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Yoga Bind: A Novel
Janelle Logan has a wonderful life in her adopted New York City with a fantastic job, great friends, and treasured spiritual practices of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.
But her life is upended when her beloved guru is accused of sexual assault. Janelle struggles with what that means for herself and her community of spiritually seeking girlfriends. When her cousin comes to visit for the summer, she’s also pressed to reassess her Jewish heritage.
Rather than run from her spirituality, Janelle doubles down, adding energy work, Jewish meditation, and even examining the nature of forgiveness itself. Will all this be enough to bring her the clarity and community she desperately desires?
This stand-alone yoga/mindfulness novel features the same characters as the author's prior two novels, Lorna and Janelle! Read more about their yoga journeys in Downward Dog, Upward Fog and Warrior Won.
But her life is upended when her beloved guru is accused of sexual assault. Janelle struggles with what that means for herself and her community of spiritually seeking girlfriends. When her cousin comes to visit for the summer, she’s also pressed to reassess her Jewish heritage.
Rather than run from her spirituality, Janelle doubles down, adding energy work, Jewish meditation, and even examining the nature of forgiveness itself. Will all this be enough to bring her the clarity and community she desperately desires?
This stand-alone yoga/mindfulness novel features the same characters as the author's prior two novels, Lorna and Janelle! Read more about their yoga journeys in Downward Dog, Upward Fog and Warrior Won.
278 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2026
About the author
Meryl Davids Landau
4 books123 followersAward-winning writer Meryl Davids Landau is the author of three mindfulness/yoga women's novels, including the latest, Yoga Bind.
Booklife/Publishers Weekly says of Yoga Bind that "Landau makes this study on wading through emotions instead of bypassing them for convenience a breezy enjoyment."
Meryl's prior novel, Warrior Won, was a bronze medal winner in the prestigious Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, and a gold medalist in the Living Now Book Awards. And Downward Dog, Upward Fog was named a fiction-book-of-the-year finalist by Foreword Reviews.
All of these mindfulness/yoga fiction beach reads can be read on their own.
Meryl is also an award-winning health and science journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Prevention, National Geographic, Yoga Journal, Self, and many other publications.
Booklife/Publishers Weekly says of Yoga Bind that "Landau makes this study on wading through emotions instead of bypassing them for convenience a breezy enjoyment."
Meryl's prior novel, Warrior Won, was a bronze medal winner in the prestigious Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, and a gold medalist in the Living Now Book Awards. And Downward Dog, Upward Fog was named a fiction-book-of-the-year finalist by Foreword Reviews.
All of these mindfulness/yoga fiction beach reads can be read on their own.
Meryl is also an award-winning health and science journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Prevention, National Geographic, Yoga Journal, Self, and many other publications.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you read a novel about a chef, you'll probably see them cook a lot of recipes . . . but it probably won’t walk you through the whole process of creating a souffle. “Yoga Bind” isn’t quite a recipe book or instruction manual, but readers should be ready for a story that’s heavily focused on yoga’s role in the lives of the characters.
Most people probably think of yoga as an exercise for stretching and relaxation. But to more dedicated followers, it’s a lifelong spiritual journey. Author Meryl David Landau, a certified yoga teacher, is definitely in the dedicated category.
For the main character, Janelle, yoga and meditation are central to her life – so much so that she and her best friend answer the phone “Yoga Mission Field” when they take each other’s calls. So, Janelle is devastated when the guru she’s been following for several years is accused of sexually assaulting another good friend and fellow yoga student.
For most of the book, that friend is out of commission, not responding to any of her concerned friends’ calls or texts. While they wait for the facts, many of Janelle’s friends still attend the guru’s group meditations, preferring to wait for more information before making a decision. Janelle can’t bring herself to do that. She wonders if she’ll have to discard all the guru’s teachings if the rumor is confirmed.
To cope with her conflicted feelings — and other professional and personal conflicts in the book – Janelle does a lot of yoga exercises and meditations, alone and with friends. Just about every chapter includes some sort of practice: guided visualizations, breathing patterns or “inner-outer pauses” (it’s explained in the book). There’s a lot of discussion about the ethical dilemma of dealing with the guru’s possible crime, and several scenes where characters accuse each other of “bypassing” difficult emotions instead of dealing with them honestly. If the unexamined life isn’t worth living … well, these characters might just live forever.
For a while, I found all this contemplation a little exhausting. But as the book went on, its likeable characters and positive intentions began to win me over, and I enjoyed the way the various plot lines resolved. Not everyone wants a novel that doubles as a philosophical instruction manual, but I think that’s exactly what the author set out to provide. And if you’re a devotee of yoga or meditation, or intensely curious about those practices, this might very well be the book for you.
NOTE: Thanks to Alignment Publishing Co. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Most people probably think of yoga as an exercise for stretching and relaxation. But to more dedicated followers, it’s a lifelong spiritual journey. Author Meryl David Landau, a certified yoga teacher, is definitely in the dedicated category.
For the main character, Janelle, yoga and meditation are central to her life – so much so that she and her best friend answer the phone “Yoga Mission Field” when they take each other’s calls. So, Janelle is devastated when the guru she’s been following for several years is accused of sexually assaulting another good friend and fellow yoga student.
For most of the book, that friend is out of commission, not responding to any of her concerned friends’ calls or texts. While they wait for the facts, many of Janelle’s friends still attend the guru’s group meditations, preferring to wait for more information before making a decision. Janelle can’t bring herself to do that. She wonders if she’ll have to discard all the guru’s teachings if the rumor is confirmed.
To cope with her conflicted feelings — and other professional and personal conflicts in the book – Janelle does a lot of yoga exercises and meditations, alone and with friends. Just about every chapter includes some sort of practice: guided visualizations, breathing patterns or “inner-outer pauses” (it’s explained in the book). There’s a lot of discussion about the ethical dilemma of dealing with the guru’s possible crime, and several scenes where characters accuse each other of “bypassing” difficult emotions instead of dealing with them honestly. If the unexamined life isn’t worth living … well, these characters might just live forever.
For a while, I found all this contemplation a little exhausting. But as the book went on, its likeable characters and positive intentions began to win me over, and I enjoyed the way the various plot lines resolved. Not everyone wants a novel that doubles as a philosophical instruction manual, but I think that’s exactly what the author set out to provide. And if you’re a devotee of yoga or meditation, or intensely curious about those practices, this might very well be the book for you.
NOTE: Thanks to Alignment Publishing Co. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 14, 2026
The Right Book at the Right Time
I didn't know I needed Yoga Bind this summer.
I've enjoyed Meryl Davids Landau's other books, so I knew I would read this one too. Yoga Bind continues the journey of Janelle and Lauren as they enter new chapters of their lives, surrounded by a group of women connected through friendship, yoga, meditation, and the guidance of Guruji.
I don't want to give anything away, but I appreciated how the story reminds us that no one is above being human. We all have our learnings and failings, and we work through change, hardship, disappointment, forgiveness, and joy in different ways. Sometimes what we learn from someone remains valuable even when our understanding of that person changes.
Janelle's cousin spending the summer in New York adds another layer to the story. Through their time together, we learn more about the city, family history, ancestry and heritage, and the importance of having family and friends who see us through.
One of the things I especially enjoy about Meryl's writing is how she weaves yoga, meditation, spiritual practices, and actual books into the story. I found myself enjoying the novel while also pausing to consider an idea or practice for my own life. There is something very satisfying about reading a good story and coming away with a little more than the story.
There is a list of the books at the end. I was surprised not to find book-club questions at the end of this one. Then again, Meryl has offered to join book clubs herself and has supported the Yoga Folks book club here on Goodreads for years. How's that for an author who truly supports her readers!
This was simply the right read for me at the right time. A wonderful reminder that wisdom comes through many sources, friendship and community matter, and we are always learning.
A great read for summer, or really, any time of year.
I didn't know I needed Yoga Bind this summer.
I've enjoyed Meryl Davids Landau's other books, so I knew I would read this one too. Yoga Bind continues the journey of Janelle and Lauren as they enter new chapters of their lives, surrounded by a group of women connected through friendship, yoga, meditation, and the guidance of Guruji.
I don't want to give anything away, but I appreciated how the story reminds us that no one is above being human. We all have our learnings and failings, and we work through change, hardship, disappointment, forgiveness, and joy in different ways. Sometimes what we learn from someone remains valuable even when our understanding of that person changes.
Janelle's cousin spending the summer in New York adds another layer to the story. Through their time together, we learn more about the city, family history, ancestry and heritage, and the importance of having family and friends who see us through.
One of the things I especially enjoy about Meryl's writing is how she weaves yoga, meditation, spiritual practices, and actual books into the story. I found myself enjoying the novel while also pausing to consider an idea or practice for my own life. There is something very satisfying about reading a good story and coming away with a little more than the story.
There is a list of the books at the end. I was surprised not to find book-club questions at the end of this one. Then again, Meryl has offered to join book clubs herself and has supported the Yoga Folks book club here on Goodreads for years. How's that for an author who truly supports her readers!
This was simply the right read for me at the right time. A wonderful reminder that wisdom comes through many sources, friendship and community matter, and we are always learning.
A great read for summer, or really, any time of year.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yoga Binds blends fiction with themes of spirituality, healing, and personal identity. Meryl Davids Landau builds the story around characters dealing with uncertainty and loss, using yoga not as decoration but as a framework for growth and connection. The concept holds the book together and gives it direction.
The strongest element is the emotional center. Landau focuses on how people process change and rebuild meaning in their lives. The characters are written with care. Their struggles feel grounded, and their progress unfolds gradually rather than through quick resolutions. That pacing supports the themes of patience and self-awareness that run through the story.
The integration of yoga philosophy is handled with restraint. It is present throughout, but it does not take over the narrative. Instead, it serves as a lens through which the characters interpret their experiences. This approach makes the book accessible even to readers without prior familiarity with yoga practices.
The writing is clear and intentional. Landau keeps the language straightforward, allowing the emotional content to carry the story. Dialogue is used effectively to reveal character rather than push the plot too quickly forward. The tone remains steady, which helps maintain coherence.
Where the book falls slightly short is pacing and narrative tension. The reflective approach, while consistent with the themes, can slow the story in places. Some sections lean more toward contemplation than progression. Readers looking for stronger plot momentum may find parts of the book less engaging.
The strongest element is the emotional center. Landau focuses on how people process change and rebuild meaning in their lives. The characters are written with care. Their struggles feel grounded, and their progress unfolds gradually rather than through quick resolutions. That pacing supports the themes of patience and self-awareness that run through the story.
The integration of yoga philosophy is handled with restraint. It is present throughout, but it does not take over the narrative. Instead, it serves as a lens through which the characters interpret their experiences. This approach makes the book accessible even to readers without prior familiarity with yoga practices.
The writing is clear and intentional. Landau keeps the language straightforward, allowing the emotional content to carry the story. Dialogue is used effectively to reveal character rather than push the plot too quickly forward. The tone remains steady, which helps maintain coherence.
Where the book falls slightly short is pacing and narrative tension. The reflective approach, while consistent with the themes, can slow the story in places. Some sections lean more toward contemplation than progression. Readers looking for stronger plot momentum may find parts of the book less engaging.
July 31, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed Yoga Bind. The characters were likeable, relatable and nuanced. And the story was multi-layered and compelling, without feeling too heavy. It was helpful but definitely not necessary to have read Meryl Davids-Landau’s previous novels. And while yoga, mindfulness and spirituality played key roles in the novel, I did not feel like I was missing something as a reader who is not a yoga practitioner. In fact, it made me wonder if I should become one!
One sub-plot in Yoga Bind deals with the main character’s grappling with her traditional Jewish upbringing. I found this particularly moving in that I too have struggled with how religion fits into my life. I believe this is something that many readers confront, regardless of the specific religion in question.
Yoga Bind makes a good beach read, but the questions it raises are deep and linger long after you finish the book.
One sub-plot in Yoga Bind deals with the main character’s grappling with her traditional Jewish upbringing. I found this particularly moving in that I too have struggled with how religion fits into my life. I believe this is something that many readers confront, regardless of the specific religion in question.
Yoga Bind makes a good beach read, but the questions it raises are deep and linger long after you finish the book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
*Full review to follow*
Another thought-provoking addition to this series of standalone yoga novels. Yoga Bind explores themes of friendship, forgiveness and family. I always enjoy meeting Meryl Davids Landau's new characters, and greeting those from her past books like old pals. Full review to follow!
Another thought-provoking addition to this series of standalone yoga novels. Yoga Bind explores themes of friendship, forgiveness and family. I always enjoy meeting Meryl Davids Landau's new characters, and greeting those from her past books like old pals. Full review to follow!
June 14, 2026
Excited to read this, love the plot description !
June 11, 2026
Great read., if you like women empowerment, friendship and betrayal told with the back drop of yoga and seeking inner peace this is for you. I can't wait to read the previous novels in this series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews