YogaIowa Recommendations: Fall 2017
Books
Big Gal Yoga by Valerie Sagun
First on social media and now in print, Big Gal Yoga founder Valerie Sagun fights back against the popular media myth that only slim women practice yoga. In this lighthearted guide to leading a self-loving yoga practice, Sagun offers both the inspiration and background knowledge needed to begin a gradual but transformative yogic journey, no matter your size.
Perfectly Imperfect: The Art and Soul of Yoga Practice by Baron Baptiste
Baron Baptiste made a lasting impression on the yoga world after introducing Baptiste Yoga — an active and empowering style inspired by some of the foremost Hatha teachers — in his 2003 book Journey Into Power. In Perfectly Imperfect, Baptiste dissects the complex mind and body reactions that occur after entering a pose. In these moments, yogis can find both power and grace, and their spiritual true north.
Yoga and the Pursuit of Happiness by Sam Chase
Poses, postures, breathing, mantras — what is it about yoga that has the power to bring happiness? Sam Chase argues it’s none of these single parts, but instead the fundamental questions addressed by yoga philosophy: Who am I? What should I do? Combining psychology and neuroscience with ancient wisdom, Chase explores happiness at it’s most fundamental element: the small, everyday steps we take away from strife and greed and towards our purpose.
Podcasts
From The Heart with Yoga Girl
Rachel Brathen, widely known as Yoga Girl, is an international yoga teacher, speaker, bestselling author and entrepreneur. She has always spoken boldly about her pursuits, and her podcast From the Heart is no exception. The hour-long episodes cover everything from “new mom guilt” and “owning your sh*t” to the debate about vaccines and a rape survivor’s story. From the Heart is not only one of the most popular yoga podcasts, but has frequently reached the overall top five podcasts on iTunes.
New episodes every Friday. Listen on Rachel’s website or through most podcast platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn.
Self Help is Bad For You: A Podcast with Waylon Lewis and Friends of Elephant Journal
Waylon Lewis’ Elephant Journal is one of the internet’s most respected and active mindfulness blogs, often employing a sense of humor and self-awareness. Their podcast is no exception; Self-Help is Bad For You is described as “dumbed-down life advice from a Buddhist brat who barely understands himself, let alone you.” Despite this undersell, Lewis has delivered an engaging and informative series, with the most popular installments (most five to 10 minutes) offering tips for relationships, anger, meditation, relating to children and simply living life, all from Lewis’ humorous and straight-forward Buddhist perspective.
New episodes posted irregularly. Listen on the Elephant Journal website or through iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn or Stitcher.
The Balanced Blonde: Soul on Fire
This conversational wellness podcast comes from The Balanced Blonde blogger Jordan Younger, known for her “#realness-based” content. Younger, an internet-savvy yoga instructor and author, passes her 60-minute-plus episodes chatting about everything from nutrition, yoga and fashion to shamanism and reiki. Most episodes feature guests — recently, the holistic nutritionist on tour with Tove Lo, the resident shaman at GOOP and two crystal jewelry designers — with whom Younger relates more friend-to-friend than interviewer-to-interviewee.
New episodes posted weekly. Listen on the Balanced Blonde website or through iTunes or Stitcher.
This article was originally published in YogaIowa’s Fall 2017 issue.
