Yoga Where You Are

November 16, 2020
Yoga instructors Bondy (Yoga for Everyone) and Heagberg (Embodied Resilience Through Yoga) combine decades of experience in this useful guide for teachers and students. Writing that they “firmly believe that all bodies are yoga bodies,” the authors call out a yoga culture that has welcomed primarily the young and the fit. Bondy and Heagberg instead promote a more inclusive practice, which they divide into three parts. The first covers the history of yoga (including a rundown of the various styles and lineages); the second offers a pose-by-pose guide, complete with an explanation of benefits, suggestions for the use of props and modifications, and photographs; the third—most useful for teachers or those establishing a home practice—aids the reader in putting the individual poses together to develop yoga sequences. The authors explain that many students may feel self-conscious when first approaching yoga, and to counter discomfort they encourage teachers to reach out to beginners, students with disabilities, and those with bodies of all shapes, focusing on what students can do rather than what they can’t. This thoughtfully written and visually appealing book will be a welcome addition to any yogi’s library.