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Yoke

Written by: Jessamyn Stanley
Narrated by: Jessamyn Stanley
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Publisher's Summary

Finding self-acceptance both on and off the mat.

In Sanskrit, yoga means to “yoke.” To yoke mind and body, movement and breath, light and dark, the good and the bad. This larger idea of “yoke” is what Jessamyn Stanley calls the yoga of the everyday—a yoga that is not just about perfecting your downward dog but about applying the hard lessons learned on the mat to the even harder daily project of living.

In a series of deeply honest, funny autobiographical essays, Jessamyn explores everything from imposter syndrome to cannabis to why it’s a full-time job loving yourself, all through the lens of yoke. She calls out an American yoga complex that prefers debating the merits of cotton versus polyblend leggings rather than owning up to its overwhelming Whiteness. She questions why the Western take on yoga so often misses—or misuses—the tradition’s spiritual dimension. And reveals what she calls her own “whole-ass problematic”: growing up Baháí, loving astrology, learning to meditate, finding prana in music.

And in the end, Jessamyn invites every listener to find the authentic spirit of yoke—linking that good and that bad, that light and that dark.

©2021 Jessamyn Stanley (P)2022 Workman Publishing Company

What the critics say

“Through a series of charming and thoughtful autobiographical essays, Yoke ultimately explains why Stanley practices yoga in the first place.”–Marie Claire

"This is a book for all readers, as a practical manual for embodied spiritual activism, a guide to decoloniz​ing wellness, a tool for recognizing privilege, and a reminder that yoga isn’t the corporate fantasy businesses make it out to be. Essential reading." —Library Journal Starred Review

"Readers who have dealt with struggles of impostor syndrome, self-doubt, and the difficulty of fitting into a space where no one looks like them will relate strongly. Abstract, funny, heartfelt, and inspiring, Yoke is a fundamental book for those learning to feel present in their emotions and to take up space for themselves, both on the yoga mat and off. –Booklist Starred Review

What listeners say about Yoke

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Damn, a book I didn’t know I NEEDED.

What an amazing story of self acceptance and may I add amazingly spoken. I think I’ll be coming back to this book often.

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knowledgeable and personable

I wasn't sure at first because there's a lot of mentions of astrology in the beginning. But I revisited chapters while I was still making my way through the book and I feel better for having read it.

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