I wish that writer Victoria Klein’s new yoga book was published when I started my first teacher training. Although the guide (now on a “blog book tour”) is intended for beginners, a read through “27 Things to Know about Yoga” shed light on a few components and Sanskrit pronunciations that were most confusing when I started studying. With her straightforward style, we learn that “a scholar named Patanjali wrote the first inclusive guide on [yogic concepts], titled the Yoga Sutras,” in a humble tone that can be rare when it comes to books on the subject. Klein, a former Yoga Tree instructor locally, covers how to keep class costs down; the fact that yoga is a spiritual and mental practice, not a religion; and why practitioners shouldn’t push themselves to pain.
I’m a big fan of her description of different types of yoga, including selfless service (which includes a mention of the Art of Yoga Project, the Bay Area-based group that takes yoga into juvenile detention facilities) and Bhakti, the path of devotion. “Whether you believe in God, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, someone else, or no one at all, everyone can practice bhakti…the key element is a deep, unwavering emotional connection to our version of the divine.” Lovely put.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Emily – and for being a part of my Blog Book Tour!
Note: I wasn’t an instructor at Yoga Tree – I managed the front desk at the Stanyan & Castro locations.