"The first time I saw Sharmila practicing yoga, I was amazed. Her ability to control her body with awe-inspiring precision was mysterious. Her quiet and powerful concentration makes her slowly evolving, rock solid shapes appear like sculpture. By uniting the rich heritage of dance, martial arts and yoga in an unforeseen way, Sharmila is guiding performance into new territory."--Karole Armitage.

The first book dedicated to the subject of Ashtanga yoga, pregnancy, birth and motherhood. This in-depth book offers the guidance, shared wisdom and practical advice that every student and teacher of Ashtanga yoga needs for the journey to motherhood and beyond. Covering many aspects of this transformative time in a woman's life, Yoga Sadhana for Mothers is an invaluable resource for anyone working with pregnant or postpartum yoga students. Includes: inspiring, first-hand stories of conception, pregnancy, birth and motherhood written by women practitioners of Ashtanga yoga from around the world, including some of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois's most long-standing students and influential teachers clear, illustrated guidelines on modifying the Ashtanga yoga primary series during pregnancy developed in collaboration with R. Sharath Jois, director of KPJAYI in Mysore, India warm, personal interviews with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois's daughter, Saraswathi Rangaswamy and his granddaughter Sharmila Mahesh, offering insight into family traditions passed down by Jois and his wife Amma practical guidance on postpartum recovery using Ayurvedic foods and therapeutic practices to aid healing beautiful photographs from the 1980s to the present day, documenting family life and the practice A heart-warming and indispensable companion for any practitioner of yoga who is hoping to become - or who already is - a mother.