Author(s): Stephen Cope

Health and Wellbeing

Not only a superb form of physical exercise, yoga is an ancient system for personal growth that promises happiness and peace in daily life, as well as enlightenment - "the soul awake in this lifetime." Now, Stephen Cope - who is a trained psychotherapist as well as a yoga teacher - explains this path of transformation in vivid personal experiences and modern psychological terms to which we all can relate. Drawing on a wealth of stories from the largest yoga community in America, he explains the goals and challenges of practice, the development of "the witness," and the subtle shifts of energy and consciousness that emerge at each stage. Above all, he shows how yoga can heal the suffering of self-estrangement that pervades our society, leading to a new sense of purpose and a deeper, more satisfying life in the world.