Weiser Concise Guide to Yoga for Magick: Build Physical and Mental Strength for Your Practice »

Spiritual power demands physical health and the contemporary Western practitioner can learn much from the ancient tradition of yoga. Yoga, meaning "union," is a multi-dimensional discipline designed to help the individual attain health, serenity, focus, and, ultimately, union with the Divine. In the words of one master, Aleister Crowley, "Magick is a Pyramid built layer by layer. The work of the Body of Light-with the technique of Yoga, is the foundation of the whole."

This succinct and uniquely helpful book explores the often-overlooked importance of bringing and maintaining a healthy body and a clear thinking mind to the practice of ceremonial magick or witchcraft. While many books on magick discuss the importance of ritual, few focus on the physical, spiritual, and moral qualities necessary to make those rituals effective.

"The physical body is the living temple of the Holy Spirit. A person who can't sit in one position with comfort and quiet, who can't breathe with evenness and regularity, who can't temporarily still the mind of its many warring thoughts, who can't channel powerful energies through the body because of ill health-will be hard-pressed to spiritually advance. This book will teach you do to every one of these things and more."

Acknowledgments     9
Introduction   James Wasserman     11
Overview     17
Yoga in Theory
The Origins of Yoga     23
Yoga as a Physical Discipline     27
Chakras: The Wheels of Light     39
Yoga in Practice
Yama and Niyama     55
Asana     61
Pranayama     69
Mantra Yoga     75
Pratyhara     83
Samyama: Advanced Yoga Practices     89
The Middle Pillar     103
Solar Workings     109
Salutations to the Sun     110
Liber Resh vel Helios     115
Yoga Glossary     117
Notes     123
Bibliography     125