Martin Kirk - Hatha Yoga Illustrated

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kirk, Martin.
Hatha yoga illustrated / Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon; photography by Daniel DiTuro.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7360-6203-3 (soft cover)
1. Yoga, Hatha. I. Boon, Brooke. II.

Title.
RA781.7.K548 2006
613.7046--dc22 2005011231 ISBN-10: 0-7360-6203-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-6203-9 Copyright 2006, 2004 by Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon, and Daniel DiTuro All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Photographs copyright 2002-2003 Daniel DiTuro, all rights reserved. The reproduction of any photograph, in whole or in part, by any means now known or hereafter invented is forbidden without the written consent of the copyright holder. The Web addresses cited in this text were current as of July 14, 2005, unless otherwise noted. Acquisitions Editor: Martin Barnard; Developmental Editor: Julie Rhoda; Assistant Editors: Carla Zych, Alisha Jeddeloh, Wendy McLaughlin; Copyeditor: Lisa Morgan; Proofreader:Pam Johnson; Graphic Designer: Robert Reuther; Graphic Artist: Tara Welsch; Photo Manager: Dan Wendt; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photographer (cover and interior): Daniel DiTuro; Art Manager: Kareema McLendon; Illustrator: concept by Nora and Ted Czukor, redrawn by Kareema McLendon-Foster Human Kinetics books are available at special discounts for bulk purchase. Acquisitions Editor: Martin Barnard; Developmental Editor: Julie Rhoda; Assistant Editors: Carla Zych, Alisha Jeddeloh, Wendy McLaughlin; Copyeditor: Lisa Morgan; Proofreader:Pam Johnson; Graphic Designer: Robert Reuther; Graphic Artist: Tara Welsch; Photo Manager: Dan Wendt; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photographer (cover and interior): Daniel DiTuro; Art Manager: Kareema McLendon; Illustrator: concept by Nora and Ted Czukor, redrawn by Kareema McLendon-Foster Human Kinetics books are available at special discounts for bulk purchase.

Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager at Human Kinetics. Printed in Hong Kong 10 9 8 7 6 5 Human Kinetics
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e-mail: To my wife, Jordan Kirk and my son Jonathan,
and to my teachers Karen Wilson and Douglas Brooks
Martin Kirk For my husband, Jarrett, and my beautiful children,
Jory, Jace, and Brynn
Brooke Boon To Brenda and Brandy
Daniel DiTuro Contents Preface A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Chinese proverb Similarly, the journey to write and illustrate this book began with a single photograph shot in February 1999.

Like many events in life, it was unplanned. I had been practicing hatha yoga for about six months and was already sold on its therapeutic benefits. When the model I was photographing sat cross-legged on the floor and arranged her flowing dress around her, I asked her to place her hands in Namaste (prayer position) and close her eyes. I titled the photograph Namaste. It is still one of my favorite photographs from what would eventually evolve into The Yoga Project, a photographic work with a mission to inspire and enlighten people about the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of yoga. As my journey of yoga continued, I was surprised and disturbed by the many misconceptions people had about this ancient East Indian philosophy.

Many of my friends mistakenly believed it was a religion and insisted they would never practice yoga because it would interfere with their religious beliefs. Many male friends insisted that guys dont do yoga. I shared my yoga photographs with them, illustrating the true nature of the yoga practice, emphasizing that yoga is not aligned with a specific religious practice but that it is inclusive of all people. Some were amazed, others were intrigued, and yet others remained skeptical. It became clear to me then that much more needed to be done to educate people about the real mental and physical benefits of yogaespecially hatha yoga, the practice of physical yoga postures. Although hatha yoga is a small branch of all the yoga practices, it has become the Yoga Projects main emphasis due to its popularity in the West.

Additionally, the Yoga Project works to inform and educate people about meditation and pranayama. Hatha yoga can calm the mind, provide a gentle workout, or make you sweat. It can reduce your heart rate when you are stressed or elevate it by providing a vigorous workout. Many refer to it as a New Age practice, yet its origin dates back thousands of years. Whether you are new to the practice of hatha yoga, or simply curious about it, this book provides practical, detailed information you can use throughout your daily life and in your yoga practice. illustrates 11 hatha yoga routines ranging from a very gentle routine, consisting primarily of supported postures, to more vigorous vinyasa (flow) yoga, including the Sun and Moon Salutations, in which you proceed from one posture to the next with little or no rest.

There are many schools of hatha yoga. Each school offers something unique. Unlike many other forms of physical activity and spiritual practice there is a level and style of hatha yoga for almost everyone. Authors Martin Kirk and Brooke Boon are both certified instructors in alignment-based yoga and the Baptiste Power Yoga school, respectively. Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language in which the original yoga texts were written, is used throughout this book. If you are new to yoga, do not be intimidated by the Sanskrit words.

As your journey to yoga progresses, learning some of the Sanskrit terms and posture names will enhance the journey and not impede it. If the only Sanskrit words you ever learn are asana (posture) and Namaste (the light in me honors the light in you) you will have taken one of the steps on your yoga journey. Namaste,
Daniel DiTuro Acknowledgments I would like to thank God for the gift of yoga. I have been blessed with a passion for teaching and am so grateful for the ability to share that passion through works such as these. I am always amazed at how we are used in our lives if we surrender what we think we should be to the Creator and Perfector of all things. Only then are we free to become exactly what we were created to be; big, bright, purposeful, relevant beings.