Yoga and the Quest for the True Self

Description

Not only a superb form of physical exercise, yoga is an ancient system for personal growth that promises happiness and peace in daily life, as well as enlightenment - "the soul awake in this lifetime." Now, Stephen Cope - who is a trained psychotherapist as well as a yoga teacher - explains this path of transformation in vivid personal experiences and modern psychological terms to which we all can relate. Drawing on a wealth of stories from the largest yoga community in America, he explains the goals and challenges of practice, the development of "the witness," and the subtle shifts of energy and consciousness that emerge at each stage. Above all, he shows how yoga can heal the suffering of self-estrangement that pervades our society, leading to a new sense of purpose and a deeper, more satisfying life in the world.

Stephen Cope is a psychotherapist who writes and teaches about the relationship between contemporary psychology and the Eastern contemplative traditions. He holds degrees from Amherst College and Boston College. He is currently Scholar-in-Residence at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, the largest residential yoga center in the world. This is his first book. From the Hardcover edition.

"A down-to-earth, wise, spiritually mature and compassionate teaching that integrates the best of yoga and our own Western humanity. Destined to be a classic." JACK KORNFIELD, author of A Path with Heart "Few other accessible books provide as good an overview of the spirituality of yoga.... This will be in demand."