildern in einer Übersicht. Fazit: Für mich persönlich ein perfektes Ashtanga Yoga Buch. Ich liebe David Swensons Manuel und auch Tara Frasers Ashtanga Buch, aber Kino gibt hier wirklich alles - ihre Einführungskapitel umfassen (auf grundlegender Ebene natürlich) alles, was man über Ashtanga Yoga wissen muss, und der Praxisteil ist ein fantastisches Sammelsurium an Tipps, Kniffen und Hilfen, um auch noch das Letzte aus Ashtanga heraus zu holen. Nachteile gibt es eigentlich keine - ich hätte vllt noch eine Short Form wie in David Swensons Buch oder farbige Fotos gut gefunden, aber das ist wirklich Meckern auf hohem Niveau. Wer also ein wirklich fantastisches Ashtanga Buch für Neueinsteiger (die aber natürlich einen Lehrer suchen sollten) oder auch erfahrene Yogis sucht, sollte unbedingt zugreifen!