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Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength, and Inner Peace
Yin, Yang, Yogini is a memoir about transformation through yoga, with yoga as the backdrop for change, a story of how one can evolve in mid-life and in mid-stride, of how one can learn to let go of the past, let go of fear, and live with trust in the present moment.
This is a memoir about a transformational two years of Kathryn’s life, a time in which she learned to trust herself and the universe, even while facing such issues as the death of her parents, her children leaving home for college, panic and anxiety issues, and breast cancer. Kathryn's story is heartfelt, humorous and timely and about finding courage, strength, and happiness within.
This is a memoir about a transformational two years of Kathryn’s life, a time in which she learned to trust herself and the universe, even while facing such issues as the death of her parents, her children leaving home for college, panic and anxiety issues, and breast cancer. Kathryn's story is heartfelt, humorous and timely and about finding courage, strength, and happiness within.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
324 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2013
33 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn E. Livingston
8 books9 followersKathryn has been writing about motherhood and parenting issues for 30 years; now she's turned her pen to yoga and how it transformed her life. Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength & Inner Peace is the story of how one can change in mid-life and mid-stride, of how one can let go of fear and live in the present moment. It's about finding courage, strength and happiness within.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 22, 2013
This is one of the best books I've ever read.
To sum it up in one sentence: if you liked Eat, Pray, Love then you will love this book.
The title says it all: a woman's quest for Balance, Strength and Inner Peace. But it's so much more. From the first page I felt a connection to Kathryn, it was as if she was describing me. I just started yoga classes so I could identify with Kathryn at the beginning of her journey. My hope is to find the Balance, Strength and Inner Peace that she did.
one line in the book stuck with me in particular. "You get what you deserve in life", and the different ways you can interpret that sentence. This book came into my life exactly when I needed it and when I was open to the message.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. Regardless of where you are in your life, you will find something of value in this book.
To sum it up in one sentence: if you liked Eat, Pray, Love then you will love this book.
The title says it all: a woman's quest for Balance, Strength and Inner Peace. But it's so much more. From the first page I felt a connection to Kathryn, it was as if she was describing me. I just started yoga classes so I could identify with Kathryn at the beginning of her journey. My hope is to find the Balance, Strength and Inner Peace that she did.
one line in the book stuck with me in particular. "You get what you deserve in life", and the different ways you can interpret that sentence. This book came into my life exactly when I needed it and when I was open to the message.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. Regardless of where you are in your life, you will find something of value in this book.
February 28, 2015
My own yoga practice has been re inspired after reading Livingston's book. I truly believe there are no accidents. The timing in which I requested, received, and read this book reaffirms the path of my own personal journey.
October 16, 2014
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!
Kathryn is a mother, a wife, a daughter (whose mother just died), and a neurotic mess. She can't lose weight, quit drinking, or deal with stress in her day-to-day life. A therapist suggests mood altering medication or yoga. Frightened by the potential side effects of the medicine, she chooses yoga. This is her story of inner and outer change.
I imagine that a memoir like this would be very difficult to write because of the subtlety involved in an inner transformation. There's not a lot of action to describe and it doesn't make a lot of sense when her reactions to the things happening around her begin to change because the reader isn't able to travel in her shoes. At times, the story became extremely repetitive, almost formulaic. 1. In this morning, Kathryn would have something happen to her involving family such as a fight with her husband or trouble involving her sons. 2. Kathryn would attend a yoga class and either do well and feel good about it or do bad and feel not-so-good about it. 3. She comes home from yoga and recites a platitude about the situation from the morning. 4. *Repeat*
I connected most with Kathryn when she was worried for her sons. I also suffer, occasionally, from irrational fears when my child heads out the door. Everybody has to find their 'yoga' so to speak to handle that. Kathryn triggered a small pet peeve of mine when she kept referring to her friends as 'Republican' or 'Democrat, 'conservative' or 'liberal'. Everybody has political opinions, it's not an us vs them thing. We're all just people. But, at one point in the story, she was concerned that she wasn't going to be able to hang out with her wine group anymore because she had made the decision that she didn't want to drink- and she didn't think that she could tolerate some of their political opinions without the numbing effects of alcohol. Please. They're your friends or they're not. So, sometimes, Kathryn's problems were not what I considered 'real' problems, more just issues conjured up in her head to excuse her over reactions.
So, if you like neurotic (liberal, teehee) writers who use yoga to solve all of their problems, you'll love this memoir.
Kathryn is a mother, a wife, a daughter (whose mother just died), and a neurotic mess. She can't lose weight, quit drinking, or deal with stress in her day-to-day life. A therapist suggests mood altering medication or yoga. Frightened by the potential side effects of the medicine, she chooses yoga. This is her story of inner and outer change.
I imagine that a memoir like this would be very difficult to write because of the subtlety involved in an inner transformation. There's not a lot of action to describe and it doesn't make a lot of sense when her reactions to the things happening around her begin to change because the reader isn't able to travel in her shoes. At times, the story became extremely repetitive, almost formulaic. 1. In this morning, Kathryn would have something happen to her involving family such as a fight with her husband or trouble involving her sons. 2. Kathryn would attend a yoga class and either do well and feel good about it or do bad and feel not-so-good about it. 3. She comes home from yoga and recites a platitude about the situation from the morning. 4. *Repeat*
I connected most with Kathryn when she was worried for her sons. I also suffer, occasionally, from irrational fears when my child heads out the door. Everybody has to find their 'yoga' so to speak to handle that. Kathryn triggered a small pet peeve of mine when she kept referring to her friends as 'Republican' or 'Democrat, 'conservative' or 'liberal'. Everybody has political opinions, it's not an us vs them thing. We're all just people. But, at one point in the story, she was concerned that she wasn't going to be able to hang out with her wine group anymore because she had made the decision that she didn't want to drink- and she didn't think that she could tolerate some of their political opinions without the numbing effects of alcohol. Please. They're your friends or they're not. So, sometimes, Kathryn's problems were not what I considered 'real' problems, more just issues conjured up in her head to excuse her over reactions.
So, if you like neurotic (liberal, teehee) writers who use yoga to solve all of their problems, you'll love this memoir.
January 23, 2016
I was not sure what to expect when I bought this ebook on Amazon. My brother-in-law had recommended a book by the Dalai Lama. On the same Amazon page was this book and on a lark I decided to purchase it as well. I have never had much interest in yoga and have never taken a class. Recently, though, my massage therapist has been telling me about how she is becoming a yoga instructor.
Initially as I was reading, the book did not appeal to me because Livingston seemed to be afraid of everything. Her fears dominated her life, but I kept reading. About half way through the book, there was a sudden change in the tone and content of the book. Livingston was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ironically, she had never feared that she would have cancer.
Having experienced prostate cancer about 10 years ago, my reading ears perked up and I became more interested in her story. Livingston had surgery and radiation and after six months was cancer free. The book covers two years of her life as her sons are growing up and leaving home. She copes with turning fifty, discovering yoga, being diagnosed with cancer and conquering her fears.
While yoga terms are sprinkled throughout the book, the book is not a manual on yoga. Instead, yoga serves as the framework for the story of how Livingston was able to change her attitude and discover strength and courage.
I recommend the book to people who love memoirs. The book is worth the journey.
Initially as I was reading, the book did not appeal to me because Livingston seemed to be afraid of everything. Her fears dominated her life, but I kept reading. About half way through the book, there was a sudden change in the tone and content of the book. Livingston was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ironically, she had never feared that she would have cancer.
Having experienced prostate cancer about 10 years ago, my reading ears perked up and I became more interested in her story. Livingston had surgery and radiation and after six months was cancer free. The book covers two years of her life as her sons are growing up and leaving home. She copes with turning fifty, discovering yoga, being diagnosed with cancer and conquering her fears.
While yoga terms are sprinkled throughout the book, the book is not a manual on yoga. Instead, yoga serves as the framework for the story of how Livingston was able to change her attitude and discover strength and courage.
I recommend the book to people who love memoirs. The book is worth the journey.
August 21, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. I do not practice yoga, have always been interested, just never took the leap. But this book is about so much more than yoga, It is about the life struggles we all deal with, as women, as human beings, it is about cancer, friendship, getting older, life. I love the way the author writes and pulls you into the story so that you feel you know her, know her friends and family. I was so sad when the book was over. I found myself reading very slowly, a few pages at a time, towards the end, trying to make it last. My only criticism is that the book wasn't a few thousands pages! The lovely prose and message of hope will stay with me for a long time. Thank you for writing this book and sharing your yoga learnings with the rest of us. Miss you and your friends already. Sigh.
April 25, 2014
Author write in the now and actually likes her own skin and who she is in life. This book is about taking an enlightening journey of finding yourself and changing your imperfections as you see it and then living the way you want to live.
I found this book humorous, funny and a absolute dream to read. The book speaks to women, picks a fight with death and comes through with all flags flying, experiencing panic, anxiety attacks and then a enlightening transformation.
Words cannot express what this lady has been through but she, its about finding strength, courage and adversity.
I found this book humorous, funny and a absolute dream to read. The book speaks to women, picks a fight with death and comes through with all flags flying, experiencing panic, anxiety attacks and then a enlightening transformation.
Words cannot express what this lady has been through but she, its about finding strength, courage and adversity.
August 5, 2016
This writer's style is very informal...almost read like a YA book. I expect more sophistication out of a professional writer with decades of experience. The content was a little dull for me, but it's probably a good book for beginning yoginis. She gives the reader a good sense of what it's like to begin practicing and attending yoga classes for the first time.
November 7, 2016
The author has some similar neurotic thoughts as me, so I found this book to be comforting. It also inspired me to start going to yoga classes on a regular basis again. That is something I had done in the past (and know the benefits) but have gotten away from.
March 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this book in the beginning, but then it got bogged down in, "today at yoga we did this."
May 21, 2018
I have practiced yoga for about 13 or 14 years. It was something I always wanted to do but living in a small mountain area town it was difficult to find let alone attend a class. Yeah for CD's and then Internet and YouTube. I remember my first years practicing and how I could not get enough. I have noticed in the past few years that some, no a lot, of my practice had become stale. I found a few new websites to practice but once I had made the circuit of those I was bored again. I "found" this book on my goodreads want to read list and immediately ordered it from my library. I started reading it as soon as the library got it in for me. I immediately remembered the joy I had when I started practicing so long ago. Just as Ms. Livingston felt new and inspired and uncomfortable and silly and powerful, so did I. This book helped me bring that joy back. Then, coincidentally (I don't think so) I discovered a fabulous new yoga site with young, inspiring, challenging teachers. I am reborn again! I appreciate Ms. Livingston sharing her journey into the unknown and her powerful message of love, facing fear, and the wonderful people and things that are put in our path everyday but rarely pay proper attention to. I hope this book will inspire others to live whatever life they are living and to wake each day with a sense of wonder and hope. Yoga can absolutely change your life, the way you see and hear things, the way you eat - it can change everything.
July 18, 2018
Excellent read, very raw and intimate sharing of her life and struggles.
November 17, 2016
Very slow and self-centered.
December 22, 2024
Another yoga memoir, with some hits and misses. It's more like a 3 1/2 start rating for me. Not quite a 4, but more than a 3.
The first part is engaging, but when she starts writing about her breast cancer, it loses some of its steam.
I couldn't connect with her on most levels. She's a stay-at-home mom with three sons, all of whom are teenagers or nearly graduating from college. She is a member of three groups/clubs - wine, book and writing. She takes up yoga to deal with anxiety. She lives in a small town that's somewhere close enough to commute to NYC. They have enough money for her to take three yoga classes a week, with one being $16 a class. She had an extremely loving and safe upbringing, with a mother she adored. Nice life. Then she later says how she was unlucky to get breast cancer. Considering what she's told the reader, she's had a charmed life until the cancer, which she beats.
There's some "everything happens for a reason" nonsense. Want to explain the Holocaust with that "reasoning"?
Oh, and her disdain for her Republican friends, high school coaches, and something else made me think that she's not absorbing the philosophy of yoga the way she should. Yes, she comes around, but for someone in her early 50s, she lacks maturity.
I seek out yoga memoirs because I know how transformative yoga can be. This one is worth reading, but don't think it will be a life-changing book. It's a nice addition to the genre, but it's probably not one that will connect with a lot of readers.
The first part is engaging, but when she starts writing about her breast cancer, it loses some of its steam.
I couldn't connect with her on most levels. She's a stay-at-home mom with three sons, all of whom are teenagers or nearly graduating from college. She is a member of three groups/clubs - wine, book and writing. She takes up yoga to deal with anxiety. She lives in a small town that's somewhere close enough to commute to NYC. They have enough money for her to take three yoga classes a week, with one being $16 a class. She had an extremely loving and safe upbringing, with a mother she adored. Nice life. Then she later says how she was unlucky to get breast cancer. Considering what she's told the reader, she's had a charmed life until the cancer, which she beats.
There's some "everything happens for a reason" nonsense. Want to explain the Holocaust with that "reasoning"?
Oh, and her disdain for her Republican friends, high school coaches, and something else made me think that she's not absorbing the philosophy of yoga the way she should. Yes, she comes around, but for someone in her early 50s, she lacks maturity.
I seek out yoga memoirs because I know how transformative yoga can be. This one is worth reading, but don't think it will be a life-changing book. It's a nice addition to the genre, but it's probably not one that will connect with a lot of readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2015
I got this book free from Goodreads FirstReads.
To begin with, I really don't like to give a negative review for a memoir. I know that the author is attempting to tell their personal story and I think that, in itself, is remarkable. The book started out very interesting to me but then I lost interest and I couldn't quite understand why.
This book is written over the course of two years with each chapter being a month of that span of time. Kathryn Livingston tells of her stress and struggle of what I would think is a mid life "crisis" that all women go through as they raise their family and begin to wonder if maybe life has passed them by. Kathryn begins yoga on the advice of her therapist and begins to find that inner peace and balance in her life. But along the road she is diagnosed with breast cancer and she receives much support from her yoga and the friends she has made along the way. She, and we the reader, discover just you strong she has become.
I mentioned that I lost interest while reading and it took me a long time to finish this book. The fact is that I really don't understand yoga and the power that it brings to those who practice it. (I am not saying that in a negative way. I just have no personal experience with it.) I also think that there is much repetition in the author's story. It seems to drag on at times.
The story is a good one and I am glad that Ms. Livingston survived her cancer diagnosis. I can see that the yoga was a very strengthening experience for her. I just believe that this book just wasn't for me.
To begin with, I really don't like to give a negative review for a memoir. I know that the author is attempting to tell their personal story and I think that, in itself, is remarkable. The book started out very interesting to me but then I lost interest and I couldn't quite understand why.
This book is written over the course of two years with each chapter being a month of that span of time. Kathryn Livingston tells of her stress and struggle of what I would think is a mid life "crisis" that all women go through as they raise their family and begin to wonder if maybe life has passed them by. Kathryn begins yoga on the advice of her therapist and begins to find that inner peace and balance in her life. But along the road she is diagnosed with breast cancer and she receives much support from her yoga and the friends she has made along the way. She, and we the reader, discover just you strong she has become.
I mentioned that I lost interest while reading and it took me a long time to finish this book. The fact is that I really don't understand yoga and the power that it brings to those who practice it. (I am not saying that in a negative way. I just have no personal experience with it.) I also think that there is much repetition in the author's story. It seems to drag on at times.
The story is a good one and I am glad that Ms. Livingston survived her cancer diagnosis. I can see that the yoga was a very strengthening experience for her. I just believe that this book just wasn't for me.
March 23, 2014
**I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway.**
This book was an okay read for me. This one is a difficult one to rate because I think that some people would really get something out of this read. Right now, there was a lot that I couldn't relate to.
The book follows Kathryn's yoga journey over two years. Every chapter is a different month. It felt like I was reading monthly blog posts. The book felt like a compilation of blog posts. This isn't a style I particularly enjoy in a full length book. On the other hand, I realize that this makes for a very genuine book. The author didn't try to force her experience into anything that it wasn't.
The major themes in the books are around getting over her anxiety, her mother's death, her son's impending college departure, and her cancer diagnosis. I'm listing them out because I think this book may be most valuable to others who are dealing with some of the same issues. I was expecting something a bit more universal, but the style of the book is very personal.
The author did do a good job of giving a clear picture of the town in which she lived, her friends, and her yoga instructors. These were my favorite parts of the books; seeing how others interacted with her and how they were a part of her journey.
This book was an okay read for me. This one is a difficult one to rate because I think that some people would really get something out of this read. Right now, there was a lot that I couldn't relate to.
The book follows Kathryn's yoga journey over two years. Every chapter is a different month. It felt like I was reading monthly blog posts. The book felt like a compilation of blog posts. This isn't a style I particularly enjoy in a full length book. On the other hand, I realize that this makes for a very genuine book. The author didn't try to force her experience into anything that it wasn't.
The major themes in the books are around getting over her anxiety, her mother's death, her son's impending college departure, and her cancer diagnosis. I'm listing them out because I think this book may be most valuable to others who are dealing with some of the same issues. I was expecting something a bit more universal, but the style of the book is very personal.
The author did do a good job of giving a clear picture of the town in which she lived, her friends, and her yoga instructors. These were my favorite parts of the books; seeing how others interacted with her and how they were a part of her journey.
June 20, 2014
Kathryn Livingston was always a worrier, but it's gotten worse for her since her mother died. Her mother was a worrier too and they worried about everything together. When one of her sons signs up for a month-long class in Europe she really starts to freak out about him being on the plane and so far from home for a month. She starts seeing a therapist to deal with her anxieties and they suggest she try yoga before going on medication to calm down. The book chronicles her first 2 years of practicing yoga. In the second year she is diagnosed with breast cancer and that's when she really sees the changes that yoga has brought in her life. She learns to stop being afraid of everything and dwelling in the past. Yoga teaches her to enjoy the moment and not worry about the past or the future, but just to be in the moment.
I've been practicing yoga for about 6 months now and I love it. I thought I would love this book, but it just wasn't great. While you do see Livingston change and grow through yoga I didn't like the tone of the book - it almost seemed complaining even when she was talking about good things. It also seemed very repetitive and wordy. Overall, I would recommend going to yoga instead of reading this book about Livingston's experience with yoga.
I've been practicing yoga for about 6 months now and I love it. I thought I would love this book, but it just wasn't great. While you do see Livingston change and grow through yoga I didn't like the tone of the book - it almost seemed complaining even when she was talking about good things. It also seemed very repetitive and wordy. Overall, I would recommend going to yoga instead of reading this book about Livingston's experience with yoga.
April 3, 2015
I love a good memoir, and I was pulled into Yin Yang Yogini from the get-go. The author and I are the same age and like her, I started practicing yoga after age 50, so progressing through the book was a personal experience as I recognized how our lives overlapped. I have seen comparisons to Eat,Pray,Love but I was delighted that I did not find Livingston's writing to be as self-absorbed and whiney as Gilbert's approach (I recognize that I am one of the few women on earth who hated that book!). There was an honesty and balance in Livingston's account (the ups and downs of her marriage, for example) that I really appreciated, and her growing gratitude for her experiences was a pleasure to observe as it unfolded. It's also one of the few mid-life books for women. I loved it!
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February 22, 2016I wanted to like it
I so liked the idea of a memoir about adopting yoga later in life. I've practiced off and on for years, but only recently find myself really committed. I was hoping to find someone in a similar place. Unfortunately the writing style really put me off, and I found myself wishing it to be over so I could read something better crafted. As I neared the end, I looked at some reviews to see if I was alone in my criticism. One person described it as something like young adult fiction, and I have to agree with that assessment.
The author clearly had a personal transformation she wanted to share, but there's a cloying, write-by-the-numbers feel to the book that lessens the impact of her story.
I so liked the idea of a memoir about adopting yoga later in life. I've practiced off and on for years, but only recently find myself really committed. I was hoping to find someone in a similar place. Unfortunately the writing style really put me off, and I found myself wishing it to be over so I could read something better crafted. As I neared the end, I looked at some reviews to see if I was alone in my criticism. One person described it as something like young adult fiction, and I have to agree with that assessment.
The author clearly had a personal transformation she wanted to share, but there's a cloying, write-by-the-numbers feel to the book that lessens the impact of her story.
August 2, 2014
My favorite yoga memoir so far. Kathryn's transformation from obsessive worrier to calm, accepting yogini is shown clearly and believably. Written in the present tense with such emotional clarity, it often feels as though one is reading a well-crafted personal journal. The twist in this memoir is that half-way through, when Kathryn has already found some inner peace through her regular yoga practice, she is truly tested with a diagnosis of breast cancer. An inspiring true tale of transformation.
Book Pairings:
Ram Dass's Polishing the Mirror
Katrina Kenison's Magical Journey
T.K.V. Desikachar's Heart of Yoga
Anita Moorjani's Dying to Be Me
Book Pairings:
Ram Dass's Polishing the Mirror
Katrina Kenison's Magical Journey
T.K.V. Desikachar's Heart of Yoga
Anita Moorjani's Dying to Be Me
July 5, 2014
First, looking at the author's picture she looks nowhere near 50.
The prose of her journey is lovely. Her story reads like a work of fiction with lush metaphors and similes about her how life fell apart and she put it back together with this spiritual practice. One complaint, as she's going through trials she's constantly reminding the reader about the how life changing the experience will become. It become a bit much telling as I wanted to see the show play out and learn the lesson along with her.
ARC provided by Netgalley
The prose of her journey is lovely. Her story reads like a work of fiction with lush metaphors and similes about her how life fell apart and she put it back together with this spiritual practice. One complaint, as she's going through trials she's constantly reminding the reader about the how life changing the experience will become. It become a bit much telling as I wanted to see the show play out and learn the lesson along with her.
ARC provided by Netgalley
July 20, 2016
I love eat pray love and this book has a similar style. The author is very descriptive and the plot is very interesting! My only issue was that I did not really relate to the character. I enjoy yoga on occasion but am not an avid participant. I am also in my twenties and don't find the main character very relatable. Since it is now part of my collection of books I will pick it up again when I am older ;]
April 5, 2016
As someone who practices yoga I was very interested in this book but found out that it was so much more then just about that. It was about the life struggles we as women all have to deal with. It was about cancer, friendship, getting older, life. I love how it felt like the author and I were sitting on my couch having a nice talk about things going on in our life. It made me feel like I knew her, knew her friends and family.
January 10, 2015
I too started yoga later in life and found this book compelling and personal on many levels... I related to so much of her journey that I wanted to sit down and have coffee (or herbal tea!) with the author... her writing is honest and generous and funny and I am now passing it around to my friends... a little treasure!
January 13, 2017
It was an honest look at the issues like parenting, marriage, friendship, facing fears and change in life, and how yoga had a profound inpact on her life. I don't necessary find myself connecting or agreeing with everything she said. But it is her journey and I enjoyed my time reading it and her willingness to share.
March 13, 2016
The extraordinary gift of an ordinary life
Well written. Personal. A truly beautiful story. A testimony to the wonders of learning to appreciate whatever moment you find yourself in. Exactly the book I needed to read, exactly when I needed to read it.
Well written. Personal. A truly beautiful story. A testimony to the wonders of learning to appreciate whatever moment you find yourself in. Exactly the book I needed to read, exactly when I needed to read it.
October 13, 2016
3.5 stars. I loved how she described how yoga changed every part of her life and made her life so much better. This is how I feel about yoga as well, but I'm always unable to put it into words.
The rest of the storyline, I felt, was okay. It didn't hold my interest as much.
The rest of the storyline, I felt, was okay. It didn't hold my interest as much.
December 30, 2021
The book was well written and clearly followed the author's journey. I had cancer 3 years ago and the way that the author described her emotional journey with the diagnosis was spot on. Worth the read to learn how you can change your perspective and change your life.
December 13, 2013
Review to follow.
December 6, 2014
While I appreciate the author's journey, I found the writing to be a bit repetitive.
Want to read
February 25, 2016kindle 324 (yoga memoir)
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