Name: The Wisdom of Yoga
ISBN: 9780553801118

Stephen Cope

The author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self offers spiritual seekers from all traditions a practical introduction to the wisdom and teachings of the Yogasutra, as he brings together insights from yoga philosophy with modern psychology to offer lessons in ethical living, enhanced creativity, and the discovery of one's higher purpose. 20,000 first printing.

A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living

The Wisdom of Yoga

Katerina Thorson

4/5 Stars
Library Loan

For some reason, as of lately, I have been struggling with reading spiritually awakening books, yoga books, self-help books, etc. It might have to be because of the low scoring on the last two reads. Who knows. What I do know is that something happened when I read this book. All the other books were factual and gave me clarity on yoga, meditation, and finding your own path. The Wisdom of Yoga, however, touched a part of me and opened it up. 

I had been struggling in my yoga practice, as well as the grind of daily life. My control was slipping and I decided to finally bite the bullet and pick this book up...hoping that it could give me an enlightenment that I have not already read. 

My heart connected to each of the stories that Cope presents of his friends. You have Susan the compulsive eater, Kate the self-centered, Jacob the overly aggressive romantic, Maggie the story-teller, and Rudi the enlightened. In each of Cope's interactions with his friends, I found myself opening up piece by piece. I found a connection with Susan and her disordered eating due to my own years of anorexia. I found myself entering Jacob's body when it came to the lack of love, and believing I will never find anyone. Each of their struggles became my own and each of their enlightenment's brought clarity to my own situation. 

I can't explain this feeling that washed over me once I finished the book, but for the first time in months I was....calm. I haven't been calm or clear-headed in quite a few months and I could finally breathe. It was like the teachings that each of these individuals had including Stephen Cope resonated inside myself. To some this might be hocus-pocus, but to someone like me who has been trying to find a book to finally make some ground with my own practice and healing. This book is truly a blessing. 
 
I did find a few things that I did not like. All the science and backstory given about yoga. He would switch between stories and the yoga science that connected to those stories. Or connect to other spiritual yogi's that have gone down the same path. While I did like some of the insight given, once again you got that taste of medical writing from a doctor and it, at times, would throw the entire experience and story off. While I did find that some of the insights were pertinent to what Cope is teaching us. I could have done without some of the beginner yoga explanations. Especially since this book is more advanced than a beginner's guide, actually this is not a guide at all.

While I can't explain my own experience with the book, I do recommend that others pick up the book to finally find clarity in their own lives and their own paths that they take. This book has done wonders at opening up something inside me that I didn't even know existed. A calm state. Which most of us can agree that we feel very little of these days. 

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The Wisdom of Yoga A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living

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