If you cannot attend yoga classes, want to supplement what you learn in classes, or simply prefer to teach yourself at home, then this is the book for you The essence of yoga is in the details, and this book covers them all -- not just each of the postures, but their variants, their duration, and the correct method of breathing as well.Van Lysebeth, with over 50 years experience as a yoga instructor, describes more than 200 exercises and postures, using over 100 photographs and numerous illustrations that show both the right way and the wrong way to perform them. Unlike other yoga books which show only completed postures, these illustrations show the intermediate steps for attaining the final postures. Van Lysebeth describes yoga breathing in detail, and explains the benefits and effects of each exercise. As a complete instruction in the practice of yoga, he also covers the mental and spiritual aspects, and discusses the basic principles of a healthy diet. For beginning students, this classic book is a perfect introduction to yoga; for more advanced students, it will prove a valuable resource.