Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By

by Leza Lowitz, Anja Borgstrom (Visual Art)

The sixty poems in this book are windows into the mind/body/spirit experiences that come about through yoga practice. Each poem is named for a posture or breath exercise and is inspired by the physical properties of the pose or some aspect of breathing that led the poet to deeper understanding. Listening to these poems read aloud, or contemplating them on one’s own, will help yoga students understand their own struggles and inspire them on the way to personal transformation.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

I'm a California girl living in Tokyo, where I write and run a yoga studio. For over two decades, I've been charting my quest in twenty books in many genres. I hope I'm just getting started.

I’m interested in ideas of identity and history. How is culture shaped, and how are we shaped by it? All of my books deal with notions of finding home.

"Up from the Sea," my debut Young Adult novel in verse about the March 11, 2011 Japan tsunami, is just out from Crown Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House. It's about making a home within yourself when the only home you've ever known is destroyed. Named a #1 YA pick by BUZZFEED:http://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/ya...

My memoir, "In Search of the Sun" charts my quest for motherhood across two decades, two continents, and two thousand yoga poses. Its about creating connection and family--finding a home in each other, and in the world.

"Jet Black and the Ninja Wind," a YA adventure I co-wrote with my Japanese husband, is about a biracial girl seeking home across cultures. Her mission is to save her ancestral home and its ancient treasure.

Then there's the poetry. "Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By" deals with finding a home in one’s body. "Yoga Heart: Lines on the Six Perfections" charts the path to finding a home in the spirit.

I often write with my husband, the Middle Grade novelist Shogo Oketani (author of J-Boys, Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965 (translated by Avery Udagawa) about five fifth graders growing up during the first Tokyo Olympics). Building a bridge from East to West, we’ve collaborated on a book about kanji, a collection of poetry by a pacifist Japanese soldier, and the Jet Black trilogy in progress. Other couples finish each other’s sentences. We try to finish each other’s books.

Other Stuff people ask about: My writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, Shambhala Sun, The Best Buddhist Writing, The Japan Times, Art in America, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others.

I've been fortunate to have received some literary awards, including the APALA Asia Pacific Award in Young Adult Literature, a SCBWI Work-in-Progress Fiction Honor grant, a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, The PEN Josephine Miles Award for Poetry, individual grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the California Arts Council. Shogo and I received The U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission Award from Columbia University for the Translation of Japanese Literature. I've also received the Benjamin Franklin Award for Editorial Excellence, and three Pushcart Prize nominations.

I have a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. I've taught writing and literature there and at the University of Tokyo. I teach yoga and meditation internationally.

I love reading, dogs, and chocolate--preferably all at the same time. Thanks for stopping by.

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE IT.
Admire her beautiful use of language. I will read these poems in my yoga classes for 2011.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read with beautiful, simple illustrations. Words connect seamlessly to the poses and that place within. Perfect for sharing with yoga class.

[Momo · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW for mentions of SA and Miscarriage.

I enjoyed the read but had to note on page 88 there is mention of sexual assault and on pages 104-105 there is mention of a miscarriage. Want to make sure everyone who reads this is prepared if they’re sensitive to those topics. <3

I forgot to mention that the font is a little small so if you have trouble reading you may want to consider reading this digitally or try to find a larger print of this.

[Gwen Hurd · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome resource for yoga teachers! perfect little bits to read during class.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Du yoème pour mon cœur-chrysanthème.

[Brieanne Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exploratory musings of the psyche while in a yoga posture. The author describes some asanas in poetic form. The author leaves blank pages at the end for the reader to jot down their own musings while in asana. She describes all of her poems in English but the asanas are entitled in Sanskrit. The only reason this small book received 4 stars is because I was hungry to read more of her musings. Highly recommend this to writer's, yogis, and yoga teachers.

[Juliette Lockwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

At the same time as I got this book I purchased 2 other daily readings/poems books. Unfortunately this one did not work for me at all and the others did.

[maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

[Katrina Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great poems for poses.

I enjoyed reading the excerpt of each pose. Very fitting. I could using this book in yoga and meditation classes.