Beyond the Mat: Achieve Focus, Presence, and Enlightened Leadership through the Principles and Practice of Yoga

by Julie Rosenberg

Practicing yoga is an extremely popular way to get fit, but its underlying philosophy can offer so much more to focus the mind and help you to discover untapped personal power. In Beyond the Mat, business leader, physician, and certified yoga instructor Julie Rosenberg shows you how to bring yoga out of the studio and into your personal and professional life. She shares how yoga is more than just poses (though those do help with backs tired from slumping in front of computers all day), with a clear explanation of the underlying principles, real-life examples, and anecdotes from her own life and professional career. Yoga's philosophical principles extend far beyond the mat and form a framework to support your overall well-being, achieve success, and become a more effective leader.

“Let Julie Rosenberg take you Beyond the Mat where you can breathe, focus, and balance your way to a healthier and happier you, and be a better leader while you’re at it!”
—Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Julie Rosenberg speaks with an authentic and passionate voice about the holistic benefits of a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practice. Taking the practice ‘beyond the mat’ using a practical and readily available framework will help you to live and to lead with stability, presence, clarity, and focus. Beyond the Mat is a must for anyone seeking peace and joy in life.”
—Mark Hyman, MD, ten-time New York Times bestselling author; Chairman, Institute for Functional Medicine; Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2017

About the author

Physician executive. Yoga practitioner and teacher. Writer. Author of the forthcoming book BEYOND THE MAT (DaCapo Press / Dec 5th)

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good resource on how to incorporate yoga into the everyday workplace.

[Kelly]

I'm an advanced yoga practitioner and teach regularly, so the concepts here weren't new to me. But what I appreciated is how Rosenberg takes the eight limbs and makes them accessible for anyone and applies the wisdom of each to everyday work/life situations. An easy read, though not necessarily one that stretched me. But I am glad that I have it in my pocket for when I get asked for great, Western-friendly books on the philosophy behind yoga (which, we only ever practice one of the limbs in traditional classes and thus, miss so much of what makes the yogic life so utterly powerful).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally changed the way I look at yoga. Like a lot of westerners, I thought yoga was mostly about the poses. Yeah, I always hear mention of other aspects of yoga, but I'd usually tune that out and focus on my asana practice. Rosengberg's book made clear why that's really missing the point and how connecting with all aspects of yoga can reap even bigger benefits in all aspects of your lift, but especially in your career as you aspire to be a better leader.

This was a more conversational book than I expected. I felt compelled to read it straight through without stopping. That's not to say it wasn't also very informative, I just didn't expect the text to flow as well as it did from topic to topic and expected section and chapter headings to break things up more. Because of that, I'm not sure how well it will work as a reference, although there is an index, so maybe I'm just surprised that a solid narrative can also be a good reference work.

If you have any interest in how yoga, meditation, or eastern philosophies might benefit you, this is a great place to start.

[Dolank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't work in a high stress job, I am a beginner at yoga, and if I am lucky, I may actually remember to consciously breathe once a day. However, shelving in Well Being the other day, I saw this book, picked it up, and could not put it down.
Julie doesn't sound too preachy, too 'look at me', or too 'look at what you should do'. It was readable, relatable, and it reminded me to breathe. I may not remember everything she has said but I will take away the moments that I need to stop, recenter, breathe, and start again. I will consciously be present in my life, and I will recommend this book to others.

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this book was for me, and that's no one's fault. Julie Rosenberg does a fine job tying the teachings and benefits of yoga to the corporate world, the daily grind of work, and how to carry ourselves "off the mat" to live yogic principles each day. It's not that I have mastered these lessons. Far from it, I've got miles to go. But I have heard them before, many times, using more complex and relatable analogies.

This book is likely ideal for someone who may be new to yoga, or new to the idea of yoga being something more than 'exercise'. I highly recommend the audiobook version with Carolyn Cook narrating.

[Kazue Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up at a local library's new nonfiction section, merely interested in some poses you can do at your office desk, I never thought I would read the entire book word by word! I don't really have time for myself as a working mother. I'm BUSY...like everyone else. I need mental and physical self-care strategies that can be built into my busy daily life. I found this book very relevant to me. The author has a management role in a cancer drug development industry and travels frequently. She teaches how busy professionals can incorporate mental and physical yoga principles and practices in their lives and how one can apply such principles and practices to be a better leader. I really liked how she consisted the 8 Chapters based on the 8 yoga principles explained in Introduction. I found her own experiences shared throughout the book very beneficial. This is a not-very-ordinary yet highly-practical book on yoga. I highly recommend this to anyone who feels busy but wants to be learn to do things more deliberately.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a free copy in a giveaway. I don't practice yoga, although I've tried it in the past. This book looks at applying yoga principles to other part of our everyday lives and isn't based just on the physical aspects. The suggestions can be used by anyone, but obviously they'll have more meaning for yoga enthusiasts.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not recommended for a general audience. The author is very much a type A personality and hyper-focused on the corporate work world. I felt drained by reading the book, yet find most yoga classes I attend refreshing and better able to articulate how to apply yoga to life and wellbeing.

[Cordia Pearson]

DNF

[Anjana Nathwani]

Very practical!