Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice

by Christy Turlington

ccording to a recent Time magazine cover story, 15 million Americans include some form of yoga in their fitness regimes-nearly twice as many as five years ago. This healing art balances the mind with the body, incorporating physical strength with mental fitness to reach a place of deep, lasting peace, harmony, and happiness. Christy Turlington discovered yoga at the age of 18 and has been a serious practitioner for 15 years. Lavishly illustrated and suited for practitioners of all levels, Living Yoga explores the eight tenets of yoga, including the various postures. Christy shows readers how to meditate and how to plan one's home according to vastu principles, and provides the names of yoga schools across the country. The book also includes beautiful photos of Christy in positions from basic to advanced. She discusses how to incorporate yoga into your everyday life-no matter how busy you are-and how yoga has made her own life more peaceful through stressful times and events.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Health, Self Help, Biography, Philosophy, Education

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2002

About the author

Christy Nicole Turlington is an American model best known for representing Calvin Klein fragrances since 1987. She has also worked on various campaigns for Maybelline Cosmetic and Giorgio Armani, has appeared in several films about the fashion industry and was a co-founder of the now defunct Fashion Café.

Reviews

[Malea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for any Christians or Catholics interested in yoga but maybe afraid that it contradicts their religious beliefs. Christy Turlington is a Catholic who has extensively studied Eastern religions and has practiced yoga for many years.

Christly does an eloquent job of explaining not just the history of yoga, but also how the ancient practice is applicable in modern times.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this book (at Wordsworth) I thought that it was something I'd like to have. I'm always trying to do more yoga because (a) it's good for me and (b) it fits with my mental image of the person I want to be. I didn't buy it because (a) it was too expensive and (b) it was written by a model. I've never had a very good opinion of models. This is probably partly because all clothes are made to fit skinny women with excessively long legs and having to pay for clothes and then pay more to make them smaller has always seemed wrong to me. Anyway, I regretted not buying the book and decided to make it my 'yay I finished my thesis' present to myself. Except that by then it was no longer in stock. A week or two later and I was at the Exclusive Books sale. And it was that part of the sale where the sale prices had been halved (I really can't resist their twice yearly sales. It's like a drug, only I get books. I just keep going back and spending more money. But I don't drink, or smoke or do those other things that normal people my age do [sadly this includes having an actual job at the moment, but I'm working on that], so I feel justified in buying piles of books). Anyway, there I spotted this book, albeit with a slightly different cover. So I bought it.

It's both an account of Christy Turlington's yoga practice and how it was established, as well as showing a number of postures. This is an inspirational book designed to help you incorporate yoga into your daily life. I'm not really sure who this book is aimed at, but I enjoyed it. It has a lovely mix of history, biography and instruction.

[Wind Dreaming Yoga · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you might expect this is a lovely book, with beautiful photos and layout to match (the hardcover one). I was skeptical "what could a supermodel have to say on the important matter of yoga?!? " but I was wrong. She is a true yogin, and again I am reminded that preconceived notions can lead me to prematurely judge a book by its cover. As illustrated by my yoga trainer, it is a worthwhile endeavour for a yoga teacher to read every book on yoga she or he can get a hold of.

[Sarah Clarke-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. Accessible history and tenents of various types of yoga. A good starting off point for anyone intersted in enriching their basic knowledge and practice of yoga, but it should be followed up with actual asanas and techniques for the serious practitioner.

[Ivy Giacchino-Berrocal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helped me decide to be a yoga teacher.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very pretty book, written by a famously beautiful woman, about how to incorporate yoga practice into your life. It provides a nice, general introduction to all the different types of yoga and its rich history. Turlington is a very thoughtful narrator, and delves into her personal story to relate how she deepened her practice while also maintaining her strong Catholic faith. The book isn't instructional or technical at all, it is more a highly personal meditation on yoga, Ayurveda, and the fusion of the spirit with the physical in general. It does drag in some places, but overall it was better than I expected.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lead me to start a yoga practice. Beautiful insights into how Yoga can be incorporated into busy lives and from any religious background.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and very pretty.

[Heidi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well researched and beautifully articulated! A real treasure of a book- this so well encapsulates the essence of yoga, not as a solely trendy hobby for Westerners to get some exercise in their daily routine but rather paints the whole picture of yoga outside asanas (postures). Just like the title suggests, this is how to live via yogic philosophy and I’m so pleased fo say it does justice to the Hindu origins and culture from which the practices originate. This blends both memoir style writing, detailing Turlington’s personal experiences which lead her to explore spirituality through yoga but also an educational, photographic textbook layout which is far from boring. Filled to the brim with clear understanding of yoga and written with true sincerity.

[Babar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Красочная энциклопедия по йоге, аюрведе, истории религий и личного опыта в йоге одной из красивейших моделей 90-х. Достичь глубины по каждой объемной теме не получилось, но впечатления это не испортило. Кристи все равно умница и красавица. Фан фэкт: редактором книги стал Роберт Турман - профессор Колумбийского университета (на тот момент), президент Тибетского дома, и, по совместительству - отец Умы Турман.

[Mathieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives good coverage of the variety of philosophies that encompass yoga. It gets into the history and spirituality of the practice. A great reference book, one should use this as a beginner to learn about yoga or for deeper understanding of the language and aspects of the mind/body connection. Not a book to learn poses from, although many are demonstrated and explained by Turlington.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous coffee table book that I'm reluctantly parting with as I move to a new home. I wish it were available on Kindle.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lots of great stuff in here; def a bunch of stuff I already knew, but I love the layout, her story was good (part memoir-ish).

[Keleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this so far. A really comprehensive, openhearted handbook for yoga, its history, limbs and modern incarnations, as well as an autobiographical account of the author's spiritual journey. It doesn't hurt that I've always been fascinated by freakishly beautiful people, so Turlington's life stories are totally compelling to me. And the writing is great.

**

I've read most of this now, except for some of the expository stuff. She really tries to pack everything in here - Tantra, Ayurveda, Feng shui, the Chakra system, Catholicism, Hindu deities, pilgrimages...I appreciate the wealth of information, but the last couple chapters started flagging to me. It felt like she got to present time and wanted to publish the book ASAP, so she started including personal diary entries and quotes from books she was reading at the time. Her reflections became more cliche and hackneyed, and I felt a little distracted by whether or not she was going to put off her wedding to Edward Burns in the wake of 9/11, and then I got curious about her astrology chart, and next thing I know I'm watching a 90s documentary at 1am on YouTube called "Catwalk" that trails Turlington and other members of "the Trinity" through a season of Paris couture shows. (Really enjoyable/interesting little film, for those fascinated by the strange world of fashion & beauty. I particularly loved watching Isaac Mizrahi and John Galliano work.) Ultimately, I did come away from Living Yoga feeling inspired about yoga and about life, but I also felt a reminder of how easily the ego can "co-opt" spiritual ideas and experiences; that desire to Be Somebody that someone like Turlington has been driven by (and benefited from) most of her life can be parlayed into a new Image, a new Somebody in the form of a Yogi, a Spiritual Seeker, a Do-Gooder. None of it is truly awakened - it is still playing in the dream, and I can enjoy that and learn from it, but not necessarily use her model as an aspiration.

Still, like I said, a fun and inspiring read, and led me places in my own reflections that were personally relevant and unexpected.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. I was skeptical that a Supermodel would have anything worthwhile to say about a subject that seems so contrary to her chosen lifestyle. But she leads a dual life. This "coffee table book" is not only a primer on Yoga, Meditation, Chakras, Buddhism, Hinduism, Ayruveda, Pilgrimage, Mindfulness and Feng Shui, but it's also her story, which is interesting and inspiring itself. In addition, this book contains reflections on various yoga postures, especially the more complex ones, which Christy is able to demonstrate beautifully and accurately. The book also includes some lovely poetry, photos, inspiring quotes and various other references which make you want to embark on the path she's been on herself for most of her life. If modelling, particularly an admirable outlook on life and a healthy lifestyle, is her profession, then she's taken it to the next level. She is a true yogi.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just couldn't get past knowing the author's background and lack of life experience to trust any advice on yoga whether from research or personal perspective. And with such little personal understanding of the different aspects and philosophies within yoga, I cannot judge its authenticity either. Would you go to a crackhead for financial advice? How about a prostitute for advice on marriage longevity? Well then don't ask a runway model to teach you how to reach enlightenment of mind and soul right? Kept knawing at me like a ground squirrel with a bad case of rabies who just made a home under my yoga mat as I try to hold the crane. Impossible.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turlington's path to yoga is a big part of this book. I found it very interesting and was surprised by how much I have in common with this supermodel. (There is really nothing supermodelish about me.) There was a lot of clearly written information about the history of yoga and how it connects to Eastern religious tradition. There was not a lot of real instruction or guidance about how to "create a life practice," but there was a very insightful story of how Turlingon did it. Her thoughts on how her Catholicism relates to her yoga practice was very interesting.

[Cat Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be sceptical! I know a book on yoga by a supermodel sends out all sorts of warning alarms, but in fact, Christy Turlington is a student of comparative religions, a questioning and highly articulate writer and yogi. She manages to interweave her own personal experience of discovering yoga and handling illness and death in her family with her exploration of the culture and history of yoga.
I credit this book for inspiring a real passion for reading more on the spirituality and history of yoga. One for the merely vaguely curious and also teachers and long time students.

[Denice · Rating 3 out of 5]

If she had finished the book at the chapter when she visited Afghanistan this rating would be a solid 5. However, the last chapters were quite self indulgent and talked alot about her expensive lifestyle, which really turned me off. The first half of the book was surprisingly insightful, she does have a degree in Eastern religions and that really came through in her writing. I learned some things I did not know and it was enjoyable. I could of gone without knowing about her bazillion dollar wedding and house renovation when I cant even afford to order extra guacamole on my tacos:/

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I think it was a great book. It's a fast read since Turlington's style of writing is really engaging. A few of the yoga terms/philosophy contradicted what I was taught but there are so many lineages of Yoga that's understandable. If you're interested in Yoga and also Christy Turlington's life it's a great book to pick up.

[Pragya Bhatt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking that I would get more insight into how to deepen my daily yoga practice...and perhaps some pointers on how to make the philosophy more entertwined with my daily life. But it turned out to be a memoir of a rich supermodel. Didn't really like the book because it didn't really teach me anything new.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part memoir, part yoga practice and theory with good information on the history of the practice.

Photos are good. The author includes a Glossary (helpful for beginners) and a Bibliography for further investigation.

I found Chapter 18 on Vastu especially helpful. The author describes the 4,00 year old Indian practice that predates Feng Shui.

Recommended.

[Karen Wynder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the history and different backgrounds of yoga and I loved the photographs of basic to advanced poses. My favorite parts were when she incorporated yoga into specific stories of her life.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

if you like looking at people (too hot for life) do impossible poses...this ones for you! miss turlington takes us through her catholic upbringing. snore.

[Jawad]

plz read my books

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a really pretty book written by a really pretty person.

Not as much about yoga as I thought it'd be, but still interesting. Worth keeping around.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own this book because it's a tremedous resource for anyone who wants to delve a bit more into yoga.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

[Susan]

Favorite super model & the pictures are interesting.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

love christy