Survivors on the Yoga Mat

Photos via Pinterest and courtesy of Sam.

Have you read any good yoga books lately? 

Recently sponsored yogi Sam checked out Survivors on the Yoga Mat, a book about the incredible way yoga can transform us. Here’s her review… 

Survivors on the Yoga Mat is a collection of short essays about the healing power of yoga. The author shares the stories of people who stretch their way past pain into spaces of energy and collective healing.  These essays discuss illness, accidents, racism, sexual abuse, war, addiction, incarceration, and many other forms of trauma.

The deeply personal experiences shared in this book illustrate how practice heals in ways words alone cannot. Challenges on the mat are often directly linked to greater struggles in life. 

Speaking of her own practice, the author states, “I was starting to realize that healing meant finding in the body the self that existed before trauma, the self that changed during the trauma, and the self that had come out the other side dazed, and often driven. Such healing also required that I start reaching out, that I look into the glistening eyes of other who were struggling both on and off the mat but still, sometimes miraculously coming back to it.” 

You don’t have to be a trauma survivor to appreciate this inspiring collection of personal stories. Healing for all of us takes place within a community of supportive yogis. 

The book’s appendices also include great resources – an explanation of the eight limbs of yoga, a list of resources, a guide to finding the type of yoga that works for you, and a beautiful glossary with over 100 photos of yoga postures mentioned throughout the book. 

Overall an important, beautiful read! 

Thank you Sam for posting, and a big thanks to the team behind the book for sharing a copy. Namaste.