A Year of Living Your Yoga: Daily Practices to Shape Your Life

by Judith Hanson Lasater

Judith Hanson Lasater has been teaching an annual yoga retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch, in Helena, Montana, for 28 years. When she learned that one of her students was collecting Lasater’s thoughts — which she called “Judith’s aphorisms” — Lasater decided to collect them in this book. Featuring one thought for each day of the year, along with a suggested practice, these brief, powerful insights reflect the author’s knowledge of classic yoga philosophy and years of experience. Humorous, inspiring, and surprisingly down-to-earth, they guide seekers both on and off the yoga mat. These aphorisms address love, asana, fear, trust, expectations, pranayama, suffering, laughter, presence, the Yoga Sutra, and much more. They emphasize the experience of being present to one's self and to life’s ups and downs — day by day, breath by breath, moment by moment. A Year of Living Your Yoga is a gentle invitation to readers to know themselves on a deeper level.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Health, Fitness, Reference

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2006

Reviews

[Susan Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep this lovely book by my bed as a reminder that my yoga practice is about more than being able to a headstand. Which I can’t do and, frankly, don’t care about doing. So much wisdom inside its cover.

[Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the top ten on yoga inspired books to read.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Something simple to do or focus on each day.

[Scarlett O.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good to read a few of these one liners of wisdom every day, it helped to put things in perspective and also to remember my breathing.

[Kae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a DNF for me. I totally understand what the author was trying to cultivate with this, however, same with my opinions on her OG book, there was some language/ privileged POVs that did not age well. Especially from a white practitioner. Made me a little uncomfortable so after a solid 6 months, I decided it to gently let it go.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book the whole year to begin my daily yoga practice as part of creating a more intentional, focused practice. I love how Lasater really teaches the importance of “living your yoga” as this book and one of her longer books both suggest in their titles. I found some exceptional suggestions in these short aphorisms followed by a brief related instruction to follow for each day, on or off the mat. Like gentle reminders, her words point the way to adding more depth and meaning to my practice. I know I will be using this little book more than once.

[Sherry A · Rating 5 out of 5]

45, dates

[Millie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this every morning.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Judith Lassiter offers daily meditations and thoughts to structure practice in and off the mat. I’ve been working with this book for a few years. I’ve shared the meditations in this book with friends and coworkers as they sometimes are helpful for a situation or inspiring for a birthday or other auspicious times and events. I feel like this is one tool I use to anchor myself and I look forward to the gifts I find within the pages.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Each day provides a short thought that will help bring yoga to your life. It's refreshing that the author applies some of the thoughts to God (Judeo-Christian). At the same time it was carefully written so as to apply to other religions (so it seems to me, but being a Christian, I may have missed something).

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was actually really nice, like a 'day' calendar where there's a thought, insight and even an 'action' for every day of the year. No images of people doing asanas or anything, but some really nice insights and thoughts.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS! I must purchase ASAP for the new year :)

[Tiffany Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yogis. Non-yogis. Everyone should have this book in their home to go back to throughout life! Wonderful perspectives and affirmations!

[Dusica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this little book. Returning to it often!

[Whitney Pittsenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty cool. It gives you an intention for the day and it is very mindful. I do believe I will be buying this one and using it throughout many years.

[Linda J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book, I read it very day for years. The meditations were thought provoking and not
religious. The book was signed by the author which was a nice extra.

[Barbara Naugle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - a yoga thought a day. Very good!

[Angela Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically, it’s a yoga devotional book. Every day of the year, Judith Hanson Lasater gives a short, maybe four-sentence meditation for you to ponder during your yoga practice or throughout your day. Since I’m trying to read as many books as I can for my “book fairy” library, I couldn’t take a year to complete it just now, sadly. I would recommend that you do so. Each thought stands well and fully on its own and in a short amount of time will give you so much to ponder. I kind of can’t stop talking about how many applicable things I took away from it. I would highly recommend it to any yogi.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The was a Christmas gift and I loved it, having just started yoga. My mat is my new best friend and I do believe yoga is something I carry with me all day, not just an hour at the y six days a week. This book was full of inspiration.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem that you can refer to on a daily basis. I am a Judith Lasater fan. In July I attended her Restorative Poses teacher training in San Francisco. She is a remarkable yoga teacher and a wonderful, intuitive, wise person. This book has a thought for each day of the year.

Here is the entry for February 12th:

Whatever you do, do it with an open heart.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Maybe you agreed to do something but now you are wishing you hadn’t. If you do choose to follow through in the end, do so with willingness and interest. You will suffer less and so will the others around you.

And for Valentine’s Day, February 14th:

Observing weakens resistance.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: fighting with something makes it stronger. Today when you want to push something away, instead just sit down, close your eyes, and for five minutes imagine yourself as a large container holding your own resistance. The resistance may remain but you are fighting it no longer. This is freedom.

I love my stack of “snippet” books. This is truly one of the delights of retirement: as I enjoy my fruit plate each morning, I indulge in these sweet mental stimuli - reading a thought, a few poems, reviewing a page in a language workbook, etc. My current stack includes: Louise L Hay’s Wisdom Cards, A Year of Living Your Yoga, The Essential Rumi, The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, and Equipe 3 (a French workbook). I try not to be rigid about this, of course, because that would spoil the fun, but I do look forward to my daily samplings.

A lovely book – highly recommended!

[Carrie LeAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to read a day at a time throughout the year if you are looking for a very short morning read. Personally, I am finding Mark Nepo/s The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have a deeper, but longer daily read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of daily reminders to breathe, relax, and appreciate the important things in life. Yoga practitioners will enjoy keeping this one on their nightstands and teachers will enjoy sharing the words of wisdom with their students in class. Lasater truly knows what it means to 'live' yoga.

[Nicolina Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great daily inspiration book concerning yoga. Already, just using it for the last week, it helped set a meditative tone to my day and give me something to focus on either in my practice or my daily life. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provides a yoga-related thought or focus for each day of the year which although a lovely idea, I found there were just too many days where I read the entry but was too busy or preoccupied to consciously apply it throughout the day.

[Dawnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not quite finished with this yet (as it has a daily devotional), but I am really enjoying it. At least once a day I try to meditate and often I will reflect back on what I read that morning to get me started. Its very uplifting and I really enjoy where its taken me.

[Sally]

two sentence daily reads, to uplift your daily experiences

[KP · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new thought every day

[Moira · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, so awesome. Nice, succinct daily meditations for both on and off the mat. In its second annual rotation...

[DrJenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful quips to keep you going throughout the day/s. One that I will come back to again, I'm sure.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great everyday yoga resource.