This book came out in 2012. I had read the New York Times review of the book and never wanted to read any more. I think I was afraid that, by listing all of the risks, the book would ruin all the things I loved about yoga. But I have to remind myself that the book also lists the rewards, too.
When my friend and mentor, Mel Robin, was downsizing and moving out of his house, he invited me to come over and take some of his vast book collection. The Science of Yoga was one of the books I took. It sat on my shelf for a while until I recently decided to pick it up. In the prologue of the book, it mentioned MelRobin. Well, that piqued my interest! I also saw that the author used Mel’s extensive work on the science of yoga as are source for his book. It was this connection that caused me to commit to calling Mel up to make a lunch date. And that is when I discovered that he had just passed away.
What we in the west have come to practice and know as yoga is very different from its ancient roots. Read along with me to discover those ancient roots (some of which may surprise you!) and see what science can tell us about this ancient and ever evolving practice.