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The Wisdom Of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide To Extraordinary Living
by
Stephen Cope
For modern spiritual seekers and yoga students alike, here is an irreverent yet profound guide to the most sophisticated teachings of the yoga wisdom tradition–now brought to contemporary life by a celebrated author, psychotherapist, and leading American yoga instructor.
While many Westerners still think of yoga as an invigorating series of postures and breathing exercises,...more
While many Westerners still think of yoga as an invigorating series of postures and breathing exercises,...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
May 29th 2007
by Bantam
(first published 2006)
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This is the 1st book i've read about yoga and its deeper purpose. As an atheist, I am intrinsically weary of self-help and spiritual books but I am also deeply in love with yoga so I thought I'd give this book a go since I've heard great things about it. There was a lot of amazing insight in it for me, and I really like how he talks about the fact that scientists have studied what happens in our brains when we meditate and practice yogic physical and mental movements. That part of it speaks t...more
There was a lot of meat on this bone. I have been practicing yoga for about eight months, and as I become more familiar with the physical aspects of yoga, I find myself more interested in the mental side as well. So there is a pull factor involved in exploring the wisdom of yoga. There is also a push factor, in that I am increasingly uneasy about my relationship with my church. There have been a lot of changes within the Catholic Church - new pope, new archbishop, new pastor - none of which ...more
I just realized that I rarely write reviews for the books that really, really affect me, like this one. It almost seems impossible to capture what I got from the book in a few measly paragraphs, but I suppose I should give it a try.
Both The Wisdom of Yoga and Cope's earlier book, Yoga and the Quest for the True Self were life changing for me, and unlike other texts on yogic philosophy that I've read, they aren't dry and scholarly; rather, they read almost like a novel, as Cope weave...more
Both The Wisdom of Yoga and Cope's earlier book, Yoga and the Quest for the True Self were life changing for me, and unlike other texts on yogic philosophy that I've read, they aren't dry and scholarly; rather, they read almost like a novel, as Cope weave...more
Stephen Cope is a psychotherapist and a longtime Kripalu Yoga teacher. In this book he integrates the Buddha’s insight of suffering into the daily lives of a series of friends who are fellow yoga practitioners. He provides a thorough teaching on the overlap of Patanjali’s yoga sutras with Theravada Buddhism, while respecting both traditions. The book provides a feel for how you might start to incorporate mindfulness in your own daily life.
One of the best books on yoga I have read. A concise and intrigueing look at the philosophy, psychology, and real life application of the yogic lifestyle as a whole. Using real life characters with situations, personalities, and dilemmas the reader can relate to, the author makes an amazing case for the transformative, enlightening, and healing powers of a life dedicated to yoga, body, mind, and soul.
Colleen
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Yoga teachers and students, spiritual seekers
Recommended to Colleen by:
Jamie Reckers
I read this book for my Yoga Book Club here in Portland. As a yoga teacher, I really enjoyed how author Stephen Cope wove the Yoga Sutras throughout the book, making them less esoteric and more accessible than I've experienced in the past. He touches on psychology, neurology, and Buddhist philosophy as well as dozens of years of yoga scholarship to describe the yogic path to wisdom.
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras interpreted through the lives of four men and women at Kripalu yoga center in Massachusetts. This was the first "yoga" book I've read, and nothing has compared since. I never expected a discussion of a classic Hindu text to be so engrossing.
A deeper study of yogic philosophy but still extremely accessible for the modern reader. This was written before "Yoga and the Quest for the True Self", but I think they should be read in reverse chronological order.
At first, I found this book's conceit - framing yogic philosophy with the stories of archetypal (...k, kind of stereotypical) characters - a little annoying. But as I read I got into it as a great way to ground and personalize these obscure ancient texts. Cope has managed to make the lessons of the yoga sutras both highly, broadly spiritual and totally practical.
An amazing book. The roots of yoga are described and the stories of several current seekers are followed. The book has a relaxed, conversational tone, making the complex topic easier to understand.
I want to reread this book again in a year or so. Too much to take in on one reading. It will be interesting to see what comes to light after a year of practicing yoga and meditation.
This book make me want to go live at Kripalu in Massachusetts for a summer....or more. Four friends and their yoga journeys. Not at all what I expected from this book.
GREAT SO FAR! Makes some of the spirituality that I am craving much more attainable compared to reading the Sutras by themselves.
I started this book a few days ago and have not been able to put it down. It is helping me deepen my understanding of meditation and other contemplative practices. I already know I'll be giving it 5 stars and I highly recommend it. It reads like a novel and is very insightful.
Cope's way of using stories to teach select sections of the Yoga Sutra really helped me to attach new learning to something familiar. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on ideas taught in the book and think I will reread it before long in order to absorb even more of its wisdom.
Stephen Cope is a psychologist turned yoga teacher and looks at yoga through the viewpoint of the shrink's couch. It's not the way I look at yoga but gives me a wonderful insight into another of the many threads of the yoga journey.
This time Cope takes the inscrutible Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as his basis and shows how the wisdom of the ancients helps us with modern day problems.
Tough going in places but beautifully written and worth the effort.
This time Cope takes the inscrutible Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as his basis and shows how the wisdom of the ancients helps us with modern day problems.
Tough going in places but beautifully written and worth the effort.
I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it took me forever and a day to get through it. It is written in the style of a novel which makes it a fairly easy read for those who are not 100% familiar with yoga philosophy. There are a few sections that are a bit too technical at times, but it balances out with the rest of the book. Anyone interested in more than just the physical side of yoga may enjoy this...I definitely reccommend it.
yoga teacher training required reading
I love Stephen Cope's storytelling. Applying the Yoga Sutras to real, modern lives is a very effective way to teach them. A lot of this book is still very intangible and presented in a rather dry, academic, theoretical way. Such are the sutras, I guess...elusive. A valiant attempt, and probably the most accessible presentation of the sutras I've found thus far.
I love Stephen Cope's storytelling. Applying the Yoga Sutras to real, modern lives is a very effective way to teach them. A lot of this book is still very intangible and presented in a rather dry, academic, theoretical way. Such are the sutras, I guess...elusive. A valiant attempt, and probably the most accessible presentation of the sutras I've found thus far.
When I started delving into the "real path" of ancient philosophy, starting with Socrates, I was, to say the least, intrigued. The intrigue has now carried over to the wisdom of ancient yogis, and the parallels between their discoveries, and the teachings of Socrates/ Plato. The mind can truly transform a life from within, and Cope makes this point succinctly and clearly. Great book.
I liked it although it wasn't quite as deep as I would have liked. Apparently, what I like is not what publishers want to put into print. Oh well. For more:
http://satia.blogspot.com/2010/06/wisdom...
http://satia.blogspot.com/2010/06/wisdom...
Oh geez. Another book about the link between yoga and consciousness. Cope takes an interesting approach by describing "case studies" of 4 yoga students and their various yogic life quests. This is an enjoyable, easily-digested book. Can be slightly yuppie at its worst, but provides a modern look at an ancient practice.
Love this book so much! 10 outta 5!
A good beginners book to the meditative aspects of yoga. It doesn't have the harmonizing effects of some teachers, like Adyashanti. But those kinds of works can be hard for those who haven't been studying enlightenment for long. Easily accessible.
this is a great book by one of my favorite teachers, Stephen Cope. It is an analysis of Patanjali's yoga sutras put in a modern context. Smart, engaging, and funny, I think Stephen brings the world of academia and yoga together here artfully.
This is one I'll need to reread as my yoga/meditation practice improves, as I'm sure a lot of it was beyond my current level of understanding. It explains yoga as life, through the experiences and stories of a few good friends.
this is a good one if you're into this kind of thing. i'm currently taking a yoga teacher training course, and i think it does a great job of explaining different yoga practices and techniques.
This book is just what I need to be reading right now. The "case studies" are helpful for illustrating points, but Cope sometimes veers into getting too technical and hard to keep up with.
Western psychologist and yogi Stephen Cope uses the experiences of his group of meditating yogi friends to explore the ancient writings of Pantanjali. It's an entertaining and insightful book.
This book reads like a novel, but makes accessible the complicated ideas of the Yoga Sutra. I ripped through it in just a few days, and will definitely return to it before long.
As a newer student to the practice of yoga, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It was really well written and a great introduction to texts involving the subject of yoga.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can a Christian find truth in the wisdom of Yoga? | 2 | 14 | Dec 18, 2009 09:46am |
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“Quoting from Thomas Merton
Dialogues With Silence
The true contemplative is not one who prepares his mind for a particular message that he wants or expects to hear, but is one who remains empty because he knows that he can never expect to anticipate the words that will transform his darkness into light. He does not even anticipate a special kind of transformation. He does not demand light instead of darkness. He waits on the Word of God in silence, and, when he is answered it is not so much by a word that bursts into his silence. It is by his silence itself, suddenly, inexplicably revealing itself to him as a word of great power, full of the voice of God. (17)”
—
4 people liked it
Dialogues With Silence
The true contemplative is not one who prepares his mind for a particular message that he wants or expects to hear, but is one who remains empty because he knows that he can never expect to anticipate the words that will transform his darkness into light. He does not even anticipate a special kind of transformation. He does not demand light instead of darkness. He waits on the Word of God in silence, and, when he is answered it is not so much by a word that bursts into his silence. It is by his silence itself, suddenly, inexplicably revealing itself to him as a word of great power, full of the voice of God. (17)”
“Quoting from Phillip Moffitt
Will Yoga and Meditation Really Change My Life?
The most profound change I’m aware of just now is a growing realization that life is not personal. This may seem a surprising or even strange view to those unfamiliar with Eastern spirituality, but it has powerful implications. It’s very freeing to see that events in my life are arising because of circumstances in which I am not involved, but that I’m not at the center of them in any particular way. They’re impersonal. They’re arising because of causes and conditions. They are not “me.” There is a profound freedom in this. It makes life much more peaceful and harmonious because I’m not in reaction to events all the time. (134)”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
Will Yoga and Meditation Really Change My Life?
The most profound change I’m aware of just now is a growing realization that life is not personal. This may seem a surprising or even strange view to those unfamiliar with Eastern spirituality, but it has powerful implications. It’s very freeing to see that events in my life are arising because of circumstances in which I am not involved, but that I’m not at the center of them in any particular way. They’re impersonal. They’re arising because of causes and conditions. They are not “me.” There is a profound freedom in this. It makes life much more peaceful and harmonious because I’m not in reaction to events all the time. (134)”
