Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness

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This book by Donna Farhi is a beautifully illustrated introduction and explanation of a yogic practice. She uses drawings that really speak to the inner dynamics of self-discovery -- reducing the "I will never look like that" feelings, and giving the visual learner a quick and very expressive way to understand without reading everything. On the other hand her words are clear and descriptive, emotional yet not preachy. Her contraindications and suggestions about asana work are useful. The main thing, though, that I love about this book is that it is so generous and loving, so open and heartfelt, while it is totally instructional and accessible. Not hard to digest, not hard to integrate into any and all other yogic study. I teach yoga, and often refer my students and fellow teachers to this book to help refresh and invigorate their deep journey along with the physical practice.

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This is really a great book offering many insights into how to live your yoga practice on a daily basis. It is easy to read, insightful and inspirational. I have already recommended this to many friends.

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This well written book talks about the alignment principles of yoga from the inside out. Then Ms. Fahri takes that information and applys it to the poses, explaining what should be happening in the body to maximize the benefit of the pose from a whole body perspective. Once you have read it you will never think of yoga the same again. I highly recommend this book for teachers and serious students. One of the best I've ever read!!!

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I had now idea how far my journey was going to go! This book takes me further than I ever imagined!

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I've read and really enjoyed Donna's other books, but never bothered to read this one because of my almost 10 years of practicing asana and having read tons of asana books I thought that all of the books said the same thing. I recently took one of her week long trainings and practically filled my notebook with all of this new and great information. Later I bought this book and lo and behold most of it is in this book and her Breathing Book with pictures to boot. This was really a turning point for my practice as before I was more focused on getting the "ideal" yoga pose and not going with my bone structure. Also instead of forcing something to happen I learned to go with gravity, the breath and my natural structure so I can have 'effortless movement'. This concept opened me up to lots of other books that explore this in more detail.

One thing that really stuck with me (and what I think will help you understand where she's coming from) was in her introduction:
"Increasingly doing "good" yoga has come to mean having a beautiful body, remaining forever youthful, and being able to show one's adeptness through the seemingly solid evidence of advanced postures. But as we stretch our muscles deeply or strengthen our abdominals, are we coming closer to feeling a deep peacefulness within ourselves and an inner equanimity that can meet the challenges of life in a compassionate and skillful way? Like the botanist who finally breeds the perfect rose only to discover that in the process he has lost the fragrance of the bloom, when we strip yoga to its mechanics, we also loose something essential.
I have been as guilty as any of both practicing and teaching yoga in a way that made the postures and practices more important than the spirit of the person practicing them. My early obsession with perfecting the forms of yoga brought with it a greater and greater sense of unease and dissatisfaction. The realization that I had bought into dictum of a culture obsessed with achievement and the unhappiness wrought by such striving led me to a long period of deep experimentation in my own practice....I have slowly uncovered a more natural way of discovering the essence of the practice through form. The forms then become vehicles for experiencing one's essential nature rather than goals in and of themselves. Then whether you attain any particular posture becomes irrelevant. The shift from dominating, controlling, or ignoring nature to listening and working with nature's wisdom marks the beginning of this change of mind....
I am convinced that there is nothing new about this approach and that it can best be described as a neoclassical revival of the original way of working first explored by yogis centuries ago..."

In regards to the inquiry parts of the book, they are a much better way for you to learn and understand your body instead of being told what this is doing and what you should be feeling. It also helps you build your kinesthetic awareness. In the workshop Donna came up to me and asked where I was feeling pain in my spine while practicing cobra pose. At first I was baffled b/c I hadn't requested help and didn't notice anything off the top. But she sat their patiently so I took a moment to inquire within and found "hmmm I do have this little tiny twinge". That was my aha moment. She didn't rush me, accuse me, or tell me anything. I felt as if she had given my power back. My power to listen and to know the truth within my body. It was truly amazing and I will always recommend her if you are looking for a more awakened style of practicing asana.