Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy: A Bridge from Body to Soul [Paperback]

Michael Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

While there are many yoga books on the market today, little has been written about yoga as a personal-growth tool. This book shows readers how to use a unique blend of yoga and psychology to bridge the gap between body and soul.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Lee, M.A., came to the United States from Australia with a background in education and psychology. An accomplished master teacher and yogi, Lee is the founder/director of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. A program that has been featured in Yoga Journal and elsewhere. Lee gives training programs and workshops and appears at conferences throughout North America, Australia and Europe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 193 pages
• Publisher: HCI (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558745130
• ISBN-13: 978-1558745131
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed for Yoga Journal by Richard Miller, Ph.D, July 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy: A Bridge from Body to Soul (Paperback)

The best course I attended while earning my Ph.D. in psychology was "Theories of Personality." The professor brought the theories to life by describing the lives of each theorist - including people like Freud, Jung, and Maslow. She underscored how all theories grow out of an individual's life experience.

Michael Lee wrote his book on Phoenix Rising yoga Therapy (PRYT) from this perspective. We get to know Michael and his life first. As he describes his own psycho-spiritual journey, we tangibly feel how his approach to training teachers grew organically out of her personal life experiences. And as Michael tell his story, I see that he is also telling my story. It is not just about his journey in life and Yoga, it is also about my journey. This is also the story of how the PRYT training came to be, and thus if you are thinking of taking this training or are interest in following the story of a well-known Western yogi, I can recommend this unpretentious book.

I like that Michael acknowledges early on that each one of us is unique. We each follow a singular path to freedom, and we hold within ourselves the answers that guide us on our path. In turn, true teachers don't tell us what to do. They support us as we discover our own understanding. They help us accept ourselves as we are, so that we may listen deeply and uncover our own voice and song. Phoenix Rising, as envisioned by Michael, supports these views. It supports the therapist as guide, not as "one-who-knows-all."

Michael constantly reminds us that we need to keep out of our own way and the way of the student. Our mind is quick to give advice, but this instills an attitude that the therapist knows what is best for the client. Michael advises us to keep quiet and allow the client to come to his or her own knowing. While simple, this is perhaps the single most powerful message in the book - the attitude of listening, staying out of the way, witnessing, and being inwardly still, while at the same time being an actively engaged loving presence.

In Michael's words, "The more invisible and unobtrusive I am, the more clients feel they have permission to surrender to their body's innate wisdom. The process [of PRYT] unfolds naturally, guided by their inner being as I simply provide a space of acceptance and love, affirming all aspects of each person as the work of the Divine within."

At its core, PRYT is a practice that promotes transformation by drawing on the unique wisdom of the body. And as Michael affirms, "For empowerment and transformation to occur, the process must honor the spirit and stay out of its way. When this happens, Yoga is therapy."

Michael once told me that he was not trying to create a be-all-end-all training for Yoga teachers and therapists. He was interested in concentrating on a particular psycho-spiritual approach utilizing body and breath to enable students to get in touch with their core beliefs and emotions. Through PRYT he wanted to dig one well deeply, in one place. I'd say; he's struck a clear spring for refreshing water.

(Richard Miller, Ph.D.)

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest and Deep Approach To Yoga, December 19, 2003

By 

CPTScott - See all my reviews

This review is from: Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy: A Bridge from Body to Soul (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book and found it to be very worthwhile! I would almost say it's a must read for serious students of yoga who want to go "beyond the postures".

It approaches yoga practice as a gateway to the internal, as a way of making a deeper connection with oneself and discovering themselves through the practice of yoga. This isn't a book on asana (postures) so if you are looking for that this book is not what you need, rather look into books such as Erich Shiffman's "Yoga The Spirit And Practice Of Moving Into Stillness" , Donna Farhi "Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness" which are both excellent books on learning Asana as well as the deeper aspects as well.

The author writes with openness about his own experiences, and does not try to come across as all wise and knowing, but rather someone who himself is very much "in process".

I highly recommend this as a book for those who are looking to take their practice of yoga beyond the physical.

Another book I would highly recommend is Stephen Cope's "Yoga and The Quest For The True Self" which also is focused on the internal aspects of yoga. This book actually goes (in my opinion) even deeper than the Phoenix Rising book in terms of covering the psychological aspects in a much more in depth way and it's just a wonderful companion to have to help you deepen your practice.

Also, check out "Bringing Yoga to Life : The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living" by Donna Farhi which is also a book on the internal and life changing practices of yoga.

Still, that is to take nothing away from "Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy" which is definitely a book I would highly recommend to those looking to go further on their path.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal yoga stories, and wonderful awareness exercises, July 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy: A Bridge from Body to Soul (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for those of us who would like toread what yoga can do in one's personal life. The author explainssituations in his life and how his studies of yoga effected them. He also give really GREAT awareness exercises to try at the end of each chapter. Anyone, yogi or not, would benefit from these thoughtful exercises.