Aleph-Bet Yoga
Embodying the Hebrew Letters for Physical and Spiritual Well-Being
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Combine the ancient practice of hatha yoga with the
shapes and mystical meanings of the Hebrew letters to
enhance your physical health and deepen your spiritual life.
This unique guide shows both the yoga enthusiast and the yoga novice how to use hatha yoga postures and techniques to physically connect with Jewish spirituality.
"If you are curious about hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga provides a safe introduction to the basic yoga postures and techniques. If you are one of the tens of thousands of Jews who already practice hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga will connect your yoga to something explicitly Jewish. With its Jewish content and intent, Aleph-Bet Yoga will enhance rather than interfere with your religious identity."
—from the Introduction
As we move our bodies through the Hebrew aleph-bet, turning toward the inner meaning of the letters, we can tap into the deep connections between our body, mind and spirit.
Drawing on the sacred texts and mystical writings of Judaism, combined with the insights of yoga teacher Steven Rapp, Aleph-Bet Yoga is an East-meets-West experience for our whole selves.
Aleph-Bet Yoga makes it easy for anyone to incorporate yoga into their life, and combines the physical and spiritual aspects of Judaism. It features step-by-step instructions, photographs clearly demonstrating each yoga pose, and insightful words to inspire and guide us in connecting the spiritual meaning of the Hebrew letters to our yoga practice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this refreshing manual, Lawrence Kushner's mystical Book of Letters meets B.K.S. Iyengar's Yoga. For the thousands of Jews who have discovered yoga, Boston-based yoga teacher Rapp marries traditional Jewish wisdom with classic hatha positions. Rapp's 20-page introduction reassures the skeptical, explaining that although Eastern religions have traditionally paid more attention to the body than Western traditions, Jews and other Westerners can usefully (and faithfully) adopt spiritual practices that focus on the corporeal. Rapp matches one yoga position with each of 29 Hebrew letters (the standard 22, plus the final consonants and the patach and kamatz vowels). Each pose looks remarkably like the letter it is paired with; for the letter Aleph, Rapp offers a triangle pose, for Lamed a traditional lightning position and so forth. He nimbly walks readers through each posture, explaining in clear prose how to form the pose. Sharp photographs illustrate his instructions. Rapp also offers a Hebrew verse and an English reflection to meditate upon once readers have gotten into position. The book concludes with helpful instructions about mixing these poses for "a balanced yoga practice session" and a bibliography of books and videos on both yoga and Judaism. The lay-flat binding makes the book both handsome and practical. While it is perhaps best suited to a Jewish audience, lifelong practitioners and yoga tyros alike will find this guide inspiring.
