Reviews For Yoga Journal Magazine


Wonderful!

I purchased this magazine for my mother who is a yoga fanatic. She teaches it, breathes it, lives it, and found this gift a wonderful addition to her daily lessons. The tips and suggestions have been very insightful and beneficial! She has been very grateful!

Best Yoga Magazine

I went through a 200 hr yoga teacher training last year and the director of the program recommended this magazine if we wanted additional reading material. I had only read books about yoga, I had no idea there was a magazine. After picking up my first copy, i decided to subscribe - Here's why:

1) If you are learning to be a yoga teacher (of if you are even already an experienced one) I think this magazine gives you great insight into breaking down different poses; including benefits and contradictions, alignment, wonderful visuals, and best of all wonderful verbal cues and imagery about the pose that is helpful to a teacher to be able to use with their students. Many times, they also give you the prep work you would need to do if you or your student wasn't ready to do the actual pose shown. For example, last month featured one-legged downward dog, and the prep pose was doing it reclined, palms up against a wall with a block on the extended, raised foot. I never would have thought of that and what a great modification if someone had wrist issues. For me, these types of things are invaluable to teaching, as well as for helping me have insight in my own physical practice.
In addition to the one featured pose, they usually give you a different suggested home routine, with pictures and descriptions of the actions.

2)In additon to the physical practice information and tools, if you like to know more about the philosophy and psychology of yoga, this magazine gives you that, in an easily digestible format. For example, they may have an article on a Yoga Sutra quote, and break it down in such a way that relates to your everyday life by telling a personal story that reflects their interpretation. I love this! I have read the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and other scriptures on yogic philosophy, but I think having a "Living Yoga" section that shows you how these ancient writings apply to real modern day life, is somethign I can really think about and reflect on for a while (or until the next months article come out!)

3) Personal stories. each month they usually do a story on someone who has transformed their life with yoga, or who continues to do youga after overcoming an injury, etc. Very inspiring to read when you sometimes just don't feel like getting on your mat.

Now have read other reviews where people said the advertisements were a little much and it isn't the same yoga Journal they remeber from years past. I cannot compare Yoga Journal of old to now, since I only started subscribing to it last year, but as far as the advertisements, what magazine don't people complain about them? And besides, i don;t mind them in YJ because they look almost like beautiful art pictures with the models doing different yoga poses. I also look forward to seeing an ad for the yoga "toys", like Yoga Paws or Toe Sox, different types of clothes, mats, and other support accessories.

If you a yoga practioner and want to learn more, but not overwhelm yourself, or if you want to refresh your practice, I would strongly recommend subscribing to this magazine.

nice mag

'Yoga Journal' has been a good magazine over the years - glad to subscribe again.

A Source for Getting Your Feet Wet in Yoga!

Now, I don't know too much about the actual practice of Yoga, but I do know I love to attempt yoga as my main source of excersize. I go to Barnes and Noble quite often and am always looking for new sources of information. One day upon searching through the magazines I decided this looked like a good one.

Not knowing a lot about the actual forms of yoga, this book was a little confusing at first with all the yogi lingo, but other than that, it's a good start.

There are a few different sections that appear each month that I seriously look forward to: yoga news, trends, travel locations (OM page); the Body and Spirit section covers issues that which we have to deal with in this day and age, such as violence, resolutions, education, etc; an Athletic section covers more active ways to implement yoga and healthy activities into your life; Living Yoga, the section for the more experienced deals with others ideas and practices, a deeper look into the philosophy; The profile section is just that, and is usually beyond my grasp; Off the Couch is another interesting section that caters more to the ideas of how we interact with the world around us; Teacher to Teacher is a section introducing books, music, readings, etc. to learn more about yoga, as is the section Mixed media, dealing specifically with books, movies, and music; and Centering is about everyday people and their ways of yoga.

My favorite section in this book is the Asana section, which introduces a new asana, or yoga position, each time. My other favorite section is the Well Being section, which covers health, nutrition, and herbs. The Eating Wisely section, I would say, is probably the most informative however (due to an article in the may issue about milk).

I look forward to when this magazine comes out, and when it does I rush to Barnes and Noble, then go home to read in on the living room floor. I share information out of this with people at work, and the people I live with. Even though I'm still no expert at yoga, this magazine helps motivate me, and gives me wonderful ideas on how to start practicing. If you are an experienced yogi, or a beginner, I'd say it's a great magazine to read either way. Very informative in general, and it's not as bland as most other yoga magazines.

Recommended:
Yes

Recommended For: Anyone

Yoga, Meditation: A Time To Be One With Yourself

In this busy world, we almost don't take time to communicate with ourselves. We don't take time to reach into ourselves in order to feel good about your spiritual life. If there is some exploration that needs to be done, it should be our own exploration, the exploration of our mind to throw away bad habits, hatred and ill sentiments which can only destroy us from within. This is why this magazine is important to you.

Yoga Journal will help acquire great techniques that will ultimately build you from the inside out. You don't have anything to lose. All you have to win is a great mental health and physical condition. Reading Yoga will expose you to various meditation disciplines, both eastern and western.

I recommend it to you and your family. This could be a family affair!

Don't wait to get your next subscription. It is time that you invest into your soul for a great spiritual journey.


Recommended:
Yes

Great for all Levels

Yoga Journal is a great resource for yogis of all levels, from beginners to advanced. There are always informative and thought provoking articles about all aspects of yoga. Technical and commonly used Sanskrit terms are explained fully for all levels to easily comprehend, without being too geared towards the newbie.

The photographs of the asanas are always very well done and are helpful to make sure one is doing the posture correctly. There are usually recommendations for further reading also for anyone who wants more details on the asanas shown.

The listings in the back are helpful too for products and upcoming events, and there are some listings for Canada.


Recommended:
No

Yoga: Never Out Of Style

Yoga Journal arrives in my mailbox on an erratic schedule, but it's always worth the wait. I value its articles, information, instruction and asana demonstrations. All are presented in the calm and cool manner that should typlify true yogic practice.

YJ is one of two magazines I keep filed because its subject is always timely and relevant.

remember to breathe...

I am a beginning yoga student, having only started classes in January. However, I've found that for me it is the one form of exercise that I want to do on a regular basis. As I am becoming more serious about my yoga practice, I decided to check out Yoga Journal, in hopes of learning more about postures, resources, and general wellness.

I read the magazine from cover to cover with mixed feelings in the end. On one hand, I felt Yoga Journal is mainly geared toward the serious yoga student and teachers of yoga. There was a lot of unfamiliar terminology thrown about, and I felt lost and uninformed. To flip that over to the positive, however, reading the magazine helped to raise questions that I will ask my teacher at my next class. Another negative I felt was that there was significantly more advertising than useful articles; luckily, though, the ads were relevant to yoga and wellness, and not just random product placement.

On the positive side, I loved the inclusion of healthy recipes, articles on the connection between physical and emotional health, controversial personalities in the yoga world, and especially a special article geared just for beginners. The beginners article takes the reader through every single aspect of the posture being focused upon. I found this to be helpful, for sometimes in a large class, it is difficult for teachers to hit on every aspect, both physical and mental, of the posture. I also felt that the models used in demonstrating the postures were healthy and very fit. They were inspiring, real people, not reminders of inferiorities.

After reading my first issue of Yoga Journal, I wished that there was a greater focus on the beginning yoga student, but I did not feel discouraged. On the contrary, I was inspired to learn more and broaden my practice.


Recommended:
Yes

Just ok

I do not have much to say on it other than I really don't get excited to read it when a new copy comes in the mail. I just never really got into this one.

Rip off but...

Love this magazine, but the renewal was not as promise. I was charged more money.

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