Early on in her career, author and Yoga instructor Cyndi Lee (famous for her Om Yoga in a Box series) started noticing a disturbing trend in many of her students. "As a teacher," she relates in the beginning of Yoga Body, Buddha Mind, "I have seen again and again that if you are a type A personality, you will do your Yoga practice with the same aggression and competitiveness that shapes the rest of your life. If you are sloppy, your posture will reflect that." Instead of taking the positive lessons from class into the outside world, many students are bringing their bad habits to class. Lee's need to find the life-changing enlightenment that seemed to be missing from Yoga led her to Tibetan Buddhism. She found that blending the deeply meditative work of Tibetan Buddhism with Yoga's Asanas resulted in a powerful and illuminating practice. In Yoga Body, Buddha Mind, she shares the path of combining Buddhist wisdom with Yoga movement.

In chapters with titles such as "The Invisible Bridge" and "The Ground of Non-Harming," Lee helps the reader develop a mindful Yoga practice. She blends photographs and descriptions of Asanas and routines with "Buddha Mind" sections in which she explores deeper, more contemplative ideas. She also uses events and relationships in her own life as examples in a way that's intimate without being self-involved. There is something here for all levels of practitioners, from beginning to advanced, and there are chapters on opening the heart, balance, restorative poses and more. The chapter on inversions is especially magical, and shows how to gradually work your way into inverted poses. The final chapter is "Class Programs," routines that are illustrated with surprisingly descriptive stick figures. (The earlier chapters show actual people doing the poses.)

Even though there is a lot of depth to this book, it is extremely easy to read and user-friendly. In spite of what you may believe Tibetan Buddhism to be, Lee's approach is decidedly unmystical and accessible to just about anyone. You can cheat yourself by viewing Yoga as merely a physical practice that will make you more flexible and give you a pleasant sense of wellbeing. Or you can use Yoga to explore your inner self more deeply, and to understand your relationship with yourself, with others and with the world around you. Yoga Body, Buddha Mind will enhance your practice and your life.

To Order Yoga Body, Buddha Mind

To Find Out More About Cyndi Lee's Om Yoga in a Box