Customer Reviews

Yoga Beyond Fitness: Getting More than Exercise from an Ancient Spiritual Practice

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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This highly readable book is just what I needed to round out my knowledge of what's going on in Yoga in America. I first heard Tom Pylarzyk on Milwaukee Public Radio's being interviewed about his new book. He was warm, smart, and convincing on the radio, so I thought his book would probably be the same. I wasn't disappointed. The book is also warm, smart, and convincing.

Another word I'd use to describe Tom's book is "provocative". He pulls no punches in skewering what he considers to be the misdirection of American Yoga from its philosophical roots. I really like that he is willing to reveal a lot of his personal self here. He doesn't hide behind the author's shield, like many authors do.

I don't fully agree with everthing Tom writes here, but he sure did make me think about it all more deeply. I think that's what good books are all about.

Bob Weisenberg--Yoga writer, editor, and blogger (www.myyogabook.wordpress.com).

As a yoga teacher of children and adults, I found this book thought provoking. Pilarzyk examines very real issues facing traditional yoga in the modern world. I recommend this book to those new to yoga who are looking to broaden their understanding of the roots of this ancient tradition. Yoga practitioners will find that Yoga Beyond Fitness takes a comprehensive look at the direction modern yoga is headed.

If you love Yoga and hope to preserve the richness it can provide, Dr. Pylarzyk's book is a wonderful, palatable exploration of the way Americans have embraced and transformed its practice. By exploring his own path, Dr. Pylarzyk nudges students to resist viewing Yoga as an exercise regime and provides insight on what can be gained if students commit to the study of its philosophical, spiritual, and historical teachings.

And the assault continues which makes this book
continue to draw ones attention to the
problem(s). Certainly should be considered part
of any practising yoga instructor's library as to
what qualities are required to become a
Yoga instructor. Well done.

As a yoga teacher, I found Yoga Beyond Fitness to be a provocative read. For me, it reinforced the meaningfulness of the practice and brought me back to the importance of passing on more than just pose alignments to students. The translation of yogic principles into a mindset "off the mat" is clearly illustrated through the strikingly personal stories in the book about Dr. Pilarzyk and others he's met. Even if you're not a yoga practitioner, I believe this book holds interesting insights and questions about how to integrate the yogic teachings of nonreactivity, loving kindness, and peace into your life.

As an individual with limited knowledge of, or experience with Yoga, I found this book to be an enlightening journey into this spiritual discipline. Dr. Pilarzyk presents the challenges and opportunities facing Yoga in today's world in a narrative that, despite numerous terms of art that were unfamiliar to this reader, is easy to follow and understand. The transformational structure, from the culture of Yoga as a business to the personal testimonies of those who embrace Yoga as a holistic lifestyle, is presented with such purity that everyone from the Yoga neophyte to the advanced practitioner can appreciate Yoga Beyond Fitness.