the yoga scholar mark singleton notes that the book "has quasi-legendary status among contemporary <nowiki>[</nowiki>ashtanga vinyasa yoga<nowiki>]</nowiki> students of pattabhi jois [though] very few have actually seen it". he quotes the original introduction by v. subhramananya iyer, which called the book "a result of the many tests conducted under the special orders of the maharaja of mysore", in other words that the book "was intended to be, and in practice was, "experimental" (his italics)". singleton observes that the book called for the asanas to be held for long periods (3 to 15 minutes), arguing that the rapid sequences inherited by his pupil pattabhi jois were a special case, even then.