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Threads Of Yoga Reviewed by Michelle Kaye Malsbury of Bookpleasures.com
- By Michelle Kaye Malsbury
- Published November 23, 2021
- Non-Fiction -Reviews
Michelle Kaye Malsbury
Reviewer Michelle Kaye Malsbury:
Michelle was born in Champaign, IL. Currently, she resides in Asheville, NC
and is in her second year of doctoral studies at Nova Southeastern
University in Ft. Lauderdale with specialization/concentration in
conflict resolution and peace studies. She has over six hundred
articles published on the web and one book published thus far with
many more in the wings. Hobbies include; reading, writing, music, and
playing with her Australian Cattle Dog, Abu.
Author:Pamela Seelig
Pamela
Seelig, author of Threads
Of Yoga, trained
for teaching yoga at Integral Yoga Institute in New Work and San
Francisco learning both hatha and raja yoga. (2021, insert in back of
book) Prior to this she worked on Wall Street. Her first teaching job
for yoga was at a convent in New Jersey in 2006. She garnered a
reputation for being good and that allowed her to expand and open her
own studio. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and dog. To
learn more about her please visit her
website.
The first portion, Introduction, of this book teaches the reader/student how to use it and what each movement in yoga means.
In Part One Pamela tells us what yoga is and how it helps to quiet our minds, become more aware, and focused. In practice she invites us as students to observe our inner thoughts and use meditation to quiet our rambling mind. (2021, paraphrase) Why are these important features of yoga?
“With a quiet mind, we observe the world without our past conditioning and future fears or expectations coloring the present experience. We can see the world as it is happening.” (2021, p.25) “Most off us are not present most of the time. When lost in thought we are “asleep”. Unconscious thoughts generally take us back to the past or ahead to the future.” (p.31) “Our mental state and our breath are interwoven. If we’re relaxed, the breath is slow and deep. If we’re stressed , it is shallow and fast.” (p.40) “When our thoughts are quiet, even for just one breath, we become conscious of what’s happening in the heart.” (p,56)
Seelig says “Yoga develops our ability to quiet the mind. --- Practicing intentional silence is known as mauna in Sanskrit.” (2021, p.70) I am sure many have heard the adage, “Silence is golden.” Pamela says that this is somewhat an unnatural state for us. “The mind craves conversation as it engages our outwardly focused senses. Silence, on the other hand, brings us inward and can feel too isolating if we are alone or too intimate if we are with another person.”
Regarding meditation Seelig says, “There is now a deluge of scientific evidence confirming the benefits of meditation. It lowers blood pressure, strengthens immunity, balances hormones, reduces anxiety, and improves memory, to name just a few of the perks.” (2021, p.84)
Part two introduces the reader and student to Yamas and Niyamas. Simply put these are the guidelines by which we ought to conduct our lives. You may reference them to something like the Golden Rules. Most of these come from the great masters like Confucious or Jesus, or the Talmud. “The yamas and niyamas are the ten ethical tenets that aim to cultivate virtuous and positive behavior. The first limb includes five yamas (restraints), and the second limb consists of five niyamas (observances).” (2021, p.98) Pamela states that these are the ten commandments for yoga.
I don’t want to give the whole book away here. There are exercises to help you become more mindful and proficient at yoga so your entire life can reap the rewards. I enjoyed it and believe you will too.