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The Yoga Almanac: 52 Practices and Rituals to Stay Grounded Through the Astrological Seasons
52 weeks of yoga practice, wisdom, and ritual to help you slow down, restore balance, and nourish mind, body, and spirit.
Sequenced by the astrological calendar, The Yoga Almanac is a practical guide to help you reintegrate with recurring cosmic rhythms, and invite the sacred into your life through learning, movement, breath, and ritual. Featuring 52 seasonally-themed chapters, the Almanac is a comprehensive jumping off point to deepen your relationship to yoga—and to yourself.
Each chapter includes a seasonal theme with an overview of yogic theory, as well as an illustrated asana to begin the physical exploration of your practice. You’ll also find weekly rituals to integrate these teachings into your daily life, and a short dharma talk as reference and nod to tradition. Finally, this unique, holistic handbook will help you develop a transformational practice that flows with the cycles of the astrological year—beginning with spring and culminating in winter.
Whether you’re looking for weekly inspiration, a crash course in yogic theory, or a blueprint for developing your own yoga routine, The Yoga Almanac provides a foundation for reconnecting with the deepest parts of yourself and discovering your authentic place in the world.
Sequenced by the astrological calendar, The Yoga Almanac is a practical guide to help you reintegrate with recurring cosmic rhythms, and invite the sacred into your life through learning, movement, breath, and ritual. Featuring 52 seasonally-themed chapters, the Almanac is a comprehensive jumping off point to deepen your relationship to yoga—and to yourself.
Each chapter includes a seasonal theme with an overview of yogic theory, as well as an illustrated asana to begin the physical exploration of your practice. You’ll also find weekly rituals to integrate these teachings into your daily life, and a short dharma talk as reference and nod to tradition. Finally, this unique, holistic handbook will help you develop a transformational practice that flows with the cycles of the astrological year—beginning with spring and culminating in winter.
Whether you’re looking for weekly inspiration, a crash course in yogic theory, or a blueprint for developing your own yoga routine, The Yoga Almanac provides a foundation for reconnecting with the deepest parts of yourself and discovering your authentic place in the world.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2020
17 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 13, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is a fantastic treasure trove of information about yoga, techniques and benefits both spiritually as well as physically.
I've always wanted to have a go at yoga but never had the time to start, but now with the current lockdown situation I am going to give it a go and feel this book is a great book for newbies like me to start with as well as a fantastic source of information and learning for those already practicing.
This is a fantastic treasure trove of information about yoga, techniques and benefits both spiritually as well as physically.
I've always wanted to have a go at yoga but never had the time to start, but now with the current lockdown situation I am going to give it a go and feel this book is a great book for newbies like me to start with as well as a fantastic source of information and learning for those already practicing.
January 18, 2020
I absolutely love yoga and anything to do with personal growth, so when I had an opportunity to receive an advance reader copy of The Yoga Almanac in exchange for a review, I jumped on it!
The Yoga Almanac: 52 Practices and Rituals to Stay Grounded through the Astrological Seasons, is broken into 52 weekly "lessons/practices". The practices follow the zodiac wheel, so each week you are focusing on a ritual and a yoga pose that aligns with the themes of the astrological sign that you are currently in. There is an astrological themed lesson to complete as well, some mythology on the yoga pose you will be working on, and a short closing poem at the end of the lesson called dharma talk. There are art depictions of the yoga poses in the book (which I loved). It was one of my favorite things in the book.
What I liked about this book is the lessons are short enough that it something that can easily fit into the week which is perfect for those of us who want to work on our spiritual growth and practice, but are limited in time. The yoga poses are fun and not overly advanced, so even beginner yogis can go through the book with ease. The lessons/practices are something that can easily fit into a morning or bedtime routine as they do not take too long to complete but definitely give you something to think about and focus on.
The only downside for me was that I had to read through this book quickly to be able to write this review, and could not spend a week on each lesson, as intended, but I WILL be restarting the book again in the spring and following through, spending one week on each lesson.
The Yoga Almanac: 52 Practices and Rituals to Stay Grounded through the Astrological Seasons, is broken into 52 weekly "lessons/practices". The practices follow the zodiac wheel, so each week you are focusing on a ritual and a yoga pose that aligns with the themes of the astrological sign that you are currently in. There is an astrological themed lesson to complete as well, some mythology on the yoga pose you will be working on, and a short closing poem at the end of the lesson called dharma talk. There are art depictions of the yoga poses in the book (which I loved). It was one of my favorite things in the book.
What I liked about this book is the lessons are short enough that it something that can easily fit into the week which is perfect for those of us who want to work on our spiritual growth and practice, but are limited in time. The yoga poses are fun and not overly advanced, so even beginner yogis can go through the book with ease. The lessons/practices are something that can easily fit into a morning or bedtime routine as they do not take too long to complete but definitely give you something to think about and focus on.
The only downside for me was that I had to read through this book quickly to be able to write this review, and could not spend a week on each lesson, as intended, but I WILL be restarting the book again in the spring and following through, spending one week on each lesson.
March 2, 2020
The Yoga Almanac is a gem of a book that yoga newbies and seasoned teaches alike will find to be a valuable addition to their library. I personally have practiced yoga for years and had never seen the connectivity between traditional yogic teachings, seasonal traditions, and the zodiac. I'll admit I'm not a big adaptor of woo-woo wellness teachings and traditions. However, The Yoga Almanic touches upon the intangible, spiritual elements of a thoughtful yoga practice in such an assessable way that even the most woo-less yogi will want to get on board.
What I love most about the book is that it isn't something you pick up and read from cover to cover. It's a workbook meant to guide you through the seasons or for when you want to expand specific areas of your practice. I like to think of it as a choose your own yoga adventure that adds a level of depth and thoughtfulness that I often find missing in the many yoga classes I've taken. It does an amazing job of connecting ancient yogic practices to seasonal and zodiac traditions to modern-day actionable lessons (ex. silence helps you be more creative). I wish every teacher I practiced with had this book in their hands - it's too good to only keep on your shelf!
What I love most about the book is that it isn't something you pick up and read from cover to cover. It's a workbook meant to guide you through the seasons or for when you want to expand specific areas of your practice. I like to think of it as a choose your own yoga adventure that adds a level of depth and thoughtfulness that I often find missing in the many yoga classes I've taken. It does an amazing job of connecting ancient yogic practices to seasonal and zodiac traditions to modern-day actionable lessons (ex. silence helps you be more creative). I wish every teacher I practiced with had this book in their hands - it's too good to only keep on your shelf!
February 8, 2020
The Yoga Almanac is a charming collection of yoga poses, including explanations of their purpose, physical and spiritual, as well as a picture depicting how to do the pose. Each week of the year has its particular pose. This is tied to astrology, tao, and Hindu philosophy. I think this almanac is great for an advanced practitioner of yoga who wants to find ways to incorporate its philosophy into his or her life. Each week offers a new idea of reflection and meditation. However, unless one is really enthusiastic about going deep into yoga ideology, this almanac might be a little too much. As a yoga novice, it goes a little too deep for me, personally, and I had trouble connecting with it. Perhaps it has more to do with the fact that the almanac wasn't quite what I expected it would be. That being said, it's up to anyone how intensely to incorporate these ideas into their life. This is an almanac that can be repurposed year after year, so one might easily decide to go gradually deeper into what is offered here. I think that is a nice option.
I give my thanks to the publisher for granting me an advanced reader copy.
I give my thanks to the publisher for granting me an advanced reader copy.
December 14, 2022
I adore philosophy so I really liked this book, I love the energy it has and the lessons being taught. I also love astrology as well but I feel I know so little about it and would like to learn more about how it impacts our day to day lives. I do agree with what some others have stated, I am a total newbie to yoga so I did find the illustrations a little abstract.
Unfortunately, not suitable for readers in the southern hemisphere as there is a lot of emphasis on the seasons and their correlating signs, which are obviously different down here.
*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, not suitable for readers in the southern hemisphere as there is a lot of emphasis on the seasons and their correlating signs, which are obviously different down here.
*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2020
The Yoga Almanac is a wonderful addition to any yogi’s library. Not only does this connect positions with the seasons and stars, but it explains why that pose is important for that time of year. The format is easy to read through in order to look for something later on. There is a focused position for each week of the year. For new yogis this is an easy way to spend time focusing on form and working through new poses they may not be familiar with. I intend to revisit this book regularly as I work through my practice.
March 7, 2020
This book helped me to practice yoga at home instead of going to the gym. The author tells the purpose of each pose as well as providing suggestions on reflection and meditation during the pose.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand their yoga and meditation practice.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand their yoga and meditation practice.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
April 7, 2020
Some interesting ideas and connections with Yoga and astrology. Easy read and good for both yogis and those interested in astrology and how it might fit into daily/yearly life.
June 10, 2020
"The Yoga Almanac" gives prompts and practice ideas for each week of the year as well as some interesting information on the foundations of yoga.
January 10, 2024
I love this so much!! Great for yoga inspiration :)
Want to read
February 5, 2020eARC provided by New Harbinger via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. RTC!
January 11, 2022
Not quite what I was expecting, I thought there would be a sequence for different seasonal cycles.
December 31, 2019
The Yoga Almanac is an easy to follow guide on how to sync yoga practices to the Astrological seasons. The 4 seasons of the year are subdivided to each astrological sign ex; Winter- Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. There are weekly rituals, exercises, poses, and journaling prompts for each Astrological sign for a total of 52 practices.
The aim of this Almanac is to help individuals harmonize themselves with the rhythm of nature, inviting in more grounding and self-awareness. This book is friendly to anyone wanting to get into a more rooted flow. It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie or a seasoned practitioner, this book has something to offer for everyone. Even if you don’t know anything about Astrology, don’t let that scare you. Astrology is simply the seasons of the year reduced to archetypal energies that we interact with on a daily basis. Cosmic embodiment is the ultimate way on how to forge a deeper connection to nature, which ultimately helps to build a deeper and more insightful relationship with oneself.
As someone who has dabbled in Yoga but have never been able to stick with it, and as a budding Astrologer, I absolutely loved 'The Yoga Almanac.' The authors did a great job at connecting the poses to the journaling prompts and rituals, helping me to understand the mind body connection from a yogic perspective.
'The Yoga Almanac' is a great resource for those who wish to cultivate more presence and harmony in their lives via the astrological seasons. It will help you to come back into your body fortifying the relationship between mind, body, and soul...or planet, person, and practice.
The aim of this Almanac is to help individuals harmonize themselves with the rhythm of nature, inviting in more grounding and self-awareness. This book is friendly to anyone wanting to get into a more rooted flow. It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie or a seasoned practitioner, this book has something to offer for everyone. Even if you don’t know anything about Astrology, don’t let that scare you. Astrology is simply the seasons of the year reduced to archetypal energies that we interact with on a daily basis. Cosmic embodiment is the ultimate way on how to forge a deeper connection to nature, which ultimately helps to build a deeper and more insightful relationship with oneself.
As someone who has dabbled in Yoga but have never been able to stick with it, and as a budding Astrologer, I absolutely loved 'The Yoga Almanac.' The authors did a great job at connecting the poses to the journaling prompts and rituals, helping me to understand the mind body connection from a yogic perspective.
'The Yoga Almanac' is a great resource for those who wish to cultivate more presence and harmony in their lives via the astrological seasons. It will help you to come back into your body fortifying the relationship between mind, body, and soul...or planet, person, and practice.
December 26, 2019
I thought The Yoga Almanac by Lisette Cheresson and Andrea Rice was a great introductory read to the practice and philosophy of yoga. The layout of this book is divided into the four seasons, each with three Chinese zodiac signs. Each chapter is meant to be used for a week, and has some philosophical thoughts at the beginning that discuss the name of the chapter, such as Awakening or Grounding, by citing and mentioning many other philosophies and histories. There is a clear connection made to the practice of yoga. Then there is a little information about how the title of the chapter relates to the zodiac sign and season it is within. After, there is a small graphic that shows the yoga pose for the week and a description. I am sad that there were so few graphics, as I would have liked more pictures and images of the pose. I also would have liked some variations of the pose so that one can progress through their yoga journey with this book. Following the pose is a "This Week" section, where the reader is tasked with taking the practice off the mat and thinking more generally about their life. Lastly, there is section titled "Dharma Talk," which is a poem. I do not know where the poems are from, but I believe the authors cite that in the introduction. The emphasis on The Yoga Almanac seems to be the philosophy behind yoga and the practice itself, not the yoga poses, or "physical yoga," as they call it. I do yoga and I felt that the poses were basic and good beginner/intermediate poses, but I do wish that variations had been included, and that there were more poses each week in general. I also feel that combining so many countries philosophies and so many philosophers, and random people such as musicians, to create the full picture of what the practice is about was overwhelming and a bit confusing. Yes, there are connections between them all with yoga, but I wanted to be given more facts and evidence of this. It seemed a bit far-reaching at times, but I am not in any way an expert on this sort of stuff. Overall it was an ok read, a bit too much philosophical talk for me at times, but good introduction. I am not sure I would buy this for a fellow yogi, however.
January 16, 2020
Enjoyed the layout of the book. Separated into astrological seasons, with intentions and meditations. Love that there are yoga poses directly related to the astrological seasons.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews