Emotional Yoga

by Bija Bennett

For years, yoga has been prized for its benefits to the body, providing healing, rejuvenation, overall toning and solutions to a host of other physical problems. Recently, however, author Bija Bennett has sought to bring yoga back to basics, inspiring instructors and practitioners alike to rediscover the emotional and spiritual wellness that yoga can bring. Drawing on her training in yoga therapy, dance and meditation, Bija Bennett has created a yoga programme that takes full advantage of the mind-body connection. Based on the classical eight-fold path of yoga, her system offers a broad range of simple mind-body techniques that can positively affect our emotional well-being, including the dynamic interplay of movements, breathing exercises, meditations, lifestyle skills, rituals, gestures and healing sounds. Each technique is presented in a way that is true to Bennett's background in the tradition of Viniyoga, which allows the reader to adapt the programme to his or her specific needs. More than 70 photographs clearly demonstrate a variety of movements and poses to make this book easy to use for any age or level of experience.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published August 27, 2002

Reviews

[Bloodorange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be an excellent guide for developing a full, deep practice of yoga. I will definitely continue to work with this book.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In no other time in recent history have emotions been so respected. We are beginning to appreciate that emotions are not just annoying vestiges of our animal heritage. Instead, emotions can clue us into our sources of anxiety. Listening to emotions can turn out to be healing and beneficial. The problem is that too often we judge our emotions, and quickly squash them into ourselves, suppressing the body's natural response to our circumstances. Yoga as a practice helps individuals become more aware of their bodies. As a vinyasa yoga instructor in Portland, Oregon, I am seeking frameworks for emotional yoga therapy-- ways yoga teachers can specialize around helping people "overcome," re-frame, and re-wire their emotional responses.

I am loving Ms. Bennett's approach to healing. She organizes her writing around the 8 limbs of yoga. This is wonderful because it fits in with the yogic philosophy Vedic sages developed over 4,000 years ago. So far I am reading about the first limb, awareness/allowing. In this case, Ms. Bennett writes about becoming aware of one's emotional state, and accepting it as it is.

[ForestGardenGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book, but I experienced an odd level of discomfiture the entire time I was reading. This was neither an entirely practical book (to be used as a practice guide) nor a fully mental book (to be read as a preparation for or supplement to any practice, but apart from the practice itself). For that reason, I always felt like I was in the wrong clothes... Can't wear jeans, what if I want to practice something she suggests? And let's face it, reading a book while lounging on the couch in yoga pants just feels wrong!

[Sebastian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this book months ago but I had to stop for a while. It's funny because I was past the halfway point of the book when I decided to give it a rest.
It's not necessarily a bad book but I personally felt that it was containing a bi tof toxic positivity? I wanted to finish it though because I'm interested in the emotional aspect of yoga but this book just didn't do it for me.

[Pabarrett]

Emotional yoga : how the body can heal the mind by Bija. Bennett (2002)

[Julianne Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to yoga. It was easy to follow.