Yoga Folks discussion
Hellos and Site Questions
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Newest round of welcomes
Mod
Meryl Davids Landau
Hi Matagiri! Plus size yoga!!! Right up my alley!!! It's very hard for me to keep my "ego" in check when I attend a yoga class. Everyone has a fabulous body and can stretch from here to eternity...I know, I know, that's not what yoga is all about...it's about the individual and one's own accomplishments. But it's still nice to know I am not alone. It's also nice to see so many people have joined this group; unfortunately I am not reading the latest book but will connect with the next book. Happy Holiday's to all!!!
Hello everyone - Thanks to Meryl for sending the invite :) Have been tracking my reads and want to reads on goodreads and checking out new authors etc, but hadn't even considered a bookgroup - haven't ever been in one actually. I am very new to yoga. Have thought about it a lot, read about it a little....then I signed up for a beginner class at our local community center. It wasn't "hardcore", it was more a get your body moving the way it should and get your breath and body joined. The yogi is very nice and down to earth and I met some lovely people there...then work got in the way again and I haven't been for several months. I still do some of the movements I learned to release tightness and relax my body and mind at home. I've also been reading a ton - Yoga magazines, yoga texts, yoga fiction.......I love to read. I know I need to get back in a class too. I loved that someone posted earlier in this thread that you just add a bit here and a bit there and it helps, and paves the way for a full practice. I just read Yoga Bitch in an afternoon - entertaining and enlightening too :) I'll have to check out your discussion of that from October or November. Also, just ordered Downward Dog, Upward Fog and Fierce Medicine yesterday - I checked the local library system and local bookstores and couldn't find them, so I just ordered them - can't wait to get my hands on them.
By the way, I'm 45, fairly active, live in the Chicagoland area, and have a grown (22) son, 3 yorkies and a husband of 23 years. I love to read, geocache, scrapbook and make cards and am a bit competitive when games/sports and such are introduced :) So very nice to meet you all and I look forward to learning more about yoga, life and you.
Mod
Hi Deborah:
So glad you joined the group. Members here have very varied experience with yoga, from "like the idea but haven't yet tried it" to a few people who live on an ashram. We welcome them all. I know what you mean about life getting in the way of yoga class; I got away from formal classes for many years, and have only gotten back to them in the last two years or so, now that my teens are older.
Our discussion of Yoga Bitch was very fun; so glad you enjoyed that book too. When possible, we try to get the authors to join our discussion. Suzanne Morrison answered our questions about Yoga Bitch; currently, Priscilla Warner is joining our whole discussion of Learning to Breathe. There's been a request from a number of regulars to read my novel, Downward Dog, Upward Fog, as a group next month, so you might want to hold off reading that. Obviously that would be another discussion the author participates in :)
Feel free to post on any thread, whether about yoga books or yoga. We look forward to getting to know you better here.
Namaste!
Meryl Davids Landau
Deborah, A warm welcome to Yogafolks! Looking forward to engaging in wonderful conversation with you! :)Meryl wrote:
"There's been a request from a number of regulars to read my novel, Downward Dog, Upward Fog, as a group next month, so you might want to hold off reading that. Obviously that would be another discussion the author participates in :)"
LOVE IT!!
Hello! My name is Danie, and Meryl invited me to the group this last week. So far I have completely enjoyed the conversation! I have been practicing yoga for a little more than a decade now. I am at that stage where I know the names of poses, understand the commands, usually know what a teacher wants from students without looking up, BUT after a few weeks / couple of months health problems would interfer and I'd be in so much pain I'd have to stop my daily practice :o( So I'm attempting to find what's best for me at this point in time. I'm 30, live in St. Louis, have two cats, enjoy reading, writing, learning languages, photography, meditation, and spending time with friends. I also read Yoga Bitch when it first came out, and really enjoyed it!
Nice to meet you Danie! So sorry to hear that you are having health problems and I hope that by interacting with others here you can find a way to build a solid practice around the issues. I have to go right to it :) What languages do you speak? and have you traveled to those places? Very exciting.
Deb
Hi everyone, and thanks to Meryl for the invitation to the group. I turned to yoga 14 years ago to help myself heal from a car accident and have never looked back. I still have many older and newer injuries that I am working through, from a sports-heavy youth, and a very active adulthood. Though I've been practicing for 14 years, I'm still battling with the internal struggle to really build my daily home practice. I know what's good for me, and I know it makes me feel better, but I still put up roadblocks against practicing regularly at home. I like to read books for inspiration to continue to motivate myself. Perhaps being part of a larger community of yogis reading together will be an added bonus.
Danie and Barbara, welcome to Yogafolks! We have a wonderful group here and great discussions! I hope you can both join us for our next book discussion in February. It will be Downward Dog, Upward Fog: A Novel by our very own moderator, author Meryl Davids Landau! Namaste!
Julie
Barbara wrote: "Hi everyone, and thanks to Meryl for the invitation to the group. I turned to yoga 14 years ago to help myself heal from a car accident and have never looked back. I still have many older and newer..."Hi Barbara! So nice to meet you - I am trying to build a home practice too - not as much experience as you with Yoga, but injuries and aging that I am working to heal a bit and stillness that I am trying to find. Perhaps through this group, we will both find our way.
Welcome!
Mod
Hi Everyone,
I am a new member :)
I haven't participated in any discussions yet... but really look forward to reading Meryl's book! I have been patiently waiting to hear what the next book will be.... and so delighted!
A little background... I am a Registered Nurse, who worked full time, as a Clinician (I oversaw a department in the Operating Room). It was a stressful job, but I love my job. I had the idea a few years ago of quitting my job and taking a year off. I just turned 41. That was crazy talk! After all, I have a morgage and responsibilities... and a hard to get job!
Last year I started yoga. I also took a good hard look at my life. I realized we can do anything we want... as long as we are ok with sacrifices. I wanted to be happy... I wanted to do the things that were important to me... like yoga, and photography, travel and writing.
I decided. I would quit my job (I could not get a leave), and sell my house to be able to get a year off. It was as if in one moment... I realized it would all be ok. Then I realized I wouldn't even have to sell my house!
Now I am casual at work... I pick up a few shifts. I have no stress, and love my job. Since August, I have been to Bali by myself for a month, then to India to attend an 11-11-11 yoga retreat in Rishikesh, then to Arizona, then NYC! Yup... best decision I ever made.
I will start looking for another job in April or May, but I still have more trips to take~!
I so look forward to hearing your views on each little book journey we take, and to sharing mine.
It sounds like I will be able to relate to Meryl's book...
Namaste,
Tracy
I too have reading and occasionally contributing, but never introduced myself. I'm somewhat older than most do you and am ai,ng toward yoga I. the spring. Right now I'm doing accupuncture and physical therapy as a beginning port. I have suffered from fibromyalgia for many years and it is suffenly overwhelming my life.. I have a yoga class for fibro people in mind and plan to join them in March. Fibromyalgia is such an all encompassing disease. Sleep deprivation. s tress and a s errors viral illness made mine seem real at last. My 8 year old was In the midst of cancer for the second time in her little life, I worked nights in an ICU, spent days at the children's hospital, averaged 1 hour a nigh and gradually lost the ability to fall asleep at all. Then a serious viral pneumonia and I was the Fibeo poster child. coped well most of the time until last summer. Starting to cope well agai . Have loved Priscilla's book and will be reading others. I teach theology. non violence, and mimetic theory at a school for girls. Coming to the end of this career - maybe three more years, possible 4. But I want to move better and think better and feel better and suspect yoga might be a path.
Betsy so terribly sorry that you have been so ill and your child has been so ill - my thoughts and prayers are with you, and hope that his group gives you some connection and your therapy puts you in a position to enter that yoga class. I know when I practice, I feel considerably better - sleep better, more relaxed, body feels right - so it is definitely worth your time.
Mod
Namaste,
Meryl Davids Landau
Deborah wrote: "Nice to meet you Danie! So sorry to hear that you are having health problems and I hope that by interacting with others here you can find a way to build a solid practice around the issues. I ha..."
Hey Deborah!
Sorry it took me so long to reply, busy week at work. I know German and Arabic the best, but I also know bits and pieces of other languages, like Tibetan, from being familiar with their religion and culture.
I have been blessed to travel to a few places :o) When I was 17 I moved to Germany to be an aupair, which if you don't know is somewhat like a nanny. I lived in the Black Forest for a year, and it definitely changed the course of my life! 6 months before I had worked in Fairbanks, Alaska, but until that point I'd never left rural Missouri, so it was certainly an eye opener for me :o)
During college I studied in Jordan and Syria, as I'd already spent time in Europe, and I really wanted to experience what it was like to live outside the Western World. I fell in love with the people, culture, landscape, history - all of it!
What about you Deborah?
Danie - Sounds like a wonderful life to explore other countries and their cultures to that extent. I have been blessed to travel a bit, but it's mostly on short/small scale - enough to get a little taste of many places, but not enough to really settle into a culture and immerse myself. It's always interesting to me how travel and exposure to other cultures (even in the states - because we do have internal culture differences) impacts how people interact with others and react to things. :)
Looking forward to hearing your perspective and others' in this group. Anyone else travel extensively or have spent a length of time outside of your norm?
D
Deborah wrote: "Danie - Sounds like a wonderful life to explore other countries and their cultures to that extent. I have been blessed to travel a bit, but it's mostly on short/small scale - enough to get a littl..."I completely agree Deborah! It's amazing how much just moving from Missouri to Indiana impacted my life. I moved there hating it, and left 4 years later feeling homesick! These places get into us and become a part of our being - We really are global citizens!
Hello everyone. I'm Helen and I found this group by way of Learning to Breathe. I really loved that book and I'm glad the discussion is still going on. I have been practicing yoga for many years, at times intermittently. But in the past 2 or 3 years, I've become more consistent with it and wanting to learn more about it. Yoga has helped me tremendously both physically and mentally. I am also trying to start a meditation practice but that has been more of a challenge!Looking forward to taking part in discussions and reading great books!
Mod
Meryl Davids Landau
Mod
Meryl Davids Landau
I was in West Palm Beach last weekend, I'm so sorry I missed you Meryl---and Yoga Day! What was Yoga Day? Ilene
Mod
I guess we're destined to meet some other time, Ilene! Yoga day is a day-long, outdoor annual January yoga event at the park by the intracoastal. Fab yoga teachers and great energy. Maybe I'll see you there next year?
Hello all! I am a long time yogini who became a teacher (although not teaching right now) & got a little lost but finding my way back to yoga & meditation. It makes me a better person & love connecting with people who are on the same path. If we all could just live by the 10 Commandments & Yamas & Niyamas the world would be so much better....
I am a little over 40, work full time & married with a beagle dog. Life Is Good.
Mod
Meryl Davids Landau
Hello Yoga Folks!I have been practicing yoga for 7 years. Off and on for the first few years, but now mostly on. The last 3-4 years I have been building a home practice. I often drift back into studios in search of community, but always go back home. Over a year ago, I joined a book club at a local yoga studio. The only thing I didn't like about it was that we only read 4 books a year! I can be quite shy around people I don't know, so when I go to class, I roll out my mat, practice, and go home. The book club gave me a chance to actually talk to the yogis in my community and get to know them. I've recently moved and was pleased that Meryl invited me to join this group, because there certainly is a yoga book club void in my life right now.
I was drawn to yoga by the beautiful, graceful photos I saw of yogis in poses like dancer and tree. On some level I guess I knew that there was more than met my eye. Some kind of inner peace, but I have found so much more. Yoga got me through and out of a bad marriage and has helped me balance life-long struggles with depression and anxiety. Yoga has truly changed my life in those ways and so much more. Now at the tender age of 32 I can only imagine where my practice can take me :)
Initially I was drawn to Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga by my sometimes type A-perfectionist personality and my ego. I wanted to be one of those super-bendy strong and acrobatic yogis! In the past few years I've mixed in some Anasura and Iyengar and love how attention to alignment takes my practice to a whole different level. I've also suffered low pain for a long time and learned recently that I may have degenerative disc disorder. It sounds scarier than it is, but it has caused me to reassess my practice -- how it is helping or healing me and what my intention (or maybe goal) is. I have known for quite some time that more vigorous styles cause me as much harm as good, but I have not really owned up to it. Moving forward, my intention is to delve deeper into the spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga, pranayama, meditation, and maybe even Buddhism. I've practiced these aspects all along, but as the side dish. Now I'd like to make them part of the main course.
I meant to be brief! Oh well...
Julie
Julie wrote: "Hello Yoga Folks!I have been practicing yoga for 7 years. Off and on for the first few years, but now mostly on. The last 3-4 years I have been building a home practice. I often drift back into s..."
A warm welcome from one Julie to another! ;-)
You never have to be brief here, lol! I enjoyed reading about your background. It is nice to meet like minded people to discuss books with!
Our next book discussion will start February 5th. It will be Meryl's book, Downward Dog, Upward Fog: A Novel. I hope you can join us!
"Anyone else travel extensively or have spent a length of time outside of your norm?"
I try to take an international trip each year. I've documented most of my experiences at jenhocko.com, if anyone wants to check them out. It's definitely enlightening and puts things into a new perspective.
I try to take an international trip each year. I've documented most of my experiences at jenhocko.com, if anyone wants to check them out. It's definitely enlightening and puts things into a new perspective.
Hello! I'm Alison. I am excited to join this group because I'm always looking for good yoga books. I have been practicing yoga for 5ish years. Very interested in Kundalini right now but I am generally not picky and just happy to practice. I would love to teach it someday!
Jen wrote: ""Anyone else travel extensively or have spent a length of time outside of your norm?"I try to take an international trip each year. I've documented most of my experiences at jenhocko.com, if anyo..."
My photos of trips are on my Facebook page - I believe they are open to the public (just not my entire page) It's exciting to travel and enlightening. Jen - I will have to check out yours too - nice to see different perspectives.
Mod
Welcome, Alison. Thanks so much for joining us! (And for already jumping into our book discussion.)
Meryl Davids Landau
Hi I'm Julie. I joined a bit ago but haven't introduced myself yet. I started practicing yoga at least 12 years ago and went to a once a week class for a long time. The last few years, my yoga has been more sporadic, but I want to start doing it regularly again as part of a regular exercise program. I love yoga but I am so bad about being motivated to do any exercise at home. Because of my talking about yoga, my husband has decided that he could benefit too and just started taking classes himself. He is older and very out of shape and I am so glad he decided to do this. Both for himself and his health AND for extra motivation for me!
Mod
How fun that your interest in yoga is motivating your husband! My husband and I both do yoga, and it's so fun to practice (usually at home) with him. I do think reading about yoga is also a great motivator to get into (or stay with) a steady practice.
Since we have several Julies in the group, I'm hoping each of you keeps your original photo, so we know whom we're talking to!
Have a great day!
Meryl Davids Landau
Well I've been on goodreads two years and haven't changed it yet.
Hi everyone! I'm Susanne and I am a huge yoga dork. I injured myself last fall so I haven't been on my mat that much but I still try to "live yoga" - it is so much more than just the asanas. I'm always looking for inspirations reads and people who also love yoga so this seemed like the right place :-)
Hello new to the group. Finishing Yoga Teacher training right now, and plowing through my list of reading for that. Ive been on good reads for awhile but havenet really used the site in the past few years. So kind of reconnecting here.
Mod
We're just finishing William Broad's The Science of Yoga, so if you read that (or want to read it soon), chime into that discussion. Our next group book won't be till June. We read a combination of yoga classics and fun modern stuff; June's book will be the yoga novel, Head Over Heels.
Namaste!
Meryl Davids Landau
Hi, I'm Cathie! One of my goals is to return to yoga but am feeling out studios for convenience and to commit to - went for a few months so I'm really a newbie. As I haven't begun yet, thought I could be inspired with some goodreads!
Mod
Hello, I'm Angela and I live in Dorset, England. I have been practising yoga for over ten years but have not kept up my practise recently due to family problems. I love reading books on yoga philosophy and look forward to learning more with everyone here.Namaste!
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Meryl
Hello, I am Carolin and live in Essex, England. I have been practising yoga for seven years and am going to start yoga teacher training soon. All recommendations and support welcome....Thanks
Carolin
Mod
Meryl
Mod
i really need to develop a routine for the posture part of yoga so hopefully i'll get some good ideas here"
Hi Martin:
Welcome! There are some guys in the group, but most of our regular posters are women. Hopefully you can help change that ratio!
Hi Everyone, I am an ERYT Hatha Yoga instructor and studio owner in small town Ontario, Canada. I have also written a spiritual, self-help book masquerading as a fictional story. :) I look forward to connecting with everyone!
Hello All,I used to practice Yoga on and off for years, but a couple of years ago joined a gym and my Sunday morning Yoga class became my favorite part. I ended up leaving the gym, and just recently joined a local yoga studio. I'm loving it there, mostly Vinyasa. Hoping that I'll be able to stick to that (financially speaking) because it truly makes my week!
I'm a very happily married, mom of 2 boys ages 10 and 12. I work full time for a large radiology practice.
I'm anxious to see what books will be read in this group. Next on my personal list is "Life is a Verb".
Hello all, I am Miranda and I am fairly new to yoga, but I find it very relaxing and great for stretching. I hope to learn some new things about yoga here and perhaps even take a class one day.
Hi - I recently published two books on yoga: Yoga Ph.D.: Integrating the Life of the Mind and the Wisdom of the Body and 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice. I also teach Hatha + Forrest Yoga in Chicago, both at my neighborhood studio and in the Cook County Jail with a local nonprofit, Yoga for Recovery. I am a former political science professor and policy researcher, and very interested in the yoga service movement. I have done a lot of research on the history and development of modern yoga, and am going to try to get my favorites books up on my profile page as a resource for anyone who's interested. Namaste
Carol,I just finished 21st Century Yoga and Yoga Ph.D. is on my short list for upcoming reads. I greatly enjoyed the diverse viewpoints presented by the various writers. It was interesting to me to see how their views were differing in some respects but also feel the same on a couple of the common themes that run throughout the book. One particular quote stuck with me regarding the importance of proper breathing; "One’s entire life is bookmarked by the first inhale and last exhale."
Thanks for the work you did to put make that book happen. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the current state of yoga.
Vern, thanks for reading and commenting! You are quite right about the diversity of viewpoints amidst common themes - this was a deliberate editorial strategy, as we didn't want to present anything that could be taken as a "party line." The goal of the book is to model an inclusive, ongoing conversation about how yoga is changing and being changed by North American culture. This is true with my book "Yoga Ph.D.," as well, although clearly that's different in that it focuses on developing one perspective in a much more in-depth way than the essay format of "21st Century Yoga" allows.
Yoga Folks
Books mentioned in this topic
Yoga Ph.D.: Integrating the Life of the Mind and the Wisdom of the Body (other topics)21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice (other topics)
Downward Dog, Upward Fog (other topics)
Downward Dog, Upward Fog (other topics)
Yoga Bitch: One Woman's Quest to Conquer Skepticism, Cynicism, and Cigarettes on the Path to Enlightenment (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Meryl Davids Landau (other topics)Suzanne Morrison (other topics)
I joined the group a while back and just realized I never introduced myself, even though I commented in other discussions. I'm a lifetime yogi who discovered yoga way back in the 70's in LA and have spent most of my adult life living on an ashram in Florida. I also teach yoga, dabble in writing, music, and art, and work a day job in the education department of an art museum. I read Meryl's book and joined Goodreads for this group. It's very exciting and fulfilling to read everyone's stories and all the recommendations for more yoga books and resources. Thanks for sharing...