[Originally Perspectives on Yoga]

"Dive deep; otherwise you cannot get the gems at the bottom of the ocean. You cannot pick up the gems if you only float on the surface." -Sri Ramakrishna

Many people come to the joyous and liberating discovery of yoga and yoga philosophy, and then dive no deeper, resting on their first understanding of the atman, Brahman, the goal of yoga, and everything else the classic yoga philosophy teaches about "the way things are."

In Living the Yoga Life author Abbot George Burke shares the gems he has found from a lifetime of "diving deep." This collection of reflections and short essays addresses the key concepts of the yoga philosophy that are so easy to take for granted. Never content with the accepted cliches about yoga sadhana, the yoga life, the place of a guru, the nature of Brahman and our unity with It, Abbot George's insights on these and other facets of the yoga life will inspire, provoke, enlighten, and even entertain.

Abbot George has this to say about these perspectives: "This is not a book about the technique of yoga, but about the Yoga Life which makes the successful practice of yoga possible. Yoga is not just a practice or a philosophy; it is an entire way of life. And by yoga I mean the quest for liberation of the spirit, for Yoga is an eternal science intended to reveal and manifest the Eternal.

The topics include: Meditation, religion, karma, reincarnation, bhakti and jnana, kundalini and the subtle anatomy, samadhi, liberation, the mind and intellect, masters (true and false), spiritual reading, advice to yogis and much more. The book lends itself to in-depth research on a topic, or brief inspirational reading.

Whether you are new to meditation and the yoga life, or a more experienced yogi, you are sure to find this book a helpful and practical guide.