Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength, and Inner Peace

At age 50, parenting writer Livingston experienced a meltdown after an onslaught of real and imagined fears that ranged from airplane hijackings and car crashes to killer bees and botulism. Terrified of death (she "banned the %E2%80%98d' word" from her marriage ceremony) and by nature a skeptic, Livingston reluctantly tries yoga on the advice of a therapist. Her memoir recounts how the practice transformed her perspective, her body, and her experience of breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with during her second year as a yoga student. Initially stymied by the many paradoxes contained in yoga philosophy and intimidated by the young, svelte, perfectly clad women she meets in yoga classes, she soon cultivates her self-confidence, finds inspiring teachers, and perceives serendipitous gifts of love and friendship by learning to live gratefully in the present moment. Livingston offers candid opinions on a gamut of subjects%E2%80%94marriage and motherhood, politics and religion, haircuts and health-food stores%E2%80%94along with equal doses of humor and hard-won wisdom. Her uplifting story will remind readers that, while life will never be perfect, one can create an oasis of peace in the midst of crises large and small. (Feb.)