Reviewer: Natasha Lukasiewich, DNP, MSN, RN (Legal Nursing Solutions, LLC)
Description: Mindful yoga-based acceptance and commitment therapy (MYACT) is a holistic mind-body program that integrates psychology, yoga, and behavior change. This book empowers mental health practitioners to incorporate foundational principles of yoga moves to help process goals for those in therapy. Many visuals such as yoga move diagrams and tables are used to explain concepts.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide a tool for mental health practitioners to help clients achieve better mental flexibility and emotional balance. The objectives are clearly achieved by scaffolding on principles presented in each chapter.
Audience: Although the book focuses on mental health providers, it definitely could be used as a resource by yoga teachers and students of like professions. The authors include a psychologist, a social worker, and a yoga instructor who have focused on MYACT approaches.
Features: This book begins with a discussion of human suffering so readers can have some common understanding. The authors introduce a life map that they refer to throughout the book. They then go over what readers need to understand about yoga. The latter part of the book discusses the MYACT protocol, as well as adaptations and troubleshooting using MYACT. The book is easy to read and has great visuals and easy to understand explanations of how to do some of the yoga poses.
Assessment: As someone who has embraced my own yoga practice, I can appreciate the importance of a book like this. It does a great job of exploring the effect yoga moves and practice can have on promoting positive mental health in individuals.
As yoga and mindfulness practices take root in Western soil, they’re coming into conversation with the insights and techniques of contemporary psychology. This interaction is modifying both traditions in innumerable ways, and this book is helping to shape that conversation. In different ways, both modern psychology and ancient yoga seek to wake us up from the habits that block us from living lives that matter. This practical book helps us find our footing again.” —Michael Stone, author of The Inner Tradition of Yoga
This book offers an enlightening perspective on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) using compassion and yoga principles. The exercises are both simple and empowering at the same time, allowing for a deep connection with clients’ experiences. This book is the essence of what it means to have an experiential practice.” —Janina Scarlet, PhD, clinical psychologist at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, author of Superhero Therapy, and recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award for developing Superhero Therapy
This book is a brilliant contribution not only to the contextual behavioral science literature, but also to the acknowledgement that there are other forms, besides language, to address human struggles. The authors did an incredible job integrating ACT, yoga practices, and a rounded approach to general well-being into a very creative, unique, and step-by-step process. This is certainly a timely book when we have failed to acknowledge the role of our body in our general well-being, and within the field of empirically supported treatments. This book will help all clinicians to expand a repertoire of interventions when working with all clients. A highly recommended book, whether you practice yoga or not!” —Patricia E. Zurita Ona, PsyD, coauthor of Mind and Emotions, and author of Parenting a Troubled Teen and Escaping the Emotional Rollercoaster
Going way beyond a mere illness model, the authors bring the reader into intimate contact with the science of liberation at the heart of yoga, dharma, and ACT. This is a book for everybody and every body!” —Dennis Tirch, founder of The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy, associate clinical professor at Mount Sinai, and coauthor of The ACT Practitioner’s Guide to the Science of Compassion
This is a great book for mental health practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and people who want to empower their health on all levels. The content is treated respectfully and offers guidelines and tips for people coming at it from various realms of practice. Highly accessible, organized, and at times humorous, the diversity of application and interest makes this a compelling read. There are so many practical, experienced-based opportunities to apply the mindful yoga-based acceptance and commitment therapy (MYACT) protocol to improve one’s own life, as well as the lives of clients/students!” —Erin Byron, MA, registered psychotherapist, and author of Yoga for the Creative Soul
This book is immediately accessible and practical for blending yoga and ACT. Doing the work as outlined will bring the reader into a deeply felt understanding of ACT. It’s such a brilliant move to blend yoga and ACT, you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it. It’s also a reader-friendly exploration of the common roots of contextual behavioral science and yoga philosophy and practice.” —Joanne Steinwachs, LCSW, licensed clinical social worker in private practice, and peer-reviewed ACT trainer
Yoga plus ACT—how can you possibly ask for a better combination to help you become more flexible as a person? Well, you could ask for such a book to be written by Timothy Gordon and Jessica Borushok. Superb! This book is better than Tantric sex!” —D.J. Moran, PhD, BCBA-D, Pickslyde Consulting
Whether you are a mental health care or yoga professional, Mindful Yoga-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a unique, balanced blend of wisdom and valuable tools, for and from, both these fields. A great asset as a practical guide in professional trainings or continued education programs, while remaining equally accessible as a step-by-step guide for one’s own personal use.” —Helene Couvrette, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, president of MISTY - Montreal International Symposium on Therapeutic Yoga; and founder H~OM Yoga Health Center
