A Year of Living Your Yoga: Daily Practices to Shape Your life by PT Judith Hanson Lasater Ph.D. is a good selection for anyone interested in living the yoga lifestyle and taking the practice off the mat and into the rest of your life. The book contains a short thought and suggested practice for every day of the year.
The author conducts yoga retreats in Montana. The thoughts and suggested practices in the book are taken from her experiences in yoga and retreats. For every day of the year, there is a thought or bit of wisdom, along with a short mental exercise. These are not physical yoga practices, but mental exercises to enhance the mind, body, spirit connection that is present in yoga.
Each daily entry focuses on a specific topic. Some of the topics found throughout the book include awareness, presence, trust, fear, pranayama, asana and others. There is a pervading theme that focuses on the idea of presence in this moment. Becoming aware and paying attention to your thoughts and emotions, as well as being present in the moment are found in passages throughout the year.
The book is organized with daily practices arranged by month, beginning with January. Each day has a short, five or ten minute exercise that accompanies the writing. These vary, but are often related to spending time observing your emotions or listening to your inner wisdom.
If you have been trying to find balance in your life and take your practice to a deeper level, this book is a great addition to your collection. The passages are insightful and the daily practice can be done anywhere, since they do not involve the mat. You can read and reflect in the morning, when you get home or in your office on your lunch break.