book about yoga

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Hi all, I would be so happy if you know/read and recommend a book about yoga. Lately, I have been interested in yoga and willing to learn more about it through a good source beside from the poses. Thanks

selichan's picture
selichan

Hi Selda,
It's strange how this forum becomes part of your life without knowing. I've recently been thinking of you and that I haven't seen posts from you a while. I hope that you are feeling better. :)
I've bought numerous books on yoga and meditation in the past, but none that i can recommend, i pick them up once in a while, then find it hard to read. I do however enjoy books by Chopra and Osho. They are more philosophical. The most recent book i read was by Deepak Chopra "Reinventing the body, resurrecting the soul" It had very good parts, and some more dull.Osho has a series of books. I liked "freedom". It has some anti-establishment type of tone but some points are interesting.
I wasn't sure if you are in LA area. There is a bookstore called Bodhi Tree. It's on Melrose X La Cienega. Absolutely love this bookstore, packed with books on yoga, and eastern philosophy. I'd definately check it out. There is a cafe next to it called Urth Cafe, all organic foods, and great for occasional star spotting. Super healthy and fresh but their menu choices are far too advanced for my diet allows. Looking forward to having their organic coffee and sandwiches some day again.
 

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks so much for the info&details.I stopped checking the website for a while, just to listen myself--see my progress, and also due to the emotional part of this webpage : I mean sometimes coming here feels so safe as I learn so much and love reading&sharing experiences but sometimes it makes me sad--I can't read anymore. I am doing fine, that deep emotional (crying me) is a bit gone--a more energetic one is back lately. I feel like keeping myself inside home, not doing many activities for literally months, and just being patient with m body taught me a lot. Though after a while I noticed it is not my ego or something, it is my body which wants to move. So I has started to hot yoga ( Matia doesn't recommend it--at least to me ) but honestly it is the only thing making me feel safe&peaceful right now in my life, so I am doing it in a compassionate level that I can enjoy,relax. I changed so much that I don't know how to explain, really. It is a huge life experience for me, and I am sure it is same for everyone under this protocol. I am each and every day amazed by this way of treatment. Though sometimes it feels awkward, too: I keep changing and the things I do a month ago doesn't seem like things I would do currently. It is like being drunk --this is something I never experience before the treatment..Not sure how others dealing with this, or experiencing the same--but my perception about others around me, people I knew in the past, experiences all change. A new awareness in my mind, ahhh so much to tell..
As for physical side, lately I have so much craving--but I reach to the food on my list--but it seems like i never have enough, oh my!
 Selichan, I forgot, how long have you been on treatment? I hope you are doing fine. Also are you on diet list 1 or 2? Thanks so much for the books, I like reading Chopra as well, I was planning to get one of his books : the seven principles of yoga (I think this was the name) and I will check the ones you wrote. I am not in LA,so can't check the bookstore and the cafe. Hope you can enjoy a coffee and a fresh delicious sandwich there while reading a nice book soon :)

selichan's picture
selichan

Selda, it's really great that you are making an effort to pay attention to yourself and the changes you are going through to observe your progress. I wish i could be more in the moment like that. That's one of the reasons i need something like yoga and meditation in my life. Is there any other type of yoga you can practice except the Bikram/hot yoga? I am not sure why this kind of yoga is not recommended, but i was almost disappointed to hear iyengar style hatha yoga was too strenious for me. I don't like modernized yoga, it feels a bit soulless to me but i know anything is better than nothing, which is where i am right now. Because i lost a lot of weight, i was always petite before this, i've been too afraid to exercise. But now my body needs the fresh air, the open air walks and yoga. Even though i don't understand it well, i think yoga is much deeper than stretching muscles. I would still mention to Matia that you are doing hot yoga even though she may not recommend it, it's better she knows. I too have been changing emotionally, for one thing, i am speaking up a lot and am not afraid to disagree anymore. I still have to work on my emotions, and maybe deep routed anger. I think i am uptight cause i had to deal with a lot in life. I think yoga will help soften my mind and help me be. 
I am list 2 now, 7 months in treatment. Matia mentioned i might pass to list 3 soon, which is super exciting and scary at the same time. The lists are parallel to how we feel so i shouldn't worry and just enjoy-but i can't help wonder ahead if in the next 5 months what's waiting for me. We've recently cut down my bifido take due to extremely painful heartburns. I sometimes feel i am not progressing as fast. That's why it was good for me to hear from you that you are involved listening to your body and its needs and making the path as much a learning experience as possible. Hope to hear more positive news from you in the future soon. :)

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified)

Meditation helped me tremendously, I took a class 3-4 months ago ust to see what it is all about. I would say it requires hard work &persistence, but considering ecen 3-4 minutes all one needs to spend each day(in the beginning may be) it is really sth we all could do. Selichan, I totally agree yoga is more than strecthing. Funny thing is that before the treatment, like 3 years ago or so, I did yoga3-4 months but never felt like this back then--it was more like streching for me--but now, it feels like home, really. I sometimes cry during some poses, oh my! I think it is a great way of being. Though, it is powerful, and I heard it here from others that it might be challenging. I tried Kundalini  once a week for about 2 months as well, and I must say it did make me dizzy, really. I do believe it is a good way of healing the body, but when we are under this protocol it might reverse sth, or become too powerful as we are very sensitive now. I do it once a month or so now. Sure, I can practice other yogas but sweating makes me feel good, and I will tell Matia next time I talk to her of course.
Walking is great, I remember Matia telling me one time to walk looking at the blue sky if I wasn't able to do any other exercise. Fresh air, as you said and moving the body a bit. Haha speaking up&diasgreeing are common I think, for those times we haven't spoken up for! It is challenging though, I found myself not recognizing myself often times, but I love living this way--respecting to own self. I hope you can move forward to list 3 as quick as you want, but enjoy list 2 while you can. It is sometimes boring to eat the same things but after being used to it, simple sounds good&delicious. I am not very familiar with the list, so I can't recommend any recipe (I have a different diet than lists) but really when you are in the kitchen just be creative and use whatever you can eat, I cook for myself, everyday. and sometimes just love mixing the stuff &experimenting as I am the only one eating it at the end.:) You might find really delicious recipes yourself. Just one example, I startd to eat lots of swiss&green chards: I cook them with olive oil and salt, and kind of cook a bit more until it gets a bit burned--sometimes add it to red meat, hmm it is really delicious, esp  with some quinoa!.
I hope the treatment's being slow desn't discourage you. It is so slow, but the body is way smarter than we think-sometimes we need to push a bit and it finds its own way; if we push way too hard, it pulls itself back-- when we listen we can understand this . So listening is good. And heartburns is something I used to have, and still have --I get anxious, and I breathe so deeply--or try to mediate. It helps, really. For me the hardest part was this last winter, emotionally. Now when I think back then, I feel like I was in a dark but peaceful tunnel, a place I did not even know it existed before--and when I think I can't believe how emotional I was!!! I am so grateful I had those feelings I didnt even know I could have. It is such a beautiful thing to have more experience in this lifetime, really. Of course, suffering is not something we want --though it makes us grow. Hopefully we al will get back to healthy way of life not forgetting what we have been through, and not forgetting the lessons we take.
 
 
 
 
 

blondy's picture
blondy

speaking about hot yoga.... I became a big fan of sauna. It take my mind away and makes me feel good. I wonder if I go against protocol, too. Does anyone know?

selichan's picture
selichan

I have a feeling that would be a no no as well. I used to enjoy them occasionally before but i'd be too afraid to try now. 

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified)

I had read here someone talking about sauna in the past, and Matia's not recommending it. She doesnt recommend as it is better not to purge body fluids since we need them.

catalina's picture
catalina

You might want to read "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda.

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous (not verified)

Thank you. I am adding this one to my read-list now.