In short, Yoga Lessons is so, so much more than you might think. If you’re looking for a few simple steps, such as how to pose in downward dog or what stretches will increase daily energy, this is not the app for you. This is not beginner’s yoga; this is yoga as a way of life. Here, exercise is just one of many aspects that lead to yoga as the ultimate answer. This app is like reading a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps and watching the movie Yes Man at the same time. After reading this app — which is a straight-up 115-page book — you’ll probably want to travel to India to practice yoga, or at least become one with your Zen self from the convenience of your own home.
The book offers 12 easy and interesting lessons on yoga. These lessons include the yogic diet, concentration, meditation, and the stumbling blocks you may face but must conquer. Yoga Lessons offers quite a set of rules to live by: Abstain from greed, eradicate selfishness, utilize reflection, and exercise will power. Those rules are hard to argue with, though there is also a religious propaganda element to this app: God comes up a lot; self-surrender to God is definitely in there. And on an utmost practical level, it’s kind of hard to read an entire book on an iPhone screen. But if you’re looking to learn the lotus or peacock pose and gain a little positive thinking (I know what I’m reading on my next bad day), Yoga Lessons is a bargain at 99 cents.
