Via Kate Bartolotta

on Jan 4, 2013

Peace, Love & Yoga Books.

Tip of the day:

 Whatever you are doing, be completely present.

I was driving earlier and it took about five minutes before I realized I was listening to a horribly annoying song (American Pie). I was driving, but my mind was in a million other places. I was thinking about my yoga practice from earlier and what I would write, thinking about where I was headed, thinking about dinner, thinking about work I needed to finish. I was completely absent from what was going on.

It’s good advice for every part of life, not just yoga, but I love how so many parts of our yoga practices have a way of keeping us present. Balancing postures? Better be present! The combination of physical and spiritual, to me, helps tame my scatteredness a bit. And the times when it doesn’t and I’m still in a million different places? Well, that’s why it’s called a practice.

Now to the books.

While there are many wonderful, serious and philosophical books on yoga (and I would highly recommend 21st Century Yoga, featuring many incredible elephant writers) Yoga to the Rescue by Amy Luwis is one of my favorite fun and useful books.

Can you learn yoga from a book? Well…yes and no.

I would never recommend a book as a starting point for learning asana practice. A good teacher is a huge key for learning safe alignment. Also, a high quality video can be helpful in terms of cues and pacing for your practice, as well as helpful tips on alignment.

But beyond that, books can be a great resource to add to your home practice. I received Yoga to the Rescue as a Christmas gift several years ago. It has a ton of information on the purposes and effects of many asanas, as well as explaining how to create some basic sequences for yourself. And the illustrations are awesome and hilarious. It’s definitely geared towards women (including a section on yoga during your period) but the majority of the information is relevant to male and female yogis.

Today’s practice? An energizing sequence mid-morning instead of a second cup of coffee.

What was your practice like today? Are you doing #yogaeverydamnday this month? Check back for my updates and follow along on Twitter @kate_bartolotta and Pinterest.

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Kate Bartolotta is the strongest girl in the world. She is the love child of a pirate and a roller derby queen. She hails from the second star to the right. She doesn't know how to behave with all the apples and ibexes. She doesn't suffer from her eight million freckles, she loves them! She drinks her lemonade right from the jug. Like a rolling stone, Kate gathers no moss. Kate loves kale, being barefoot, Dr. Seuss, singing too loudly, gallivanting, palindromes, blackberries, Elvis Presley, magic tricks and (of course) elephants. She has been charged with (and found guilty of) overusing the exclamation point! When she's not writing, you can find her practicing yoga, running in the woods, playing with her kids, devouring a book, planting dandelions, changing the world and doing her dishes. Kate does not play the accordion. She is on her way to becoming a fabulous massage therapist, a mediocre writer and a compassionate friend to all. This year Kate aspires to finally give up on learning to knit and will instead spend that time writing for elephant journal. Connect with Kate on Facebook and Twitter