Do Your Om Thing: Bending Yoga Tradition to Fit Your Modern Life

Vinyasa yoga teacher and Omgal.com blogger Pacheco presents a balanced view of how yoga aligns with modern life. The author began yoga at age 16 and has been practicing for 18 years; she and contemporary yoga “grew up together.” The text comprises four parts, all emphasizing yoga’s more spiritual aspects: “Yoga: Ancient and Modern,” “The Body,” “The Mind,” and “The Spirit.” Pacheco stresses that there’s much more to it all than asana (yoga postures), celebrity practitioners, and pricy clothing. She delves into the practice’s roots, exploring each of the foundational Eight Limbs, or tenets, of yoga in a present-day context. For example, Pacheco urges readers to practice ahimsa (non-harming) in their thoughts and words as well as deeds, and to engage in aparigraha (greedlessness) by “flexing” their sense of gratitude and generosity daily, as they would flex muscles. Though the section on “Body” includes photos of Pacheco in various advanced poses, it focuses more on explaining elusive concepts like chakras and koshas (layers). Elsewhere, in a particularly intriguing section, she proposes that Hindu deities can serve as archetypes in modern readers’ individual spiritual journeys. Pacheco’s thoughtful approach to yoga’s ancient underpinnings is applicable to new and seasoned practitioners alike. Agent: Kathryn Beaumont and Katherine Flynn, Kneerim, Williams & Bloom Agency. (Mar.)