Description

Will Yoga & Meditation Really Change My Life?: Personal Stories from 25 of North America’s Leading Teachers; A Kripalu Book

Over the course of thousands of years, yogis discovered and refined astonishingly practical techniques for living fully. They developed sophisticated forms of mediation — and a remarkable science of physical culture that led to refined states of well-being.

In the span of a mere 30 years, these ancient practices have been transplanted into the mainstream of American culture, and we now face an interesting historical crossroads. We have, for the first time, a whole generation of Americans who have spent much of their adult lives influenced by the regular practice of yoga and meditation. An intriguing question emerges: So what? Have these practices really changed our lives? What are their real long-term benefits? Do they really make us happier? More productive? More authentic? And do these practices just change individual lives, or do they transform societies as well?

In this volume of essays, well-known yoga teacher and author Stephen Cope poses these questions to 24 of the most prominent teachers of yoga and meditation in America today. Their answers, collected here in both essay and interview form, reveal an astonishing portrait of one generation’s struggle with both the promises and the pitfalls of contemplative practice. Their stories are remarkably moving, real, and human — and they take us beyond the idealized images we may have of spiritual practice into a realm of authentic personal and social transformation that has the potential to make a profound and lasting impact on our culture.