“There’s another reason why we breathe with out-breaths first, and then in-breaths. The first breath we ever took, as we came ouf of our mother’s womb, was an in-breath. And the last breath that people take, lying on their deathbed, is an out-breath. Yoga, as it was meant to be by the ancient masters of India and Tibet, is a protest against this normal way of things. We don’t need to get old the way we do, they say. We were meant for life and not for death. Let the last breath come out first and then let us breathe in – let us live. Let the inner winds flow free into the central channel, and sing there always.” (page 30-31)

I spotted this little book at a local yoga studio and decided to check it out at the library. It’s a straightforward book of yoga – it offers step-by-step instruction for a simple, gentle yoga practice. The postures and the techniques in the book are not very difficult – any beginning yoga student can attempt them. The sequence of postures is different from many other ‘Tibetan’ practices I’m familiar with.

The book was written by a group of teachers – 31 in total – during the course of a three-year long retreat in the Arizone desert. The group included Tibetan scholars, monks, nuns and yoga specialists from various traditions (Astanga, Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram, Shivananda and others). The authors present postures that should be familiar to any student of yoga, along with a few new ones that are specific to Tibetan Heart Yoga. The book is written in a clear and simple way – understandable to just about anyone, regardless of yoga experience.

The practice in the book differs in that it is deeply meditative and offers specific opportunities for developing compassion and ‘giving’ during each posture. The techniques are based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of ‘Tonglen’ in which the meditator ‘breaths in’ negative emotions or states and ‘breath out’ positive ones in order to alleviate the suffering of other beings. I enjoyed this aspect of the book very much. With some adaption, I could use this technique in some of my classes.

The book and the practice is centered around ‘opening the heart.’ I found the instructions for backbends and spinal work clear and powerful. I’ve been searching for ways to better describe the technique and purpose of backbends and this book gave me some great ideas. I also liked the emphasis on working safely. Although alignment was not a focus in this book, elements of it came through clearly in the instruction.

The breath techniques in the book are different from typical yoga practice. Like the quote above describes, the out-breath is emphasized – a breath cycle starts with an exhalation. I’ve been experimenting with this in my own yoga practice and meditation and I like it. I find it helps me release a longer, less hurried exhalation.

My only complaint about this book is that it’s not long enough. I wish the authors had included enough material for a full hour of practice and more postures.