Customer Reviews

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic

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This book by Darren John Main "Yoga and the Path Of The Urban Mystic" is really outstanding. It is one among a collection of excellent books to emerge in recent times that are about the inner part of yoga beyond asana.

This book leads you through the eight limb path (ashtanga) of yoga and gives insight in down to earth language how to apply these principles to real life.

Darren is an outstanding writer and has deep insights and a practical way of looking at the Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

Highly recommended for Yogis who want to deepen their practice beyond the asanas as well as for anyone who wants a down to earth introduction to these principles of yoga.

Also highly recommended are "Bringing Yoga To Life" by Donna Farhi, "Yoga And The Quest For The True Self" by Stephen Cope, "Living Your Yoga" by Judith Lasater and "Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy" by Michael Lee.

Also check out the CD sets "Yoga For Emotional Flow" by Stephen Cope )which has three excellent guided meditations and "The Yoga Matrix" by Richard Freeman which is a six CD set that gets very deeply into the philosophical aspects of the yoga system.

Namaste

This book was selected for our spiritual book club. There were nine of us, mostly yoga teachers, including some 10 year plus students of yoga philosophy. We picked carefully through each chapter. The long time students of yoga all reached similar conclusions about the book; this conclusion is basically that it is not a good choice for a serious student of yoga. Part one is a general introduction to eastern spirituality. Part two takes the eight limbs of yoga (from the yoga sutras) and interprets them for the "urban mystic". This is a laudable goal, and the book is sometimes very good, even brilliant in a few places. However, it is also dumbed down or wrong in many places. Whole Wheat breathing anyone?

His chapter about tapas is way off the mark. Quoting from the book: "A more modern approach to tapas would be to take a real inventory of our possessions. Most of us, if we were really honest, would be able to take several truckloads of stuff to Good Will and not miss a thing." He interprets tapas as being about non-materialism. But tapas is heat, the self discipline/spiritual effort involved in breaking our conditioned patterns. It's a stretch to include non-materialism, which would more appropriately be Aparigraha (greedlessness), one of the Yamas. But non-materialism is all he discusses in this chapter.

Surprisingly, the book did work for our book discussion. It allowed us to take a fresh look at each concept, discuss positives and negatives in the book, and extend the discussion from there.

Authors often have a specific reader in mind for their writings, and it felt to me that Darren Main's intended reader is a 12 year old cousin who knows little about yoga. It's not a bad book if you've been practicing asana and want a casual introduction to yoga philosophy. However, if you are deeply interested in yoga, I would skip this book and read something written by someone with greater depth and experience. I usually recommend Erich Shiffmann's book "Yoga, the Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness" to those new to yoga.

this book is really fun and easy to read. it's unpretentious, honest, and good natured in its discussion of the mental hurdles, internal conflicts, and regular friction that arise in our lives daily. anybody who has read a lot of what they call mystical, esoteric, or religious texts will especially enjoy the combination of simplicity, sincerity, and depth, that the author has infused this book with. i'd recommend this to absolutely anyone, whether they're interested in yoga or not -- it made a huge difference in my perspective. thank you, darren.

if you practise hatha yoga and are looking for more insight into the non-physical aspects of the practise, you may find as i did, that this book feels like your favorite yoga instructor: full of insight yet unpretentious; warmly encouraging yet demanding.

Darren does a wonderful job of presenting the yogic spiritual principles and then showing us ways to weave spiritual action into our modern day lives. This book is warm and accessible urging progress and allowing us to let go of the anxiety producing drive for perfection. Darren's personal examples and explanations come from a place of authenticity and compassion inspiring the reader to practice not just on the yoga mat, but in the car, standing in line at the grocery store, and in the workplace. This is a great book to read and a fantastic book to keep coming back to. I highly recommend this book to anyone, yoga practitioner or not, who seeks guidance in connecting with the deeper principles of a meaningful life.

In his book, Darren Main clearly outlines the ancient Eight-Limbed system of Yoga originaly expounded by the Indian sage Patanjali. Darren brings this ancient path towards union into our cultural context by illustrating his own experience in order to bring yoga to life.
I suggest this book both to those new to Yoga and those with a dedicated practice.

Two friends of mine want me to teach them yoga this summer, and I am making them read this book first, so they know that yoga is not limited to the practice of asana.

Darren Main helps the modern yogi understand the more complex concepts of yoga philosophy and ancient yoga texts using illustrative anecdotes and experiences. This is a great book to pick up if you practice yoga but havent explored the philosophy side of the practice.

I am halfway through this book and cannot put it down! Darren Main puts a modern spin on ancient tradition, making yogic philosophy accessible to everyone. Written with grace and humor, this is the ultimate guide for the "urban mystic."

As a yoga teacher, I recommend this book to all of my students. It's great for both new and experienced yogis as it explains yoga philosophy in a way that is easy to understand. It is also filled with wonderful stories, quotes and little bits of wisdom. An essential book for anyone who wants to learn about yoga off the mat.

This has to be one of the best books I've read recently about Yoga philosophy. The author takes a complicated subject and explains it simply and logically, using examples from his own life and from the lives of his friends and acquaintances. If you enjoy books about spirituality, are a yoga enthusiast, or enjoy reading about different philosophies, this book is definitely for you. I shouldn't be, but I was surprised at the youth of the author. This book contains wisdom that is usually written in books by spiritual masters at the end of a long and devoted life. I would certainly recommend this book.

darren is a phenomenal teacher and presents yoga philosophy in a clear and concise way. he exudes enthusiasm about the yamas and niyamas and shares great examples to help the urbanite determine how to apply the yogic principles into one's city environment. i highly recommend this text for students and teachers alike.