Yoga Life: Habits, Poses, and Breathwork to Channel Joy Amidst the Chaos
by Brett Larkin
Balance, 2023, 281 pages
Yoga has always been my go-to exercise practice. I grew up in the 60's. My mom was into herbs, spirituality and the newest thing sweeping the country, which was yoga. At that time, her in-laws looked askance at her believing it to be some weird religion. But as we stretched and did our poses and practiced our breathwork, I was hooked. Eventually, yoga became an accepted health regime. But somehow, life got in the way of my practice. I turned around and years had passed without doing my poses. And with each passing year, life had gotten more and more hectic and chaotic.
Author Brett Larkin brings this book to show us how to overcome an overwhelmed and overscheduled life so that anyone can benefit from yoga. She uses the wisdom of yoga's original texts and shows us how to fit it into our real lives. It's so simple really and yet ingenious. Prepare ahead with a yoga tool-kit or a basket with all the things you might need, blanket, mat, bolsters or straps. Then find your space (surprise...it needn't be a room just a corner spot). Next find your online video or dvd to help you.
And don't paint yourself into a corner. The author states, "Yoga is not static or rigid. It's a living, breathing art form, exercise and philosophy. While yoga is rooted in ancient science, it's been evolving for millennia, and it's still evolving---through you and me. The most transformative yoga practice isn't a single style but a set of tools YOU design and adapt to your needs. The breathwork, poses, meditations, and habits you're about to discover will help you overcome real-life challenges, face confrontations with grace, and reveal your most authentic, joyful life." It isn't always about the poses either, as the author lets us know that on chaotic days when you just can't do it and you need some calm, she will show us the solution.
This was truly an adventure to read. She keeps you inspired and uplifted by showing you how easy it is to develop a personal practice that meets you not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. If you have been thinking about trying yoga or have done it in the past and fallen to the wayside, or even if you are practicing now, this book is well worth the read to begin a journey to transformation. I especially liked the chapter on easy meditation.
Brett, author and teacher, is well-known in the yoga community, and is the founder of Uplifted Yoga, an online yoga teacher training platform.
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