Fellow blogger & crafty-lady extraordinaire Bonnie Forkner has reviewed 27 Things to Know About Yoga on her very fantastic blog, Going Home to Roost. Bonnie & I share a lot of the same interests (crafting, eco-living, gardening … and yoga), but she runs three Etsy shops (Home to Roost; Kitchen Roost; Old Renewed) & is a certified yoga teacher (yup, she rocks).

Bonnie’s review for 27 Things to Know About Yoga was short, sweet, and glowingly positive. Her overall impression is well-expressed entirely in this sentence:

It’s an easy read-in-a-day book that will help deepen your practice, clear up misconceptions and leave you ready for more.

Thank you, Bonnie!

When I turned 25 last year, I was inspired to create my own “before I die ..” list, or bucket list if you will. Though I don’t plan on dying anytime soon, this list helps me keep track of all those random hopes & dreams that often get lost in day-to-day goings-on.

Today, I get to cross out the first entry in my bucket list: “publish a non-fiction book.” July 28th, 2010 marks the release of my very first book, 27 Things to Know About Yoga (have you ordered your copy yet!?). The great folks at Turner Publishing took a chance on me & together, we’ve created a great book that could help thousands.

At age 26, my dream of becoming a published author has come true. Before the end of the year, I’ll be releasing my 2nd book with Turner, 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living – a subject very dear to my heart. TWO books in ONE year … I never would have imagined this in my wildest dreams!

So it is with great pleasure that I cross out the first item on my list. Here is my updated “before I die … ” list:

• Publish a non-fiction book
• Jog a 5K
• Visit Sweden with my mom
• Visit Italy with Logan (my husband)
• Live in Europe for at least 1 year
• Be debt-free (pay off: credit card, car, & school loans)
• Teach a class
• Write a memoir
• Knit a sweater
• Become a certified yoga teacher OR personal trainer
• Study Ayurveda
• Study Buddhism
• Study massage
• Try Pilates
• Try flower arranging
• Try ceramics
• Try crochet
• Try rock climbing
• Try archery
• Try canoeing

An interfaith minister & certified yoga teacher, Frank Jude Boccio is not only intelligent – he is wise. Chatting with him for just a few minutes makes a person feel truly alive & connected to the world around them. Along with studying Ayurveda & rehabilitation therapy, Frank has trained in numerous yoga styles, including: Anusara, Ashtanga, & Kundalini. Based in Arizona & teaching around the world, Frank has also written a wonderful book titled Mindfulness Yoga – a seamless interweaving of yoga & Buddhist mindfulness meditation.

Victoria Klein: How were you first introduced to yoga?

Frank Jude Boccio: While I was still in High School, curiosity drew me to read a few books on Buddhism and it just seemed to make sense to me. However, I was as yet not motivated to practice. Then, when I was around 20 years old, with a young daughter and a marriage that was already experiencing problems, a friend suggested I try Yoga to ease my stress.

I will NEVER forget my first shavasana [corpse pose]! It was an experience that whet my appetite for more. However, after several months, I began to notice that while practicing yoga, and for some short time after I would feel peaceful and blissful, but outside of yoga class, the rest of my life still felt chaotic and extremely stressful. In fact, the discordance between how I felt while practicing yoga and the rest of my life caused me mental pain!

At that time, I read how the Buddha had studied with two of the great yogis of his time and found that as long as he was in a deep state of concentrated meditation, he felt blissful, but soon after coming out of meditation, he would again feel stress. That was when he decided to go out on his own and re-discovered the meditative approach that has come to be called ‘mindfulness.’ It was reading about his experience, and recognizing how similar it was to mine, that led me to begin Buddhist meditation, which I now see as simply a form of yoga itself.

What changes have you noticed from practicing yoga (physical, mental, … etc.)?

An interesting question as I just participated in a university study on Mindfulness Practice. The most telling, and transformative change I have experienced over time is that I am not as reactive to external conditions as I once was. I have found a degree of freedom from conditions, so that my happiness and peace are not determined by others and external situations. I experience a lightness of being, so that even difficult situations are accepted more openly and freely, and I do what I can and let go of the rest. I smile more freely at my own foibles, not taking myself so darn seriously. As I tell my students, “Life is too important to take seriously: En-lighten Up!”

The meditation and physical practices (including pranayama and asana) have also helped keep my body and my immune system strong; I rarely get sick. And thankfully, at 54 I am still feeling limber and don’t experience any of the joint or muscular aches that so many folk my age — who do not practice some form of hatha-yoga — seem to experience.

Which yoga pose is your all-time favorite & why?

In some ways, this is a bit of a challenging question. Honestly, taking Patanjali’s aphorism to heart, that asana (posture) should be stable and easeful and done with the relaxing of effort in order to experience coalescence (samapatti) and the over-coming of being ‘plagued’ by the pairs of opposites (Y.S.: II; 46 – 48) I would have to say either a comfortable sitting posture OR shavasana. The reason is that in such postures, as we say in Zen, ‘body and mind are dropped’ and a deep sense of peace and joy arise.

Interestingly, my first yoga teacher would often say (and now I also share with my students) that shavasana is the most challenging posture to ‘master,’ and while many beginners scoff at that and think I’m kidding, it is true in many ways. Shavasana is NOT about ‘nap-time.’ We are asked to literally let go of body and mind and stay alert. That degree of ‘letting go’ is very difficult for us contemporary humans, and often when the body is at ease, we tend to drift off. But the meditative state is one of relaxation AND alertness.

Now, other than these, I think Warrior Two is perhaps my favorite ‘active’ hatha-yoga posture because it feels so strong, grounding and opening all at the same time. Long ‘holds’ in Warrior Two allow me to watch my mind’s reactivity to discomfort, while still maintaining the stability that other more contortionist postures do not allow. Staying in the posture cultivates the heart of the ‘warrior-bodhisattva’ so that I can cultivate a greater capacity to stay present with whatever life throws at me.

Why do you think there are so many misconceptions about yoga?

At least one reason for some of the many misconceptions about yoga relate to confusion as to the various definitions of the word “yoga.” When I teach the History and Philosophy of the Yoga Tradition, I note that the first use of the word “yoga” to describe a mental discipline of ‘yoking the mind and body’ dates to about 1000 BCE. From this time on, Yoga (with a capital Y) connotes any psycho-physical-spiritual discipline with its origins on the sub-continent of what is now called “India.” There are many forms of yoga, and for most of its history, yoga meant meditation (raja-yoga), and later devotion to the Divine (bhakti-yoga), selfless service (karma-yoga), and investigation (jnana-yoga).

Confusion really begins when we speak of yoga as a philosophy or darshana. The school of Classical Yoga, one of the six forms of ‘orthodox’ Indian philosophy rests upon the work of Patanjali in his Yoga-Sutra, which dates from around 200 – 300 CE. This is over a 1,000 years since the word ‘yoga’ was first used to describe spiritual discipline. Several centuries after Patanjali, the Tantra-Yoga movement spread across India, and it was from this movement that Hatha-Yoga (forceful-yoga) arose. But even then, the postures of hatha were primarily sitting postures, as any cursory view of The Hatha-Yoga Pradipika will show you.

Ironically, many of the movements and postures of contemporary Hatha-Yoga are less than 200 years old, and were very much influenced by the British calisthenics movement! Sadly, when Yoga was brought over to America, the physical practice of asana was emphasized till we’ve reached the point where for most Westerners, the great richness of the Yoga Tradition has been reduced to asana practice! Mark Singleton, in his wonderful Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice goes into great detail about this history.

What one thing do you wish everyone knew about yoga?

I wish that everyone would know that yoga is sooooo much more than just the physical practice — as wonderful as that is — so that they could more greatly appreciate just how powerfully transforming it can be. The freedom yoga offers; beyond the flexibility and strength of body to the flexibility and strength of mind it cultivates, is beyond conception. If we have too narrow a view of what yoga is, we end up short-changing ourselves! Yoga… it’s beyond conception!

[Images courtesy of Frank Jude Boccio]

The reviews just keep rolling in! The 2nd review for 27 Things to Know About Yoga comes from fellow writer Sheri Newton, via both her blog, Sheri’s World, & her gig with Associated Content.

Sheri has already reviewed a number of the books from Turner Publishing‘s Good Things to Know series & I’m delighted she took the time to read & review mine also. Sheri’s review for 27 Things to Know About Yoga is nothing but positive remarks, mostly covering the new things that she learned from the book (yay!).

Overall, I found 27 Things to Know About Yoga by Victoria Klein as a great resource for all of those who want to learn more about yoga – from the beginner to the more advanced yoga practitioner.

Thank you, Sheri!

Just 8 days until my first book (27 Things to Know About Yoga) is released & it has already been reviewed! Emily Canibano, founder of Naperville, Illinois’ Sky Yoga Studio posted a review for 27 Things to Know About Yoga last week. Overall, Emily liked the book, but she did have two qualms that I’d like to address:

While I did not agree with all of the content; my personal belief after studying many forms of yoga and going through many teacher trainings is that there is definitely a religious component to classical yoga – which is not present in all forms of yoga.  I also took issue with the directive that in order to practice yoga you MUST have a yoga mat because it helps you to maintain balance and proper alignment.  A yoga mat does neither of these though I agree that you get what you pay for – and I steer clear of PVC and latex mats when I use them – but I have had very successful classes/ practices without a mat. Without a mat you learn to use your hands and feet better. Give it some thought, what did yogis use thousands of years ago before manmade materials? Not a sticky mat.

First, Emily refers to Thing #3 in 27 Things to Know About Yoga, which is titled “Not a Religion.” I agree with her 100% in that the origins of true yoga (which does not resemble the physical practice we know today) are deeply intertwined with religion. I do not dispute that. The point I was making is that yoga itself is not a religion – you can follow any faith (or no faith!) & not feel that you are betraying your beliefs.

Second, Emily refers to Thing #7, titled “Simple Supplies.” I think she has an issue with the very first sentence: “You should never practice yoga without a yoga mat.” Emily is right is saying that, when first developed, practitioners did not use sticky mats – they didn’t exist! Instead, many used wool or cotton rugs or simply the floor or earth below them. This type of yoga practice is great, but I do not believe it is safe for beginners.

A yoga mat (a.k.a. sticky mat) makes it easier for new students to learn the nuances of yoga postures. If you had beginners practice yoga on just a wood floor, many would focus so much on just trying to keep their balance that they couldn’t hone in on the details of the pose, which could also lead to unnecessary frustration & injuries, possibly driving them away from yoga all together.  In the end, this was my error. I should have made a stronger emphasis that beginners should always use a yoga mat. For more advanced students, practicing yoga on a rug or bare floor is completely safe.

In the end, Emily had many nice things to say about 27 Things to Know About Yoga – especially in her last sentence of the review: “At $9.99 this book will make a great stocking stuffer, office gift, and should be available at most yoga studios (especially those that offer beginner classes).” Wow! What a compliment! That is exactly the kind of book I was trying to write.

I can’t believe the day is already here … the day the full manuscript of my SECOND book is due. The fact that 9 weeks went by so fast is mind-boggling. Now, after months of hard work, I’m turning over my 2nd baby to the wonderful folks at Turner Publishing.

Turning this rough compilation into a gleaming gem is all up to them now. After seeing the great job they did with my first book (27 Things to Know About Yoga in stores July 28th!), I am confident they will make 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living another treat for tens of thousands of readers (Hey, I can dream too!).

Now, it’s time to focus on promoting my first non-fiction book because, shockingly, it will be released to the public in less than 4 weeks! If you haven’t already (what are you waiting for!?), pre-order a copy of 27 Things to Know About Yoga on Amazon.com or at your favorite indie bookstore via IndieBound.

Are you a blogger or a writer? Contact Laura Bierbaum at lbierbaum@behrmanpr.com for a review copy of the book. Interested in being a host for my Blog Book Tour? E-mail me ASAP!

Last but not least, I’m still working on the book tour schedule, so e-mail me recommendations for events, book signings, and interviews (with a special focus on the NYC/Boston/Providence/Philadelphia & San Francisco areas).

The clock just keeps on ticking. In 4 short weeks, the full manuscript for my 2nd non-fiction book, 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living, is due to my editor at Turner Publishing.

As of today, I am just past halfway, with 26 of the 48 tips completed. Over the next 3 weeks, the remaining 22 tips will be written. During the 4th week, editing is the name of the game.

With the announcement of my 1st book’s release date, I have added spunk & a sense of determination to make my 2nd book uber-great. Due to the nature of the topic, I could easily write 2-3 times what the editors are allowing me (30,000 words MAX!), but I’m doing my damnedest to make sure I cover all the basics (famous last words!).

July 28th, 2010! July 28th, 2010! July 28th, 2010! July 28th, 2010! July 28th, 2010!

I can’t even begin to express how excited I am! You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com or at your favorite indie bookstore via IndieBound. I’ve also set up an official Amazon.com Author Page that posts my blog updates & a swank discussion forum.

I’ll be posting more information about my upcoming book signing events very soon. There is still a little room in my schedule for more events, appearances, and interviews, so please contact me ASAP to get those arranged.

Bloggers & Writers!: For a review copy of the book, please contact Laura Bierbaum at lbierbaum@behrmanpr.com

After 5 tense days of waiting, I emailed my contact at the publisher.

He quickly wrote back and said that YES, my sample has been approved!

I was more worried about this sample than that of my previous book. When it comes to eco-living I can be a bit, well, snarky about the whole subject. It just all seems so obviously important to me. I try not to be that way, but it can come through strong in my writing.

With 44 more tips to write, followed by a full week of editing, we’ll see how much audaciousness slips through.

Next due date: Friday, July 2nd for the Full Manuscript!

Dun dun dun – this is the last big step before I jump headlong into writing my 2nd book. The sample (Introduction & 1 tip) for 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living has been sent to my contact at the publishing company. Once I receive confirmation of the sample’s approval by the publisher, then all I have to do is write the rest of the book … easy, no?

Thanks to the writing schedule I made for this book, I had no problem ensuring I had material to submit for the sample. Now, this is one of the most tension-filled parts. Do they like the direction I’m taking the book? They approved the outline, so I know I am on the right track so far. What if they want me to change something? Will it be drastic? Will it take a lot of time?

Until I receive a response, I’m just going to keep on working to help my mind stay distracted …

Next due date: Friday, July 2nd for the Full Manuscript!