In this refreshing manual, Lawrence Kushner's mystical Book of Letters
meets B.K.S. Iyengar's Yoga. For the thousands of Jews who have discovered yoga, Boston-based yoga teacher Rapp marries traditional Jewish wisdom with classic hatha positions. Rapp's 20-page introduction reassures the skeptical, explaining that although Eastern religions have traditionally paid more attention to the body than Western traditions, Jews and other Westerners can usefully (and faithfully) adopt spiritual practices that focus on the corporeal. Rapp matches one yoga position with each of 29 Hebrew letters (the standard 22, plus the final consonants and the patach
and kamatz
vowels). Each pose looks remarkably like the letter it is paired with; for the letter Aleph, Rapp offers a triangle pose, for Lamed
a traditional lightning position and so forth. He nimbly walks readers through each posture, explaining in clear prose how to form the pose. Sharp photographs illustrate his instructions. Rapp also offers a Hebrew verse and an English reflection to meditate upon once readers have gotten into position. The book concludes with helpful instructions about mixing these poses for "a balanced yoga practice session" and a bibliography of books and videos on both yoga and Judaism. The lay-flat binding makes the book both handsome and practical. While it is perhaps best suited to a Jewish audience, lifelong practitioners and yoga tyros alike will find this guide inspiring. (Apr.)
