Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living

Simliar to the first book I read by Donna Farhi ( Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness ), this book was nothing like I expected, yet still exceptionally wonderful.I was expecting an overview of the basic ethical principles of yoga. Instead, I was greeted with an intriguing introduction to all the possibilities yoga has to offer, unique angles on the eight-limbed path of true Yoga, and (last but not least) the various "roadbloacks & distractions" that could slow, stop, or reverse your progress.Like many wonderful teachers and writers, Donna includes personal anecdotes from her own life & her students (without being too specific or identifiable). This makes all of the precepts she covers much more realistic, attainable, and most importantly, worth making the effort for.Another thing to be adored about Donna (and this book in particular): Donna doesn't sugar-coat anything. This is life, we all make mistakes, we are all imperfect - BUT - we are all also divine and capable. The potential is within us all (it always has been) and the author herself stands at a testament to the life-changing abilities of a genuine Yoga practice.Simply put, I can easily see why this is must-read book #2 for the Yoga Teacher Training course I am taking ("Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness" being the first). This is another book that, in my opinion, each & every yoga practitioner should read - and re-read over the course of their journey

Sesquipedalian is one of the best words to describe the author. If reading wordy, philosophical books is interesting to you, then read this one. I am by no means uneducated, I read a lot of books, but I feel like the author used a thesaurus to find the fanciest way to say something. Example: We make firm this abiding center of equanimity but not to sequester ourselves from life or make life less "lively." Really? Go around using words like abiding, equanimity, and sequester for a week and see how many people ask you what they mean. The author's use of the biggest word she could find in a thesaurus gives the whole book a feeling of condescension towards her students and the readers of the book. I intend to burn this book. Really, the overuse of words that are rarely used anywhere other than a dictionary was so distracting that I missed the points the author was trying to make until I read the same paragraph every day for a few days. I would find something that gave me an 'aha moment' and by the time I got to the end of a paragraph, I had forgotten what I had found so important. I felt like I had ADD because I could not focus on this book for more than a few minutes. When I was a kid, I sat down and read an entire set of Biblical encyclopedias over a week's time. I enjoy reading. This book makes me hate reading.... And to the people that gave glowing reviews, glad ya'll got something out of it. But honestly, I feel like most of the people that wrote those 5 star reviews are lying about it being easy to read and understand. There is nothing clear and concise about this book. I would have an easier time reading the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit.

If you are "doing" yoga to get that bikini body or to round off your Crosfit workout this is not the book for you. However if you are practicing yoga with the intent to discover and live from your true "Self" then this book is a true gem. Donna is clear and direct in her exposition of yoga as an integrative discipline and path towards a life lived with clarity and integrity not hooked by pleasure or pain but rather from a centered and balanced stillpoint. Donna reveals yoga as a means to develop self inquiry skills in addition to acceptance of what is present at the time, acceptance and the patience to overcome limitations in its proper time. She speaks from her life experience honestly and without holding back and delineates how the philosophy of yoga can be practically taken off the mat empowering the practitioner to live a skillful, effective and meaningful life.

I found myself highlighting several passages in this book so as to remember them. Donna Fargo does a great job of completely explaining philosophical concepts of yoga and using metaphors so they can be easily understood. I bought this book to help me construct a yoga workshop and I was delightfully happy to see that it was required reading for my yoga teacher training program. I would love for her to include aspects of cultural appropriation in future additions. A must-read for anyone who wants to explore yoga philosophy completely and thoroughly.

This book is a great introductory book to anyone who wishes to understand yoga beyond ‘Asana’ practice and would like to explore the other arms of yoga (union). I’ve learnt and gained so much in theory and putting into practice in my daily life. Interesting and important piece of work for my continuation to deep dive.

As a newcomer to Yoga, two months, I really do not have the knowledge to choose the "right" book on that vast subject.Having said that, this book could not have been better if it had been written for me specifically. I looked up Yoga books in Amazon's Kindle section and for whatever reason chose this one.This book found me. Only explanation.When I finish this book I shall read it again. It is so in depth I will learn more with each reading. It is also so accessible that this newcomer was not overwhelmed, confused or put off in any way on his first reading.BUY THIS. Namaste, KC

This book isn't just a yoga book, it's a book about life. Donna Fargo is dead on when she explains the ups and downs of human nature. I happen to be taking an intensive yoga training class right now and this was a required read. I would recommend this book to anyone, yoga is beneficial to me for my injured back, I take a seated class which is becoming much more popular. You can take yoga classes for the physical benefit but if you also open your mind to yoga you'll simply be astounded at what it can do for your well being. This book is a good start to understanding yourself and yoga.

This came with me on my holidays . I travelled alone and yet felt Donna with me on every page and step on the cobbled streets, sand and plane back home. A must for any yoga teacher for sure. Highlighted to death and written with candour and kindness

I keep coming back to this book every few years. It helps me to remember why I love yoga so much. I go back to the mat with a different, beautiful energy.

I ask this as did it change my life? No. However what Donna does do is inspire and explain in an easy way what yoga is. It's full of anecdotes which I related to; oh I did that. I know someone like that. To be able to deal with our life, to love our life all through yoga. Non patronising, non judgmental. Just a gentle coax into the beauty that is yoga. Will you step in?

Inspired me to consider so many aspects of myself, the way I live my life, treatment of myself and others. Totally enlightening insight into how you can develop, and alter the path of your emotions and behaviors, in consideration of physical yoga practice and study of the 8 limbs. Thought provoking...

Bringing ancient and timeless yet complex and sometimes elusive teachings into everyday language, Donna’s book is a treat for anyone wanting to unpack yoga in a way that makes working sense.I love her easy writing style, where not a single word is wasted, and where huge care has been taken to speak precisely.Outstanding, compulsory reading ...