Yoga Rising: 30 Empowering Stories from Yoga Renegades for Every Body

by Melanie C. Klein

Overview

Courage, truth, and inspiration at the intersection of spiritual practice and social justice

Yoga Rising is a collection of personal essays meant to support your journey toward self-acceptance and self-love. This follow-up to the groundbreaking book Yoga and Body Image features 30 contributors who share stories of major turning points. Explore how body image and yoga intersect with race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, dis/ability, socioeconomic status, age, and size as part and parcel of culture and society.

Collectively, we can make space for yoga that is body positive and accessible to the full range of human diversity. With a special emphasis on how you can take action to build community and challenge destructive attitudes and structures, Yoga Rising is a resource for the continuing work of healing ourselves and our world as we move toward liberation for all.

Praise:

"A must-read collection of essays ideal for anyone yearning for more self-acceptance and body peace. Read this book, and I guarantee you'll hear a story that resonates with your own experiences."—Amber Karnes, founder of Body Positive Yoga

"Yoga Rising kicks open the door for evolution through a collection of honest, diverse, and daring stories . . . A refreshing dose of inspiration that has the power to transform lives."—Kathryn Budig, yoga teacher and author of Aim True

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738750828
Publisher:	Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Publication date:	01/08/2018
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Melanie Klein, MA, is a writer, speaker, and professor of Sociology and Women's Studies. She is a contributing author in 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics and Practice and is featured in Conversations with Modern Yogis . She is the co-editor of Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery + Loving Your Body , and co-founder of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition.

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by Dianne Bondy . . . xiii
Introduction . . . 1

PART ONE: YOGA, BODY IMAGE, AND SELF-WORTH - 7
Rediscover, Reconnect, and Repair: A Lifelong Commitment, by Lisa Diers . . . 9
Perfectionism and My Pathway to Yoga, by Pia Guerrero . . . 19
A Recovered Perfectionist, Robyn Baker . . . 27
Saying Good-Bye to the Inner Critic, by Dr. Melissa Mercedes . . . 37
Kriya Yoga—Living Yoga, by Jivana Heyman . . . 45
On Living Bold and Discovering Your Power, by Dr. Jenny Copeland . . . 53
Part 1 Moving Inward & Upward . . . 63

PART TWO: HEALING THE BODY AND MIND THROUGH PRACTICE - 65
Finding the Right Fit: A Journey to Self-Acceptance, by Tiina Veer . . . 67
Sparkle Girl, Dr. Beth Berila . . . 77
The Expert Within, by Kimber Simpkins . . . 87
Evolving Addiction, Elena Brower . . . 97
Rebirth & Reconnection: My Journey with Cancer, by Dana Byerlee . . . 105
Dragons and Other Demons, by Jodi Strock . . . 113
Part 2 Moving Inward & Upward . . . 123

PART THREE: YOGA FOR EVERY BODY AND EVERY ONE - 125
Take Up Space and Be Seen, by Gwen Soffer . . . 129
Learning to Love the Whole, by Jacoby Ballard . . . 137
Instagram, Yoga, and Learning to Love My Big, Black Body, by Jessamyn Stanley . . . 145
Whose Yoga Is It Anyway?: An Indian American's Adventures in YogaLand, by Lakshmi Nair . . . 153
The Rapunzel Game, Dr. Sabrina Strings . . . 163
So We Can Breathe, by Chanelle John . . . 171
Part 3 Moving Inward & Upward . . . 179

PART FOUR: CHALLENGING EXCLUSIVITY AND CREATING SPACE - 181
Yoga and the Pre-Baby Body, by Suzannah Neufeld . . . 183
Never the Perfect Body, by Dana A. Smith . . . 193
How I (Didn't) Get a Yoga Body in 21 Days, by Roseanna Harvey . . . 201
Privilege Makes the World Go Round, by Lauren Eckstrom . . . 211
Focusing on Ability in Dis-Ability of Yoga, by Elizabeth Wojtowicz . . . 219
Part 4 Moving Inward & Upward . . . 227

PART FIVE: IGNITING YOUR INNER YOGA RENEGADE - 229
Finding Refuge on the Yoga Mat: How Modern Practitioners Need to Say No to Our Culture and Yes to Ourselves, by Dr. Judith Hanson Lasater . . . 231
#Selfie@Sixty, by Cyndi Lee . . . 241
Combating Weapons of Mass Perfection, by Sarit Z Rogers . . . 255
Yoga Girl: Living Authentically in the Social Media World, an Interview with Rachel Brathen, by Melanie Klein . . . 265
From Body Issues to Bodyful, by Pranidhi Varshney . . . 275
Finding My Yoga Home, by Zubin Shroff . . . 283
Lessons Learned, Lessons Taught, by Dr. Gail Parker . . . 291
Part 5 Moving Inward & Upward . . . 301

Conclusion . . . 303
Resources . . . 307
Acknowledgments . . . 317

Editorial Reviews

Praise:

"A must-read collection of essays ideal for anyone yearning for more self-acceptance and body peace. Read this book, and I guarantee you'll hear a story that resonates with your own experiences."—Amber Karnes, founder of Body Positive Yoga

"Yoga Rising kicks open the door for evolution through a collection of honest, diverse, and daring stories . . . A refreshing dose of inspiration that has the power to transform lives."—Kathryn Budig, yoga teacher and author of Aim True

"This is a must-have yoga book! The collection of stories here tells the intimate truth about body-image, self-worth, practice, and creating space for each other and ourselves. The storytelling here is brave and it is honest. This is yoga at its most powerful."—Mariam Gates, bestselling author of Good Night Yoga, Good Morning Yoga

"You will be changed by this book forever. The power and depth of these honest and vulnerable stories will make you see yoga, your body, and the world in a totally new way. It opened my heart and my eyes and left me moved, challenged, and inspired."—Sarah Harry, RYT, author of Fat Yoga and founder of Body Positive Australia

"How many people steer clear of yoga class because they are afraid to look out of place, inflexible, inexperienced, or unattractive? I've certainly been on that list. Melanie Klein's new book heals the divide. I pray that it will open the door for all of us to enter class with pride, joy, vulnerability, and self-love."—Brian Leaf, author of The Teacher Appears

"...[A] must-read collection of essays for yoga teachers, practitioners, and all individuals and groups of people who are unsure if they "belong" to yoga. The compelling and beautifully honest narratives in this text illustrates the magic of the mind/body/sprit connection through deeply personal accounts."—Kerrie J. Kauer, PhD, instructor of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, University of Pittsburgh

"...[A] long-overdue celebration of what it means to be human and practice Yoga in the twenty-first century. The rich storytelling ignites the fire of self-discovery and has the potential to bring about positive change in the world!"—Brenda L. Feuerstein, author of The Yoga-Sutra from a Woman's Perspective

"Yoga Rising is a powerful call to action to share our stories, celebrate our bodies, and honor the dynamic dimensions of our lived experiences."—Jennifer Kreatsoulas, PhD, RYT, founder of Chime Yoga Therapy and co-founder of The Body Kindness Project

"Yoga Rising proclaims with a fierce love and compassion that there is space for all beings to find home in their body and in their yoga practice. That is the true beauty of this book."—LA Yoga

From the Publisher

11/15/2017
While both of these books include "yoga" in the title, they contain diverse messages, written for different audiences. Psychotherapist/yoga teacher Byron (director, Welkin YogaLife Inst.) has found that comprehensive yoga therapy can correct imbalances and help to harness artistic personal resources. She presents a variety of exercises and intention-setting practices that assist in everything from purifying one's environment and refining the senses to accessing creative potential and busting out of one's cocoons.Klein's (sociology & women's studies, Moorpark Coll., CA) work challenges the corporate view of yoga as a practice for the beautiful and fit. Stories from 30 women of different races, ethnicities, gender identity, age, and ability level portray how yoga has helped them battle cancer, accept their bodies, find refuge from the world, and fight addiction. Included are "thought starters" at the end of each chapter, which ask readers to reflect on and personalize the message. VERDICTYoga for the Creative Soul would work well for seasoned yogis who want to hone their practice with an artistic bent, whileYoga Rising provides inspiring reading for all women regardless of their workout proclivities.

Library Journal

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