The Secret of the Yamas: A Spiritual Guide to Yoga [Paperback]

John McAfee (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971156905 | ISBN-13: 978-0971156906 | Publication Date: April 2001

A spiritual guide to the practice of yoga. It provides a relationship between the physical postures (Asanas)and the whole of yoga as outlined by Patanjali, the founder of yoga, over 2000 years agao. It explains the conditions of behavior necessary to fully integrate yoga practice with our minds and with our hearts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John McAfee is the founder of the Relational Yoga Mandiram. He is the organizer of the annual Sidha Silence retreats in the Rocky Mountains and he has taught self-discovery techniques for more than 15 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 81 pages
• Publisher: Woodland Publications (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971156905
• ISBN-13: 978-0971156906
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beatiful little book, November 28, 2002

By 

Steffanie Rogers (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret of the Yamas: A Spiritual Guide to Yoga (Paperback)

A concise, clear and revolutionary approach to the Yamas. Rather than focusing on how to carry out and master each of the Yamas, McAfee reaches down to the root of the subject and and shows us that, for example, before we can achieve non-violence, we must first understand the reality of our own violence and come to terms with it. This little book contains a wealth of wisdom about the human condition, and is an unvarnished pointer to the source of problems - ourselves. Everyone, not just yoga students, should have this book, and re-read it frequently.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Secret Worth Sharing, January 3, 2002

By 

Bill J. Hallinan (Helena, MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret of the Yamas: A Spiritual Guide to Yoga (Paperback)

Short, insightful, precise, and respectful -- this book is a joy to read and read again. Mr. McAfee touches the heart of the matter. His sincere, clear presentation gives one pause. Each yama is explored in turn. At each turn, Mr. McAfee sheds light on causes of inconsistencies and incongruities in ones practice. As a guide book, it succeeds in pointing a direction. I highly recommend this book in general, not just for yoga students.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful reading! Thoroughly recommended!, April 8, 2002

By 

"richard_fuller" (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret of the Yamas: A Spiritual Guide to Yoga (Paperback)

"...without a firm understanding of ourselves---who we are, how we relate to the world and why we do the things we do---we cannot possibly live life to its fullest." Thus begins John McAfee's spiritual revelation, The Secret of the Yamas. Here is a masterful look at self-discovery and self-awareness from a practice that originated at least 2500 years ago.

Many people think of yoga as a technique to gain physical strength, flexibility and better health (asanas). However, Patanjali, who first documented the organized science of yoga 2500 years ago, wrote, "The union of the various parts of the mind is gained through control of the mind, and then the perceiver comes to consciousness of himself." And so, The Secret of the Yamas helps teach the aspect of yoga that increases our understanding of ourselves, our relationships and our actions.

While most people are familiar with the first limb of yoga, asanas (postures), it is the second limb (yamas) that deals with behavior: guidelines about non-violence, non-stealing, chastity, absence of greed and truthfulness. Mr. McAfee points out that it is relatively easy to pretend about or imitate these positive characteristics. However, the beauty of The Secret of Yamas is learning the wisdom to understand Patanjali's true significance of these conditions of behavior.

Author and seeker John McAfee is the founder of the Relational Yoga Mandarim in Woodland Park, Colorado. He has taught self-discovery techniques for over 15 years. This has enabled him to not only understand and live yoga in its entirety, but to offer us a clear, concise and (surely) effective guide to life.

In this reviewer's opinion, The Secret of the Yamas is a must-read for everyone seeking self-discovery---everyone!