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enLIGHTened
Meet your new best yoga-and-healthy-eating friend in this smart, accessible, and funny memoir of dieting and discovery.
For years, Jessica struggled with fluctuating weight and bouts of
unhappiness. Like many of us, she found comfort in food and craved
cigarettes and self-confidence. Then one day Jessica took her first
yoga class in Katmandu. She lost 40 pounds and changed her...more
For years, Jessica struggled with fluctuating weight and bouts of
unhappiness. Like many of us, she found comfort in food and craved
cigarettes and self-confidence. Then one day Jessica took her first
yoga class in Katmandu. She lost 40 pounds and changed her...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
May 1st 2009
by Skyhorse Publishing
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Jul 10, 2009
Barb
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Barb by:
Sue Craigmile
Shelves:
self-help,
general-nonfiction
Offering much advice on how to lose weight, Jessica Berger Gross also spends a lot of time preaching up yoga and vegetarianism. She calls us, as a society, on many of our excuses for not losing weight. I got very hung up on her lack of contact with her family. I found it very difficult to take her advice for a 'healthy' life seriously because she made the decision to stop all contact with her parents. I cannot reconcile this decision with all the teachings from yoga, but especially the "Undistur...more
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This book is good for what it is: a light, fun introduction to yoga philosophy and a healthy lifestyle. The cover art is hideous--I'm sure its cartoonish curves are supposed to attract young women to the tome--but Bobby Clennell's illustrations are great. I've also read Neal Pollack's Stretch, another yoga memoir, and while Pollack's is a better introduction to yoga culture, Berger Gross's work is a better introduction to the yogic lifestyle.
Also, as far as diet books go, this one has minimal f...more
Also, as far as diet books go, this one has minimal f...more
I picked this book up as I have recently begun yoga class and as a rather "hefty" gal, I was hoping yoga would help me lose weight. This book is not only a great beginner guide to some of the philosophy and teachings of yoga but the author also includes some great recipes to try as well. I do want to stress that this book is specifically geared towards weight loss and so the seven teachings she covers are focused to that end goal. If you are looking for something that covers the sutras in a more...more
Adding the subtitle here since Goodreads always seems to omit them: "enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer"
An accessible memoir with a friendly and sweet tone that blends wisdom from the Yoga Sutras, commonsense nutrition and exercise advice, and personal anecdotes about Gross's struggle with her body. It's easily readable and easy to relate to her as a person. Plus, she includes recipes and good instructions for some foundational yoga poses.
Th...more
An accessible memoir with a friendly and sweet tone that blends wisdom from the Yoga Sutras, commonsense nutrition and exercise advice, and personal anecdotes about Gross's struggle with her body. It's easily readable and easy to relate to her as a person. Plus, she includes recipes and good instructions for some foundational yoga poses.
Th...more
This was much better than I thought it would be. The reviews on Amazon weren't always kind. I think the problem is when people who aren't into yoga read a book written by someone passionate about yoga, they don't "get" it, and they trash a book. That said, I love yoga, and I could understand this author's journey and how yoga changed her life.
If you like yoga, you will probably like this book. This is a memoir, not a "chick lit" fiction book. It takes courage to write a memoir and tell the not-...more
If you like yoga, you will probably like this book. This is a memoir, not a "chick lit" fiction book. It takes courage to write a memoir and tell the not-...more
I was completely wowed by this book. I stumbled upon it on Amazon, and since I had just recently discovered a love of Hot Yoga...I purchased the Kindle Version. Perhaps it was just at the right time for me, but this woman's story of personal transformation, both emotional and physical, was really moving to me. A lot of the "aha" moments she experienced were things that I too have just been discovering in my own life. This is not a "diet" book or a "how to do yoga" book but more of a story of thi...more
Motivation, yoga poses, inspirational quotes to start each chapter, and a great chili recipe. This is just a sampling of what this book has to offer. I recently finished reading enLIGHTened on my kindle and thoroughly enjoyed it. Jessica Berger Gross's colloquial writing style provides a way for the reader to really connect with the author. By the end, you'll feel like you've known her for years. Gross demonstrates how someone can take charge of life's journey, chart his or her own course, and o...more
Things I took away:
1. When eating- 1/2 full of food, 1/4 full of water, 1/4 air for space
2. Have a healthy staple meal you can make anytime
3. When you are digging in the fridge, think about what you might really need (a short walk outside, play with the dog, deep breathing, stretching...)
4. "Global livestock production is responsible for about 1/5 of all greenhouse gases- more than transportation...Another way to put it is that eating a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivilent...more
1. When eating- 1/2 full of food, 1/4 full of water, 1/4 air for space
2. Have a healthy staple meal you can make anytime
3. When you are digging in the fridge, think about what you might really need (a short walk outside, play with the dog, deep breathing, stretching...)
4. "Global livestock production is responsible for about 1/5 of all greenhouse gases- more than transportation...Another way to put it is that eating a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivilent...more
I was between a 2 and a 3, so really I'd give it a 2.5...
Pro:
-I enjoyed the story, recipes and quotes
-I got a few good ideas from there:
GOLDEN RULE OF YOGIC EATING -> Meal =(.5)food + (.25)water + (.25)air
-It inspired me to delve further into the world of yoga
-And I really liked her further reading suggestions.
Cons:
- I would have liked a little more yoga philosophy
- I felt the italicized yoga-related words should have been explained a little more. I don't feel they were done justice. This...more
Pro:
-I enjoyed the story, recipes and quotes
-I got a few good ideas from there:
GOLDEN RULE OF YOGIC EATING -> Meal =(.5)food + (.25)water + (.25)air
-It inspired me to delve further into the world of yoga
-And I really liked her further reading suggestions.
Cons:
- I would have liked a little more yoga philosophy
- I felt the italicized yoga-related words should have been explained a little more. I don't feel they were done justice. This...more
Glad I only paid $.99 for it on Amazon's Kindle. It just failed to hold my interest though I did finish it. I think I was expecting something witty & perhaps sarcastic but it just came off as very "I once was lost & now I'm found."
I don't like yoga but can see the health benefits in doing it. I was hoping this book would give me something to help me like yoga more. A different way of viewing it so that it didn't seem so boring & tedious. It didn't.
The writing is not bad & I can...more
I don't like yoga but can see the health benefits in doing it. I was hoping this book would give me something to help me like yoga more. A different way of viewing it so that it didn't seem so boring & tedious. It didn't.
The writing is not bad & I can...more
I stumbled on this book while perusing the library shelves for yoga books that might get me started on some home practice. I generally find self-help type books to be so oversimplified that they aren't particularly useful but the title of this one intrigued me as it seemed to hit everything I was looking for - weightloss, yoga, and I'm a sucker for the dog reference. This book certainly has some parts that I felt were oversimplified but there were also quite a few useful tidbits along with a use...more
This is a quick read. I could have finished in one sitting if I wanted to.
This is a good overview book for yoga newbies! The formatting in the Kindle version was wonky (yes, I used that word.) Sometimes, the line breaks were crazy. In other spots, the illustrations were split and/or cut off. The recipes were difficult to read because of formatting and font issues.
I did enjoy the resource list. This is more like a memoir than self-help or a guide. I liked her relaxed chatty style until we got to...more
This is a good overview book for yoga newbies! The formatting in the Kindle version was wonky (yes, I used that word.) Sometimes, the line breaks were crazy. In other spots, the illustrations were split and/or cut off. The recipes were difficult to read because of formatting and font issues.
I did enjoy the resource list. This is more like a memoir than self-help or a guide. I liked her relaxed chatty style until we got to...more
An autobiography peppered with yoga poses and recipes, Jessica Berger Gross, tells the story of her own struggles with being overweight and depressed. Through yoga, she finds a committment to physical health and well-being in her practice, exercise, and eating habits. The voice is reassuring--like talking with a close friend. At times, she seems a bit more preoccupied with thinness than health.
For more serious readers, I would suggest some other books first.
Yogis: Yoga and Vegetarianism: The P...more
For more serious readers, I would suggest some other books first.
Yogis: Yoga and Vegetarianism: The P...more
Feb 15, 2010
Anita Smith
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-read-in-2010
I really enjoyed this for the most part. I read it in just over the course of one day. As someone who is just starting out in the yoga world and is loving it more and more with each Downward Dog pose, I could definitely identify with the author. I've been through a rough couple of years myself and in many ways, yoga has helped me more than anything, even therapy. I really liked the author's writing style and how she incorporated old Sanskrit philosophies and yoga teachings into everyday life in...more
Very quick read -- took me 55 minutes. This is a good book for anyone who's new to yoga, the yoga sutras, or healthy eating, but for me it didn't do anything except remind me of what I already know I should be doing! For more in-depth (and engaging) discussion of the yoga sutras, I recommend Stephen Cope's The Wisdom of Yoga, which also contains a section on mindful eating. For more detailed tips on a healthy vegetarian diet, including a 21-day detox and kick-start diet plan, read Christina Pire...more
I liked the addition of specific yoga poses to try in the book and I found the writer's journey interesting, but it doesn't leave me wanting to pick up another book of hers. I know she had lots of work to do emotionally with regards to dealing with her parents and maybe that is why I was frustrated with the book...if tools and a philosophy for approaching problems is listed, I want to have more "evidence" that it is worthwhile to work through the solutions because we all know how tough it is to...more
I really would like to give this 3.5 stars. I thought the book had a great message especially for those new to yoga. She presents a simple down to earth explanation for the tenets of yoga, but it did seem to me to be very heavy on the weight-loss aspect, which in fairness to the author was stated in the title. I do think that the author's lifestyle with yoga, classes, and practice, is unrealistic for most of us, especially working mothers with multiple children and juggling responsibilities. And...more
A "light" read, indeed. As other have said, nothing new or earth-shattering, but instead one woman's story of dealing with life and getting away from using food to make things better. I felt enough of a connection to the author that it gave me the "Maybe I can do this, too" feeling...and I think that's her goal, in the end. To make it all seem less overwhelming. To give advice on what's "better" or "good enough," when change seems undoable. Maybe I'll even try yoga again. Maybe.
I enjoyed learning a Sutra and new Yoga pose with each chapter along with a sprinkling of healthy recipes. Sharing in Jessica's journey,I found myself rooting for her to find her path. Although an easy read, she jumps from present to past back to present in time leaving the reader to ponder if a paragraph or few page might have been missed. The enLIGHTened reading list at the end is appreciated.
Really enjoyed this memoir and journey towards bliss in life with yoga and healthy eating. The vegan parts were interesting but I'm not going that route - I was glad the author was also offering meat eaters healthy choices if they continue to war meat. Good looking recipes within - I'm eager to try baking the honey wheat bread!
I usually tend to steer clear of weight-loss memoirs - sometimes they come across as preachy and smug. Most of the time Bergre Gross avoided doing so. (There were a couple of times I had to cringe - her commentary about feminism and fat was one.)
I found the yoga philosophy compelling.
I found the yoga philosophy compelling.
She really pushes vegetarianism. Which is mean...because whenever I try vegetarianism it doesnt work out nearly as well for me. I want it so badly. But have not yet found a way to do it healthfully.
Aside from that its a nice story about her life and how she came to a healthy balance.
Aside from that its a nice story about her life and how she came to a healthy balance.
Pretty decent motivational book focusing on yoga and self-introspection. For the hard core memoirist you might find this book lacking in gritty awful problems... instead you find a heartwarming mellow, overcoming problems story.
Really, really enjoyed this book! I zipped right through it this weekend and I'm holding off returning it to the library because it's such a great resource. I'll probably just have to break down and buy it.
I loved this book! It was a quick, easy read, but very inspiring and practical. The author's tone was never preachy, and she mixed her advice with plenty of self-deprecating humor.
I loved this book. I could completely relate to Jessicas struggle with her weight, and how it took other peoples comments to finaly spur her into changing her life for good.
I feel like she took charge of her life, and used yoga as a tool. She cut the ties to her family becuase they were hurting her, and I applaud her for that. It takes more gumption and will power to sever relations then it does to continue to let them hurt you emoitionaly. To took aspects from yoga, and veganism and made it sui...more
I feel like she took charge of her life, and used yoga as a tool. She cut the ties to her family becuase they were hurting her, and I applaud her for that. It takes more gumption and will power to sever relations then it does to continue to let them hurt you emoitionaly. To took aspects from yoga, and veganism and made it sui...more
I loved this book. It includes some of the recipes she used during her "self transformation." Fun book to read. Very easy read.
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed and learned some from, but over-all, it just wasn't as good as I expected. It seemed pretty farfetched in that who gets to travel the world to do yoga, quit their job to become a yoga teacher when their husband is unemployed and you have a new baby. I don't know....it just didn't seem like it was feasible or realistic so it made it hard to believe the rest of the story.
The people who could benefit most from this are never going to read it. But how is that different from anything else?
I was hoping this would be more of a yoga memoir, like Poser by Claire Dederer. Skip this one and read the latter.
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Jessica Berger Gross is a mother, writer, and yogi. Born in New York City, she grew up in Rockville Centre, Long Island. Jessica’s anthology, About What Was Lost: 20 Writers on Miscarriage, Healing, and Hope, was published in 2006 by Plume and awarded a 2007 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA). About What Was Lost was excerpted by Salon and featured in Cookie magazine and as an Elle.com...more
More about Jessica Berger Gross...
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