Yoga of the Subtle Body ─ A Guide to the Physical and Energetic Anatomy of Yoga

With his expert teachings, philosophical insights, and pragmatic imagery, world-class yoga instructor Tias Little turns the anatomy of the physical body into a tool for navigating the subtle body.

Yoga of the Subtle Body unites practical somatic concepts and wisdom teachings in this guide to the anatomy of the physical, mental, emotional, and subtle bodies. Tias Little is a master teacher, and he brings his precise instruction to the wisdom teachings and philosophy of hatha yoga. He offers us a guided tour of the body's structure and physical anatomy, then uses this new structural awareness as grounds for exploring the subtle body. In a meaningful and pragmatic way, the book maps the connection between the body and the rich symbolism that pervades the yogic imagination, including the chakras, nadis, and koshas. We come to see how the (yoga) body cannot be seen apart from the psycho-spiritual forces that animate it. Further, Tias offers readers clear, illuminated instruction for yoga, pranayama, and meditation techniques that apply these body-mind principles. This book is essential reading for all serious students and teachers of yoga.

Each chapter focuses on one of the eight key energetic/anatomy centers of the body: feet/base, pelvis, sacrum, belly, diaphragm, heart/lungs, throat, and crown. The book is organized literally from the ground up, and figuratively from physically basic to conceptual/subtle. Each chapter has a list of poses for activating and applying the lessons, guided meditations, and excerpts from yogic texts. These practical exercises allow readers to immediately integrate the chapter's lessons into their practice.

TIAS LITTLE began practicing yoga in 1985 and has been teaching workshops and trainings around the world since 1997. One of the foremost instructors in North America, he offers intensives at all major yoga conferences and institutes, including the Yoga Journal conferences, Kripalu, Esalen, and Omega Institute. He is the founder of Prajna Yoga School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he hosts retreats, workshops, and teacher-training programs year round. He has published articles in Yoga Journal, Yoga International, LA Yoga, Yoga Chicago, and Ascent magazine and is a regular contributor to online yoga sites such as Elephant Journal in Boulder and Yoga Modern in Dallas.