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Do Your Om Thing: Bending Yoga Tradition to Fit Your Modern Life
From an acclaimed master yoga teacher and creator of one of the most popular yoga blogs on the Internet comes a contemporary guide to the full mind-body practice, combining intention and enlightenment with athleticism and physicality.
While the practice of yoga encourages fitness, its benefits extend far beyond the physical. In order to have a beautiful, fit body, a yoga practitioner must understand and respect its inextricable link to mind and spirit.
Yet for those who want a deeper connection with their practice, who seek enlightenment, there are few resources to provide guidance. Master yoga teacher, athletic model, and writer Rebecca Pacheco is the ultimate twenty-first-century yoga ambassador. In Do Your Om Thing, she shows readers how to benefit from the ancient wisdom and philosophy of yoga without repudiating its modern attributes.
Divided into four parts—Philosophy, Body, Mind, and Spirit—Do Your Om Thing explores the traditional practice of yoga, from the eight limbs of the ancient path to the five koshas and the seven chakras of the yoga body. Pacheco translates these ancient texts for modern readers and puts them into the context of our everyday lives. Complete with a practical overview of the many different styles of yoga, simple poses, and sequences for daily balance, plus helpful tips on meditation, Do Your Om Thing is the ultimate guidebook for anyone who wants a workout that benefits the body and the mind.
While the practice of yoga encourages fitness, its benefits extend far beyond the physical. In order to have a beautiful, fit body, a yoga practitioner must understand and respect its inextricable link to mind and spirit.
Yet for those who want a deeper connection with their practice, who seek enlightenment, there are few resources to provide guidance. Master yoga teacher, athletic model, and writer Rebecca Pacheco is the ultimate twenty-first-century yoga ambassador. In Do Your Om Thing, she shows readers how to benefit from the ancient wisdom and philosophy of yoga without repudiating its modern attributes.
Divided into four parts—Philosophy, Body, Mind, and Spirit—Do Your Om Thing explores the traditional practice of yoga, from the eight limbs of the ancient path to the five koshas and the seven chakras of the yoga body. Pacheco translates these ancient texts for modern readers and puts them into the context of our everyday lives. Complete with a practical overview of the many different styles of yoga, simple poses, and sequences for daily balance, plus helpful tips on meditation, Do Your Om Thing is the ultimate guidebook for anyone who wants a workout that benefits the body and the mind.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
288 people are currently reading
2065 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
June 2, 2020
“There are no scorecards on the path to enlightenment.”
For me, yoga (or asana practice) is the physical aspect of my Buddhist practice. It has a lot of physical benefits, but it’s also a moving meditation that requires a lot of focus, determination and hard work. It also requires one to let go of thinking and to just “do” – which is a very Zen thing. “When you’re attempting a challenging pose that requires all of your faculties to be awake, nimble and engaged in the moment, there’s no time to indulge in illusion or distraction.” I remember having that breakthrough after struggling with a particular asana for a while; I had been trying and trying to hold it for what felt like ages and then one day, it just… worked. I held it as long as I had wanted to, and then I spend a few seconds blinking dumbly. Somehow, the kneeling half-moon had connected me to my true self for about four breaths. I think anyone who practices yoga earnestly has a moment like that, sooner or later, and realizes this isn’t just an exotic work-out.
I read the “Yoga Sutra” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) earlier this year, and while the commentary in my edition was very useful, this book does an amazing job of going one step further: it takes yoga practice and really contextualizes it for people leading a normal-ish “modern” lifestyle who still want to go deeper than a simply asana practice. While the pun of the title made me cringe, there is something about Pacheco’s voice, the no-bullshit, down-to-earth way she discusses yoga that I find truly fantastic. Just like books about Zen, books about yoga are often written in this (in my opinion) insufferable (and unrelatable) tone of self-righteous blissed out-ness. That often frustrates me because writers don’t seem to realize they are setting up impossible standards for their readers, who will often not feel like they are doing anything right unless they are as blissed out as the person who wrote the book. So I always find it refreshing when an author just writes about their practice as they are, in an approachable and not intimidating way.
She does give a so-called modern (i.e. Western) perspective on the practice of yoga, but she is very respectful of the tradition and of the cultural context in which the practice originated and offers sensible advice and guidance that anyone interested in yoga can follow – without ever getting hippy-dippy about it. Her chapters on the chakras and the koshas are the most readable and comprehensive texts on those topics I have read in a long time, mostly because they are very concrete (no supernatural or mystical frills here!). The same goes for her chapter on meditation, in which she stresses the fact that doing it perfectly is not the point – something that is not written enough in books about yoga or Buddhism. In other words, someone who had never done yoga or meditated in their life before will read this book and feel like this is something they can do.
The section “Suggestion for Spiritual Sustenance” felt a little padded – though I can see it being useful, the material just wasn’t for me. But besides this small thing, this is one of the best books on yoga that I have read, and I’d recommend it for newbies, people interested to know how yoga can be a holistic practice in their lives, and for people who need a little boost of motivation about their own practice. Don't let the silly title deter you!
"A willingness to practice and be present is all that is required to be a real yogi."
For me, yoga (or asana practice) is the physical aspect of my Buddhist practice. It has a lot of physical benefits, but it’s also a moving meditation that requires a lot of focus, determination and hard work. It also requires one to let go of thinking and to just “do” – which is a very Zen thing. “When you’re attempting a challenging pose that requires all of your faculties to be awake, nimble and engaged in the moment, there’s no time to indulge in illusion or distraction.” I remember having that breakthrough after struggling with a particular asana for a while; I had been trying and trying to hold it for what felt like ages and then one day, it just… worked. I held it as long as I had wanted to, and then I spend a few seconds blinking dumbly. Somehow, the kneeling half-moon had connected me to my true self for about four breaths. I think anyone who practices yoga earnestly has a moment like that, sooner or later, and realizes this isn’t just an exotic work-out.
I read the “Yoga Sutra” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) earlier this year, and while the commentary in my edition was very useful, this book does an amazing job of going one step further: it takes yoga practice and really contextualizes it for people leading a normal-ish “modern” lifestyle who still want to go deeper than a simply asana practice. While the pun of the title made me cringe, there is something about Pacheco’s voice, the no-bullshit, down-to-earth way she discusses yoga that I find truly fantastic. Just like books about Zen, books about yoga are often written in this (in my opinion) insufferable (and unrelatable) tone of self-righteous blissed out-ness. That often frustrates me because writers don’t seem to realize they are setting up impossible standards for their readers, who will often not feel like they are doing anything right unless they are as blissed out as the person who wrote the book. So I always find it refreshing when an author just writes about their practice as they are, in an approachable and not intimidating way.
She does give a so-called modern (i.e. Western) perspective on the practice of yoga, but she is very respectful of the tradition and of the cultural context in which the practice originated and offers sensible advice and guidance that anyone interested in yoga can follow – without ever getting hippy-dippy about it. Her chapters on the chakras and the koshas are the most readable and comprehensive texts on those topics I have read in a long time, mostly because they are very concrete (no supernatural or mystical frills here!). The same goes for her chapter on meditation, in which she stresses the fact that doing it perfectly is not the point – something that is not written enough in books about yoga or Buddhism. In other words, someone who had never done yoga or meditated in their life before will read this book and feel like this is something they can do.
The section “Suggestion for Spiritual Sustenance” felt a little padded – though I can see it being useful, the material just wasn’t for me. But besides this small thing, this is one of the best books on yoga that I have read, and I’d recommend it for newbies, people interested to know how yoga can be a holistic practice in their lives, and for people who need a little boost of motivation about their own practice. Don't let the silly title deter you!
"A willingness to practice and be present is all that is required to be a real yogi."
September 20, 2016
**I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.**
I have danced around the idea of Yoga for quite some time. It’s something I should probably try but have failed to commit to because I’m kind of lazy and super uncoordinated. When I saw this book on the giveaway page, I thought why not. I mean I seem to be real good at reading up on things and not actually doing them, so winning a book like this would be right up my alley.
This book is excellent at giving the basics on the why of Yoga without hardly any of the step-by-step on actually doing it. It’s like a, “So you want to learn more about Yoga and you are kind of a moron” read, which is perfect for a person like me. No really, the author covers the basic history as well as the benefits and gives the reader a beginner’s taste of it all. I loved how she was so laid back in how she described everything, which made me instantly feel less intimidated and more open to giving it a try.
The only negative was it did drag on a bit towards the end, but that issue may have been more of a personality flaw on me and less of a hit on the amount of material that was presented. See, I had made up my mind earlier in the read that I was going to go ahead and pursue doing it so reading more on it was like, “Get to the point already because I want to get started”.
I have danced around the idea of Yoga for quite some time. It’s something I should probably try but have failed to commit to because I’m kind of lazy and super uncoordinated. When I saw this book on the giveaway page, I thought why not. I mean I seem to be real good at reading up on things and not actually doing them, so winning a book like this would be right up my alley.
This book is excellent at giving the basics on the why of Yoga without hardly any of the step-by-step on actually doing it. It’s like a, “So you want to learn more about Yoga and you are kind of a moron” read, which is perfect for a person like me. No really, the author covers the basic history as well as the benefits and gives the reader a beginner’s taste of it all. I loved how she was so laid back in how she described everything, which made me instantly feel less intimidated and more open to giving it a try.
The only negative was it did drag on a bit towards the end, but that issue may have been more of a personality flaw on me and less of a hit on the amount of material that was presented. See, I had made up my mind earlier in the read that I was going to go ahead and pursue doing it so reading more on it was like, “Get to the point already because I want to get started”.
March 14, 2017
I really enjoyed this! I've always heard there's so much more to yoga than posing on a mat, but I never felt like I had the right resources to figure out what that meant. This book is the perfect answer. Pacheco provides readers with a blend of yoga history and easy ways to incorporate aspects of yoga into their daily lives. I've already incorporated a few things I learned and I plan to continually reference this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who does yoga or has an interest in yoga, but more importantly for anyone looking to make small changes that can have a large impact on their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Longer review to come on LiteraryQuicksand.com. I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion from TLC Book Tours.
Longer review to come on LiteraryQuicksand.com. I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion from TLC Book Tours.
July 11, 2020
Likes: Nicely split into 3 parts (mind, body, soul) of how we can live a harmonious life with the aid of yoga
Dislikes: A lot of information without any key focus on a specific area
Recommend For: Yoga lovers
Dislikes: A lot of information without any key focus on a specific area
Recommend For: Yoga lovers
June 1, 2018
Amazing
It took months to finish this book! Not because it was hard to read, but because I was constantly going back and re-reading chapters over and over again. If you are a Yoga student, Yoga teacher or simply wanting to get into Yoga, read this book. You will learn about the tradition of Yoga, the poses, the breath work and so much more. She writes in such an engaging way that you feel like you are sitting down and talking over coffee. I will read this book again and again. Five stars!
It took months to finish this book! Not because it was hard to read, but because I was constantly going back and re-reading chapters over and over again. If you are a Yoga student, Yoga teacher or simply wanting to get into Yoga, read this book. You will learn about the tradition of Yoga, the poses, the breath work and so much more. She writes in such an engaging way that you feel like you are sitting down and talking over coffee. I will read this book again and again. Five stars!
March 24, 2017
My oh my was this a wonderful book! I first noticed this book at my friend's house and thought "that is an interesting title" (and also the fact that I share the same name as the author's). This book discusses the background of yoga philosophy (from past to present), the body as yoga tradition views it (koshas and chakras) and how to balance and integrate each of these, the mind (meditation advice), and yoga's spiritual roots and the profound impact they can have on day-to-day life. Throughout the entire book the author has questions and practices to help guide the reader through their journey, i.e. "Think of a time when you experienced unbroken, laserlike concentration. How did it feel physically, mentally, and emotionally? What were you doing? How can you do more of it every day?". This book also contains advice from some amazing yogis and experts (Depak Chopra anyone?).
This is not your typical "self-help" book (which I find sometimes only explain the why and not necessarily the how and can be very formal). Rebecca explains why yoga can be beneficial (not just on the mat but in everyday life)- "...your inner life, the one with which yoga is chiefly concerned, changes your experience of everything"..."The fittest athletes and most seasoned yogis I know will concur that their lives and performances are most elevated by the states of mental and spiritual clarity evoked by yoga, as opposed to physical performance". She then of course explains the how- how to feel more connected, joy, compassion, confidence and awareness in your everyday life (body, mind and spirit).
I also like how funny the author is (who knew yoga had a sense of humour?). On meditation: "Let's be candid though: while its key principles are simple, meditation is not easy. By way of a confession, I fell off the meditation wagon around the holidays once. Funny visual, isn't it? I picture an actual wagon pulled by reindeer, through a snowy scene, with a bunch of people quietly meditating in the back. Then, I literally fall off. It makes one wonder, would people just shrug and continue meditating? I'd be left to gather myself, on a cobblestone street, dusting off the reindeer dung."
On being a lifelong student: "There are no elegant poses named for Saraswati (goddess of creativity, writing, music, and education) and you're not likely to see her image emblazoned on chic yoga-inspired garb. Trust me. I always try to find her. I would own that garb".
As much as I wanted to devour this book in a few days, I took the time to truly understand the concepts and "do my om" reflection. There was so much to this book I can only scratch the surface. This book is for anyone looking to add more meaning in their life, improve their outlook, feel more connected, be at ease, feel joy and gratitude.
This is not your typical "self-help" book (which I find sometimes only explain the why and not necessarily the how and can be very formal). Rebecca explains why yoga can be beneficial (not just on the mat but in everyday life)- "...your inner life, the one with which yoga is chiefly concerned, changes your experience of everything"..."The fittest athletes and most seasoned yogis I know will concur that their lives and performances are most elevated by the states of mental and spiritual clarity evoked by yoga, as opposed to physical performance". She then of course explains the how- how to feel more connected, joy, compassion, confidence and awareness in your everyday life (body, mind and spirit).
I also like how funny the author is (who knew yoga had a sense of humour?). On meditation: "Let's be candid though: while its key principles are simple, meditation is not easy. By way of a confession, I fell off the meditation wagon around the holidays once. Funny visual, isn't it? I picture an actual wagon pulled by reindeer, through a snowy scene, with a bunch of people quietly meditating in the back. Then, I literally fall off. It makes one wonder, would people just shrug and continue meditating? I'd be left to gather myself, on a cobblestone street, dusting off the reindeer dung."
On being a lifelong student: "There are no elegant poses named for Saraswati (goddess of creativity, writing, music, and education) and you're not likely to see her image emblazoned on chic yoga-inspired garb. Trust me. I always try to find her. I would own that garb".
As much as I wanted to devour this book in a few days, I took the time to truly understand the concepts and "do my om" reflection. There was so much to this book I can only scratch the surface. This book is for anyone looking to add more meaning in their life, improve their outlook, feel more connected, be at ease, feel joy and gratitude.
July 1, 2019
The best first yoga book to pick up
I have read a good amount of yoga books and after reading this one, the language is there for the modern yogi and how to practice these traditional ideas in our lives today. Many of the concepts weren’t new to me but they seemed more achievable. I will probably reread this book over and over and still find hidden gems. I will also use this book as my first recommendation when people ask me what yoga book to read.
I have read a good amount of yoga books and after reading this one, the language is there for the modern yogi and how to practice these traditional ideas in our lives today. Many of the concepts weren’t new to me but they seemed more achievable. I will probably reread this book over and over and still find hidden gems. I will also use this book as my first recommendation when people ask me what yoga book to read.
January 13, 2016
Loved this! Really easy to read and covers all aspects of yoga - asanas, meditation, chakras, and lots of other stuff.
November 1, 2020
I borrowed this book from the library shortly after I realized that the physical aspect of yoga probably wasn’t going to work for me for a while (due to SPD during my second pregnancy). I was looking for inspiration to continue on with yoga and keep up my motivation until I gave birth and could physically improve my practice.
What I received was so much more than that. This is one of those books that you borrow, just to go out and buy a week later so you can highlight and dog-ear the crap out of it and keep it close by always.
I was always very skeptical about yoga being anything more than a visually appealing workout. Rebecca eased my nerves and helped me see the true potential of my practice, even if my mat needs to remain rolled for a while. I love the way she was able to seamlessly incorporate the ancient wisdom of mind, body and spirit in yoga, with the reality of modern day life and the many unique challenges this includes.
I am now even more inspired to continue and deepen my yoga practice, to reveal the best, most authentic version of me that I can be; not just for myself, but for my growing family and everyone whose life is touched by mine. And I’m no longer afraid of how cheesy that sounds!
What I received was so much more than that. This is one of those books that you borrow, just to go out and buy a week later so you can highlight and dog-ear the crap out of it and keep it close by always.
I was always very skeptical about yoga being anything more than a visually appealing workout. Rebecca eased my nerves and helped me see the true potential of my practice, even if my mat needs to remain rolled for a while. I love the way she was able to seamlessly incorporate the ancient wisdom of mind, body and spirit in yoga, with the reality of modern day life and the many unique challenges this includes.
I am now even more inspired to continue and deepen my yoga practice, to reveal the best, most authentic version of me that I can be; not just for myself, but for my growing family and everyone whose life is touched by mine. And I’m no longer afraid of how cheesy that sounds!
March 10, 2021
I am currently going through a yoga teacher training certification course and feeling a little overwhelmed with all the Eastern philosophy in the yoga sutras. This book confirms my feelings about taking what serves you and leaving what doesn't when it comes to making your yoga practice your own. The author does a great job of explaining the yamas and niyamas in an accessible way. I did tune out a little when she got into the chakras and koshas, but I still appreciated her point of view. She is a little edgy but not pushy. I enjoyed this one a lot.
March 4, 2018
I needed some time making my way through it reading it whenever I felt for it. Its incredible informative and I learned a lot not just about yoga but also about myself. Although its a lot of information its easy to read, the examples are amazing and the humorous take on some aspects the modern world adds to this traditional practice really made me smile.
4.5 out of 5 stars. I am pretty sure I will pick this up again and read through some of it again when needed.
4.5 out of 5 stars. I am pretty sure I will pick this up again and read through some of it again when needed.
January 25, 2021
A lovely book with an unnecessarily hokey title. I really enjoyed this!
December 28, 2022
Second time around was even better. One of the only physical books I own with zero regret. I will continue to use this message as a guide for my life.
November 20, 2022
Excellent book, easy to read, and written with warmth and humor. The philosophy and practice of yoga has ancient roots, which she explains in a way that is understandable and relatable to life today. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s a book I can see myself reading again.
May 19, 2020
Accessible and applicable exploration of yoga philosophy + physical practice, loved it!
May 5, 2018
I loved it! I recently started practicing again and I was reaping the physical benefits but the sense of calm I used to have attending classes was missing. Pacheco talks to the reader as a beginner, giving a history and spiritual context to what a lot of Americans only see as a workout. Yoga is so much more and those of us who practice physically can benefit tremendously by applying some of the principles to our time on and off the mat. 4.5/5
March 22, 2018
I really enjoyed this one. It was full of yoga wisdom and tradition but in a really approachable manner. It gave some really good advice on how to apply ancient yogic teachings to today. I would definitely recommend reading this one.
June 6, 2022
A perfect book to connect more deeply with your yoga practice. I'm going to be sharing parts of this in my classes for a long time to come!
May 4, 2015
This review is a little bit late (seeing as I technically finished this book nearly a month ago) but it's taken me awhile to form coherent thoughts about it. I've also gone back and re-read it twice now and annotated the entire thing very VERY thoroughly.
It's clear I'm in love with this book! I've always had an obsession with self-help books and this one is of a better caliber than most as it suggests ways to improve upon your life by following a more yogic lifestyle/viewpoint. Why does this make the book of a higher caliber, you ask? Yoga has always been something people like to turn to for personal betterment, but no one really understands the lifestyle aspects of it (they focus primarily on the asana limb of the 8-Limbed Path). By explaining these lifestyle aspects of yoga, Pacheco presents a new way for people to improve upon their lives, one that many may not have expected. Pacheco makes it very clear that she is not telling you how to live your life, but that one can incorporate any range of the many yoga principles she outlines into their lives.
As a person who constantly struggles with stress, anxiety, and good intentions but bad actions, this book helped me to outline ways to improve upon myself. This came as a surprise as I thought the book was going to be more about how to work yoga into a modern, fast-paced lifestyle, not how to make your fast-paced lifestyle more calm and peaceful, and how to be a good person. Overall pleasantly surprised, a bit touched, and in love with this work. Thank you Rebecca!
It's clear I'm in love with this book! I've always had an obsession with self-help books and this one is of a better caliber than most as it suggests ways to improve upon your life by following a more yogic lifestyle/viewpoint. Why does this make the book of a higher caliber, you ask? Yoga has always been something people like to turn to for personal betterment, but no one really understands the lifestyle aspects of it (they focus primarily on the asana limb of the 8-Limbed Path). By explaining these lifestyle aspects of yoga, Pacheco presents a new way for people to improve upon their lives, one that many may not have expected. Pacheco makes it very clear that she is not telling you how to live your life, but that one can incorporate any range of the many yoga principles she outlines into their lives.
As a person who constantly struggles with stress, anxiety, and good intentions but bad actions, this book helped me to outline ways to improve upon myself. This came as a surprise as I thought the book was going to be more about how to work yoga into a modern, fast-paced lifestyle, not how to make your fast-paced lifestyle more calm and peaceful, and how to be a good person. Overall pleasantly surprised, a bit touched, and in love with this work. Thank you Rebecca!
April 30, 2016
The yoga book I was waiting for. Loved it and will keep referring to it in the future. Here's an excerpt that I belive accurately represents the premise of the book: "Yoga is not about performance. It's about practice, on your mat AND in your life. If you want to get better at anything, what should you do? Practice. Confidence, compassion, awareness, and joy-if you want more of these-and who doesn't?-yoga offers the skills to practice them.(...) Yoga is about attaining a clearer sense of who you are, how you feel, what you want, and how you interact with the world around you. It does enlighten and brighten your whole life, but only if it comes from you, from the inside out-not from a yoga teacher or guru pedaling their agenda on you."(p. xii) That said, the book also made me appreciate some of the great yoga teachers I have crossed paths with so far who don't push their agenda on you but honor you for who you are to support your "om" journey. :-)
February 4, 2017
Took me a while to finish, not because it was a tough read, but because I wanted to pay attention and didn't always have the necessary lack of distractions.
Fabulous book. I have dog-eared pages and plan to keep this close by as I travel my yoga journey.
I first heard about Rebecca Pacheco when I was reading an article about yoga for runners. This book was a give-away a conference I attended in November. Ms. Pacheco writes in about as honest a manner as one can...she even admits to thinking she was done with yoga at one point during the book because writing about it was taking away her love of the practice.
If you want to know more about yoga and the practice of yoga and the history of yoga...and mediation...read "Do Your OM Thing."
Fabulous book. I have dog-eared pages and plan to keep this close by as I travel my yoga journey.
I first heard about Rebecca Pacheco when I was reading an article about yoga for runners. This book was a give-away a conference I attended in November. Ms. Pacheco writes in about as honest a manner as one can...she even admits to thinking she was done with yoga at one point during the book because writing about it was taking away her love of the practice.
If you want to know more about yoga and the practice of yoga and the history of yoga...and mediation...read "Do Your OM Thing."
June 28, 2015
This book did a good job of explaining yoga concepts, like chakras and the eight branches of yoga, in an approachable way that connected them to the real world. It touched on, but didn't really go into, Pacheco's life which was ultimately what kept it from being a 4-star book for me. I felt a bit like I was eavesdropping on someone else's conversation. She referred to stuff--specific friends, romantic disasters--but didn't tell the stories that she touched on. I think this book would have been improved by either going into the autobiographical details or leaving out the references.
April 21, 2022
This was a great book. It talked about many different aspects of yoga - physical, mental, and spiritual. Rebecca had personal stories that really added to her points, but not too many to be annoying. I've always wanted to learn more about yoga, but I didn't want something that was too technical. I think that Rebecca did a great job.
She highlighted things like meditation. She acknowledged that it was difficult but gave great tips. It was a book that I feel could be read several times and highlighted.
She highlighted things like meditation. She acknowledged that it was difficult but gave great tips. It was a book that I feel could be read several times and highlighted.
June 25, 2017
This book was incredible. Most yoga books are long, hard to understand, full of unnecessary information....This one though, WOW. Pacheco did an AMAZING job of keeping my interest, and because I checked this book out from the library, I spent the whole time I was reading highlighting different passages. I will be buying the hard copy, and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has a yoga practice or is looking to start one. This is not your average yoga book. This is something special.
March 31, 2016
I appreciated all of the prompts and full understanding of yoga beyond just the moves
January 3, 2016
For Western yoga students with little or no exposure to yoga beyond asana practice. Basic and accessible, if a tad too glib and chipper at times
March 3, 2022
Bad puns aside, this was a great primer on all things yoga with minimal pseudoscientific bs.
December 22, 2015
This book reminded me why I do/teach yoga. Serious knowledge bombs in this book.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
My questions about a career path and listening to gangster rap only confused me more. Were Tupac and Biggie putting me at odds with becoming the yogi I wanted to be? Have you listened to the lyrics that fueled the infamous East Coast/West Coast feud of this era? Great for rap. Bad for ahimsa, the yoga teaching of non-violence.
Mahatma Gandhi put it this way: "Happiness is when what you think, what you do, and what you say are in harmony."
Yoga is like weight lifting for the spirit.
Practicing yoga for its myriad health benefits, while wonderful, is limiting. It's akin to traveling to Italy, with all its exquisitely fresh, local cuisine, to eat PB&J sandwiches the whole time.
The emphasis on yoga's physical practice belies its most fundamental intention - the one from which we can benefit most - an inability to slow own our overstimulated, overtired, incessantly multitasking minds.
Yoga doesn't manufacture a feeling of completeness; it offers tools for becoming present enough to realize it's been there all along.
Deepak Chopra: "You must never, ever, use someone else's map." He was referring to how we lay plans and set intentions, and his point was one I needed to hear. What I eventually came to realize was my truth wasn't their truth. My path wasn't their path. I needed to create my own map.
Happiness is an inside job.
Happier people do not have easier lives, with less hard work, grief, divorce, or financial strain than the rest of us. They're simply more grateful for what they have and choose to be conscious of their contentment more often.
I often joke that no matter how impressive, graceful, or fun a yoga pose looks, it cannot change the quality of their lives in any major way.
How should it be? Notice how your response to this question is an expectation. Not reality. If we are discontented with reality every time it does not go as planed, we lose the skill and gift of santosha.
A belief in the goodness of humanity and one's highest Self are also life-affirming forces cultivated by the practice.
We must be careful not to over-prioritize outward appearances. What would it say about us if we only wanted to be present for ourselves when doing something fanciful? I only want to be with you when you look impressive. That sounds like a death knell for any healthy relationship - with the self or anyone else.
Leave enough gas in the tank to get home safely.
If you struggle with meditation, spend 5-10 minutes contemplating a single image.
In standing balances, remind yourself that the point of the asana is not balancing on one leg, it's focusing the mind on one task at a time.
The purpose of meditation is not to stop thinking. That's impossible. The purpose of meditation is to observe our thoughts and develop the strength to unhook from them, to see them for what they are: passing and impermanent. Random/racing thoughts are not wrong, bad, or a sign of meditating ineptitude. It's simply the way the mind works and a gentle reminder of how infrequently we are fully present in our daily lives. Herein lies yoga's biggest gift: the ability to reconnect and wake up to who we truly are.
Meditation is the natural, graceful state of being yourself and knowing who that is. When we are fully absorbed in the present moment, paying attention on purpose and without judgment, we are meditating.
Enlightenment is not about learning airs or affects, becoming a monk or perfect yogi, it's about regaling your life with realness and compassion.
We're all the same. Everyone has the desire to have a happy life. Consider the magnitude of that statement for a moment. If we could all live by it, it would revolutionize and remedy so many issues of inequality and social injustice.
Stop fleeing the moment and your Self in favor of quick comforts. Look inside. Pull up a chair in the quiet room of your own mind and learn to be comfortable there. Find happiness there. If you can't, you will not find it elsewhere.
It's not about what you do, but rather, why you do it.
What do you want to embody? Seriously. Think about it. Because the answer will be telling, and the actions needed to achieve this state will become easier to identify. If you know how you want to feel, you'll make better choices about how to get there.
The ways in which we choose to move our bodies and nourish ourselves are two of the greatest gifts we are given every day.
The best wellness resource at your disposal is one you already have: your mind. Changing the body starts with changing the way you think.
A spiritual six-pack, if you will.
Celebrate what your body does before how it looks.
We can become so wired that we live our lives through our devices more than our hearts and minds.
We are the most sleep-deprived, in-debt, addicted, obese, and medicated adult generation in history.
The only way to meditate badly is not to meditate at all.
This misconception is what makes meditation difficult. We think we're doing it wrong because we ascribe values of performance to it. We grow frustrated that we can't stop the thinking mind. But here's the thing: the thinking mind can't be stopped, and meditation is not a performance-based activity. Unless there is someone out there who is better than you at being you?
It's only when we're insecure about who we are, what we believe, or what we're practicing that we become anxious or judgmental about how others choose to live.
Gary Snyder: “All of us are apprenticed to the same teacher that the religious institutions originally worked with: reality. Reality-insight says . . . master the twenty-four hours. Do it well, without self-pity. It is as hard to get the children herded into the car pool and down the road to the bus as it is to chant sutras in the Buddha-hall on a cold morning. One move is not better that the other, each can be quite boring, and they both have the virtuous quality of repetition. Repetition and ritual and their good results come in many forms. Changing the filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick — don’t let yourself think these are distracting you from your more serious pursuits. Such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our “practice” which will put us on a “path” — it is our path."
Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that everyone should make his/her own bible. "Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet," he advised.
There's a popular Zen saying that the easy path leads to the hard life, and the hard path leads to the easy life. Modern life's easiest path is one that supports and valorizes high-speed distraction, disconnection, entertainment, avoidance, numbing, or shielding by any means necessary. If we're not careful we can stay distracted every hour of every day, while our wholeness remains unknown to us. Modern yoga, by extension, can reinforce or release the energy behind these choices.
We are what we repeatedly do.
We prefer that the elevator doesn't get stuck, it doesn't rain on our wedding day, the economy never tanks, or loved ones never fall ill, but when they do, the spiritual path has not failed us. It's showing us that our devotion to our version of how things should be versus how they are is what causes our suffering. It's giving us a chance to connect to a reserve of strength, empathy, or equanimity we might not otherwise know we had.
"The supreme prayer of my heart . . . is not to be rich, famous, powerful, or too good, but to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, calm courage, cheerfulness, and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, or fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected, ready to say I do not know if so it be, to meet all men and women on an absolute equality, to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid. I wish others to live their lives, too, up to their fullest and best. To that end, I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I will do it, by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant, to radiate life." -Elbert Hubbard
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
My questions about a career path and listening to gangster rap only confused me more. Were Tupac and Biggie putting me at odds with becoming the yogi I wanted to be? Have you listened to the lyrics that fueled the infamous East Coast/West Coast feud of this era? Great for rap. Bad for ahimsa, the yoga teaching of non-violence.
Mahatma Gandhi put it this way: "Happiness is when what you think, what you do, and what you say are in harmony."
Yoga is like weight lifting for the spirit.
Practicing yoga for its myriad health benefits, while wonderful, is limiting. It's akin to traveling to Italy, with all its exquisitely fresh, local cuisine, to eat PB&J sandwiches the whole time.
The emphasis on yoga's physical practice belies its most fundamental intention - the one from which we can benefit most - an inability to slow own our overstimulated, overtired, incessantly multitasking minds.
Yoga doesn't manufacture a feeling of completeness; it offers tools for becoming present enough to realize it's been there all along.
Deepak Chopra: "You must never, ever, use someone else's map." He was referring to how we lay plans and set intentions, and his point was one I needed to hear. What I eventually came to realize was my truth wasn't their truth. My path wasn't their path. I needed to create my own map.
Happiness is an inside job.
Happier people do not have easier lives, with less hard work, grief, divorce, or financial strain than the rest of us. They're simply more grateful for what they have and choose to be conscious of their contentment more often.
I often joke that no matter how impressive, graceful, or fun a yoga pose looks, it cannot change the quality of their lives in any major way.
How should it be? Notice how your response to this question is an expectation. Not reality. If we are discontented with reality every time it does not go as planed, we lose the skill and gift of santosha.
A belief in the goodness of humanity and one's highest Self are also life-affirming forces cultivated by the practice.
We must be careful not to over-prioritize outward appearances. What would it say about us if we only wanted to be present for ourselves when doing something fanciful? I only want to be with you when you look impressive. That sounds like a death knell for any healthy relationship - with the self or anyone else.
Leave enough gas in the tank to get home safely.
If you struggle with meditation, spend 5-10 minutes contemplating a single image.
In standing balances, remind yourself that the point of the asana is not balancing on one leg, it's focusing the mind on one task at a time.
The purpose of meditation is not to stop thinking. That's impossible. The purpose of meditation is to observe our thoughts and develop the strength to unhook from them, to see them for what they are: passing and impermanent. Random/racing thoughts are not wrong, bad, or a sign of meditating ineptitude. It's simply the way the mind works and a gentle reminder of how infrequently we are fully present in our daily lives. Herein lies yoga's biggest gift: the ability to reconnect and wake up to who we truly are.
Meditation is the natural, graceful state of being yourself and knowing who that is. When we are fully absorbed in the present moment, paying attention on purpose and without judgment, we are meditating.
Enlightenment is not about learning airs or affects, becoming a monk or perfect yogi, it's about regaling your life with realness and compassion.
We're all the same. Everyone has the desire to have a happy life. Consider the magnitude of that statement for a moment. If we could all live by it, it would revolutionize and remedy so many issues of inequality and social injustice.
Stop fleeing the moment and your Self in favor of quick comforts. Look inside. Pull up a chair in the quiet room of your own mind and learn to be comfortable there. Find happiness there. If you can't, you will not find it elsewhere.
It's not about what you do, but rather, why you do it.
What do you want to embody? Seriously. Think about it. Because the answer will be telling, and the actions needed to achieve this state will become easier to identify. If you know how you want to feel, you'll make better choices about how to get there.
The ways in which we choose to move our bodies and nourish ourselves are two of the greatest gifts we are given every day.
The best wellness resource at your disposal is one you already have: your mind. Changing the body starts with changing the way you think.
A spiritual six-pack, if you will.
Celebrate what your body does before how it looks.
We can become so wired that we live our lives through our devices more than our hearts and minds.
We are the most sleep-deprived, in-debt, addicted, obese, and medicated adult generation in history.
The only way to meditate badly is not to meditate at all.
This misconception is what makes meditation difficult. We think we're doing it wrong because we ascribe values of performance to it. We grow frustrated that we can't stop the thinking mind. But here's the thing: the thinking mind can't be stopped, and meditation is not a performance-based activity. Unless there is someone out there who is better than you at being you?
It's only when we're insecure about who we are, what we believe, or what we're practicing that we become anxious or judgmental about how others choose to live.
Gary Snyder: “All of us are apprenticed to the same teacher that the religious institutions originally worked with: reality. Reality-insight says . . . master the twenty-four hours. Do it well, without self-pity. It is as hard to get the children herded into the car pool and down the road to the bus as it is to chant sutras in the Buddha-hall on a cold morning. One move is not better that the other, each can be quite boring, and they both have the virtuous quality of repetition. Repetition and ritual and their good results come in many forms. Changing the filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick — don’t let yourself think these are distracting you from your more serious pursuits. Such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our “practice” which will put us on a “path” — it is our path."
Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that everyone should make his/her own bible. "Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet," he advised.
There's a popular Zen saying that the easy path leads to the hard life, and the hard path leads to the easy life. Modern life's easiest path is one that supports and valorizes high-speed distraction, disconnection, entertainment, avoidance, numbing, or shielding by any means necessary. If we're not careful we can stay distracted every hour of every day, while our wholeness remains unknown to us. Modern yoga, by extension, can reinforce or release the energy behind these choices.
We are what we repeatedly do.
We prefer that the elevator doesn't get stuck, it doesn't rain on our wedding day, the economy never tanks, or loved ones never fall ill, but when they do, the spiritual path has not failed us. It's showing us that our devotion to our version of how things should be versus how they are is what causes our suffering. It's giving us a chance to connect to a reserve of strength, empathy, or equanimity we might not otherwise know we had.
"The supreme prayer of my heart . . . is not to be rich, famous, powerful, or too good, but to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, calm courage, cheerfulness, and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, or fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected, ready to say I do not know if so it be, to meet all men and women on an absolute equality, to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid. I wish others to live their lives, too, up to their fullest and best. To that end, I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I will do it, by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant, to radiate life." -Elbert Hubbard
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2022
An accessible guide to anyone in the "toe dipping" stage of yoga exploration.
I've recently gotten back into yoga/meditation and picked up "Do Your Om Thing" in an effort to better understand the principles behind both. (I've also been toying with the idea of yoga certification, and this book was recommended for aspiring teachers).
Rebecca breaks down the yogic principles into manageable chunks, moving through the traditions, body, mind, and spirit of the practice, all while maintaining a laid-back yet respectful demeanor toward each topic. She truly delivers on her "Bending Yoga Tradition to Fit Your Modern Life" motto and does so in a way that comes across as knowledgeable without seeming too "know-it-all". She also focuses her attention mainly on the health, mental, and spiritual benefits gained from yoga, as she feels the industry has become too fixated on practicing for fitness purposes alone.
If you're interested in learning more about yoga and how to implement its practices into your daily life, along with some historical elements of the tradition, "Do Your Om Thing" is a great starting point.
I've recently gotten back into yoga/meditation and picked up "Do Your Om Thing" in an effort to better understand the principles behind both. (I've also been toying with the idea of yoga certification, and this book was recommended for aspiring teachers).
Rebecca breaks down the yogic principles into manageable chunks, moving through the traditions, body, mind, and spirit of the practice, all while maintaining a laid-back yet respectful demeanor toward each topic. She truly delivers on her "Bending Yoga Tradition to Fit Your Modern Life" motto and does so in a way that comes across as knowledgeable without seeming too "know-it-all". She also focuses her attention mainly on the health, mental, and spiritual benefits gained from yoga, as she feels the industry has become too fixated on practicing for fitness purposes alone.
If you're interested in learning more about yoga and how to implement its practices into your daily life, along with some historical elements of the tradition, "Do Your Om Thing" is a great starting point.
July 20, 2019
I read this book in preparation for my YTT. The benefits of this book is that it has a clear, concise writing style imbedded with a bit of humour here and there. I apprecidate Pacheco's mission to make yoga practical and accessible to people for a variety of backgrounds and beliefs. She went through the basics of yoga philosophy, writing it in a way that the average reader could even understand.
The downside: In her attempts to make yoga philosophy and basic yoga tenants accessible, it was a bit watered down. Now, that said, that isn't necessarily a downside. Yes, in a way it can be brought back to the stereotype of watered-down Western yoga, but it can also be considered a decent middle ground between those that want to dive into yoga but are not quite ready or enthusiastic about completely following all of the beliefs that can come with it (i.e. the Hindu gods).
That said, I'll leave it up to you to decide if her modern take on it is in any way a disservice or benefit to Western yogis.
The downside: In her attempts to make yoga philosophy and basic yoga tenants accessible, it was a bit watered down. Now, that said, that isn't necessarily a downside. Yes, in a way it can be brought back to the stereotype of watered-down Western yoga, but it can also be considered a decent middle ground between those that want to dive into yoga but are not quite ready or enthusiastic about completely following all of the beliefs that can come with it (i.e. the Hindu gods).
That said, I'll leave it up to you to decide if her modern take on it is in any way a disservice or benefit to Western yogis.
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