Yoke: The Union of Yoga and Life
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- Create Date：2021-05-27 06:19:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jessamyn Stanley
- ISBN：1523505214
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Summary
Funny， thoughtful， inspiring， and deeply personal essays about yoga， wellness， and life from author of EVERY BODY YOGA， Jessamyn Stanley。 Stanley explores her relationship （and ours） to yoga （including why we practice， rather than how）; wrestles with issues like cultural appropriation， materialism， and racism; and explores the ways we can all use yoga as a tool for self-love。
Reviews
Megan Roberts
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I loved the first 60% of this book but felt the last part was rushed and seemed to wander--it just wasn't as tight and well done as the first half。 The chapter where Stanley complains about being hit with other people's trauma stories and then in turn hits you with hers was jarring and I didn't find a purpose for this chapter。 The weed chapter was eh， I would have cared more if it was linked to the traditional use of drugs in meditation or something。 I was super amped on this book and would stil I loved the first 60% of this book but felt the last part was rushed and seemed to wander--it just wasn't as tight and well done as the first half。 The chapter where Stanley complains about being hit with other people's trauma stories and then in turn hits you with hers was jarring and I didn't find a purpose for this chapter。 The weed chapter was eh， I would have cared more if it was linked to the traditional use of drugs in meditation or something。 I was super amped on this book and would still recommend it for fans but wouldn't recommend it to anyone else really。 Thanks to Netgalley for an arc。 。。。more
Jessica
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The essays in this collection are personal and humorous， but also touch on a lot of important topics。 I appreciated the discussion about cultural appropriation and racism in yoga practices in America。 It seems to be something that most （white） practitioners don't want to acknowledge or discuss。 One part， in particular， has stuck with me， when Stanley recalls a black man asking her how he was supposed to feel calm and safe enough to practice yoga in rooms typically filled with white women， who ar The essays in this collection are personal and humorous， but also touch on a lot of important topics。 I appreciated the discussion about cultural appropriation and racism in yoga practices in America。 It seems to be something that most （white） practitioners don't want to acknowledge or discuss。 One part， in particular， has stuck with me， when Stanley recalls a black man asking her how he was supposed to feel calm and safe enough to practice yoga in rooms typically filled with white women， who are socially conditioned to see him as an enemy。 Issues like this need to be discussed， and I appreciate the author for presenting and addressing them。Thank you to NetGalley for my free review copy。 。。。more
Linden
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Stanley writes about her experiences with yoga as a queer Black woman of size， and does a fair amount of profane ranting。 She has many strong opinions on a variety of topics， from religion （“I drank the Kool-Aid without asking what was in my cup。 I didn’t inquire as to the logic of my religious beliefs。。。。 but as you might expect， it didn’t take much to uproot a faith so loosely planted…。my church is the church of self-acceptance， and every body is welcome at the altar。”） to capitalism。 Much of Stanley writes about her experiences with yoga as a queer Black woman of size， and does a fair amount of profane ranting。 She has many strong opinions on a variety of topics， from religion （“I drank the Kool-Aid without asking what was in my cup。 I didn’t inquire as to the logic of my religious beliefs。。。。 but as you might expect， it didn’t take much to uproot a faith so loosely planted…。my church is the church of self-acceptance， and every body is welcome at the altar。”） to capitalism。 Much of what she says about racism and body positivity is thought provoking， but I did resent her generalization that “predominately white yoga teaching environments breed a groupthink that’s marbled with white supremacist values。” That being said， I would definitely be interested in taking her yoga class someday。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I first heard of Jessamyn Stanley through a podcast by Dr。 Laurie Santos called The Happiness Lab。 The episode where Dr。 Santos interviewed Ms。 Stanley was all about how our bodies are designed to move and how science actually proves that we are happier when we move our bodies。 （The kind of exercise you do is not important， the benefit comes from just not being sedentary）。 I've been running for 22 years with a little pilates thrown in here and there， but my exercise routine has grown stale and I I first heard of Jessamyn Stanley through a podcast by Dr。 Laurie Santos called The Happiness Lab。 The episode where Dr。 Santos interviewed Ms。 Stanley was all about how our bodies are designed to move and how science actually proves that we are happier when we move our bodies。 （The kind of exercise you do is not important， the benefit comes from just not being sedentary）。 I've been running for 22 years with a little pilates thrown in here and there， but my exercise routine has grown stale and I've been looking for a change。 So， when I heard Ms。 Stanley discussing the benefits of yoga， I decided to give it a try。I started practicing yoga three months ago and I have really felt more centered and calm and I'm happier。 So， when I saw Ms。 Stanley's new book Yoke on Netgalley， I was excited to read it。 Sadly， it was a huge disappointment。 Yes， there were a few gems here and there， but overall， it was crass， rambling， and full of ranting and not at all what you would think when you read the blurb or think of yoga in general。First， what I liked: Stanley writes in a very informal tone and the reader feels like she's sitting on the mat next to you just discussing life。 That immediately makes the concepts more accessible。Stanley does a good job of explaining how yoga isn't about the poses， it's about connecting with your own body and being present in the moment。 It's about connecting with the life forces all around you。 Near the beginning she quotes the Satchidananda， 92， which says， "Remember that the body is not the experience。 Life is experienced by the mind through the body。 The body is only a vehicle。" Amen。Second， what I didn't like:For the first several chapters it feels like there's profanity in every other sentence。 Then in later chapters it's every couple of paragraphs。 Don't get me wrong， there's a time and place for profanity and it can be very powerful in a book when used sparingly - to great effect。 But， when every other sentence contains completely unnecessary vulgarity， it pulls the reader out of the flow of the story。 For example， in the very first chapter Stanley is talking about receiving an email about her last book having a type and she says， "Right there， on page twenty-f*cking-nine， I'd accidentally。。。" and then again a chapter later she says， "They watch me f*ck around for a bit and eventually they shout。。。" Neither of these are at all necessary， nor do they actually advance the point she's trying to make。 This happens over and over and over in the book。 For a book about yoga， which supposedly is about connection with your own inner self and the divine within all living things， something that calms and centers you， this is just not what the reader expects。Also， the author spends more time ranting about cultural appropriation， white supremacy， and capitalism than she does explaining the benefits of yoga。 She spends more time dissing the culture of American yoga than she does extolling the virtues of yoga itself as a practice。 Now， I happen to completely agree with her points about white supremacy and cultural appropriation - she's right - but that's not what I want to read about in a yoga book。 It's not what the blurb suggests the book is about and it's not what the reader is led to believe will be the content。There's also an entire chapter on the benefits of astrology。 Ok， great if that's your thing， but again， this book is purported to be about YOGA， not astrology and crystals and tarot cards。Last complaint: There's an entire chapter devoted to the virtues of smoking weed。 Seriously？？ Again， not really on topic and not relevant and not appropriate。 Sigh， I really wanted to like this book。 Sadly， I found it far more crass and rambling than I was led to expect， or wanted to read， in a book about yoga。 If I hadn't committed to doing this review by accepting a free copy of this book， I would not have finished it。Not recommended。Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley。com in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Book Reviews by Tara aka Queen of Memoirs
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Have you ever entered a yoga studio and felt like you didn’t quite fit in？ Do you believe the American Yoga Association is bias against individuals of a certain size or individuals of a certain color？ Well in her soon to be released sophomore book 𝐘𝐨𝐤𝐞: 𝐌𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 author Jessamyn Stanley shares her experiences with these issues plus so much more。⠀I went into this book thinking it was going to be all about peace， zen and tranquility。 HA！ Boy was I wrong。 Jessamyn goes way beyond t Have you ever entered a yoga studio and felt like you didn’t quite fit in？ Do you believe the American Yoga Association is bias against individuals of a certain size or individuals of a certain color？ Well in her soon to be released sophomore book 𝐘𝐨𝐤𝐞: 𝐌𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 author Jessamyn Stanley shares her experiences with these issues plus so much more。⠀I went into this book thinking it was going to be all about peace， zen and tranquility。 HA！ Boy was I wrong。 Jessamyn goes way beyond the surface and dives deep into the racial disparities and body shaming within the American Yoga Community。⠀If you’re sensitive to profanity， this may not be the book for you。 But if you are open to blunt truth and unwavering candidness， then grab a copy and enjoy the ride。 Jessamyn writes about a wide range of topics including the importance of moving the body， meditation， appropriation in yoga， the #Metoo movement， and how she has overcome imposter syndrome。⠀You can feel Jessamyn’s strong and witty personality from the very first page as she describes being called out by a fellow yogi for misspelling a word in her first book。 It was this experience that led to the title of this her second book。⠀Personally I loved reading her raw， real and honest stories。 I didn’t read Jessamyn’s first book so I didn’t know what to expect with this one。 I was pleasantly surprised by the relatability of it all。 I know what it feels like to enter into a yoga class and feel out-of-place。 Yet， I also know what it feels like to find peace and a sense of calm in that same studio。⠀Jessamyn is not your typical yogi。 And this is not a typical book about yoga。 I enjoyed the journey。⠀𝐘𝐨𝐤𝐞: 𝐌𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 will be released June 22， 2021。⠀Thank you @workmanpublishing for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback。 。。。more
Courtney Moss
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Confession: I do not practice yoga， nor have I read Jessamyn Stanley’s first book。However， I enjoyed Yoke。 It’s a collection of essays that discuss more than yoga: spirituality， making mistakes， capitalism， cultural appropriation， racism， and body image。 I would recommend for those looking to reflect on their own yoga practice or to be more mindful of how yoga is practiced by others。*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。
Michele Telerski-Rees
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I had the opportunity to review an eARC of this book thanks to #NetGalley。 I am certainly not the target audience for this book as a white， middle aged， hetero， reader。 Never the less， she had a message of self-acceptance I valued。 I needed to hear her complaints about the white American yoga community to work on my own blind spots。 Her explanations of mind-body integration and the broad meaning of prana were fantastic。Her language is quite coarse and gratuitously peppered with f-bombs which wou I had the opportunity to review an eARC of this book thanks to #NetGalley。 I am certainly not the target audience for this book as a white， middle aged， hetero， reader。 Never the less， she had a message of self-acceptance I valued。 I needed to hear her complaints about the white American yoga community to work on my own blind spots。 Her explanations of mind-body integration and the broad meaning of prana were fantastic。Her language is quite coarse and gratuitously peppered with f-bombs which would influence who I would recommend the book to and her descriptions of marijuana use as part of a yoga and meditative practice were not my cup of tea。 At times she shifted topics quickly and unexpectedly making some parts of the book harder to connect to broader ideas。 I do not regret reading this book， but I would be hesitant to recommend it to other people in my life for the reasons listed above。 。。。more
Carrie O'Maley Voliva
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I don't really feel like she had a book here， but I liked her voice and since her first book was mentioned so much， it inspired me to read that one as I found myself only wanting to hear how she came to yoga， and she'd clearly already written that book。 I don't really feel like she had a book here， but I liked her voice and since her first book was mentioned so much， it inspired me to read that one as I found myself only wanting to hear how she came to yoga， and she'd clearly already written that book。 。。。more
Cherie
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Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher who speaks frequently about the intersections in her life of yoga， being black， being fat， being queer， even smoking pot - and most people think of yoga as a world where not all of those things intersect。 She is blunt， which could turn people off， but it's her style， and true honesty about the challenges she has faced， and that other black yogis and fat yogis can face too。 This book is needed in the yoga world。 Yogis who are supposedly "concerned" about the la Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher who speaks frequently about the intersections in her life of yoga， being black， being fat， being queer， even smoking pot - and most people think of yoga as a world where not all of those things intersect。 She is blunt， which could turn people off， but it's her style， and true honesty about the challenges she has faced， and that other black yogis and fat yogis can face too。 This book is needed in the yoga world。 Yogis who are supposedly "concerned" about the lack of diversity in yoga's world should read this to learn one's experience。*I received an ARC from Netgalley* 。。。more
Emily
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With her first book and her online yoga community， Jessamyn Stanley has played a significant role in shifting conversations around the idea of the “yoga body” and has opened discourses about the importance of decolonizing fitness。 Her voice provides a practical， approachable， and real compendium to recent theoretical texts such as Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia and Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time， Money， Well-Being， and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating: she shares storie With her first book and her online yoga community， Jessamyn Stanley has played a significant role in shifting conversations around the idea of the “yoga body” and has opened discourses about the importance of decolonizing fitness。 Her voice provides a practical， approachable， and real compendium to recent theoretical texts such as Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia and Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time， Money， Well-Being， and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating: she shares stories of growing up feeling excluded from all-white yoga spaces dominated by the thin ideal and offers real explanations of why loving the bodies we inhabit must be a part of any form of antiracist， anti-capitalist work。 Her newest book， Yoke， begins with her raw discussion of imposter syndrome—and with each chapter， she announces herself as someone whose sense of exclusion has engendered a powerful need to reinterrogate the discourses that made her feel other， outside， marginal， and disposable。 Yoke reads like a conversation with a friend—a friend who drags you to Bikram yoga but also lets you break down about money worries， eat Chick-fil-a waffle fries with abandon， and calls you out when your negative self-talk functions as a microaggression。 This is a book we all need right now， as an antidote to New Year’s resolutions， a practical manual for embodied spiritual activism， a guide to decolonizing wellness， a tool for recognizing privilege， and a reminder that yoga isn’t the corporate fantasy big businesses make it out to be。 。。。more
Bailey
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