This month a year ago the world was being introduced a word that was soon to take over our daily lives. Covid-19 has hijacked the past 12 months of everyone. Most of us have ended up working more hours than not, lost businesses and/or ended up spending more time with people in the home, creating tension in intimate relationships. The one thing most of us in the modern world had in common was increased screen time.

For this reason I decided to come up with the Yoga Book Club initiative. I needed motivation to read more, when teaching long hours online for work was supplemented with equally long hours on Netflix as leisure time, the time staring at screens of all sizes was taking a toll. My brain was dying and my creativity along with it.

Yoga Book Club, is a 10 month free social initiative to get a group of yoga practitioners motivating each other to read. As we are starting in March 2021, the goal is to finish 10 books in 10 months. Each book will be released monthly together with a time and date for a one hour relaxed social chat and sharing about what we have gained from reading the selected book with like minded yoga practitioners around the world. The YBC monthly meets will for some be early in the morning over a chai, after lunch or after dinner while laying in bed depending where each reader is located in the globe.

There will be extra time given to get hold of the book, and in some cases links where they can be downloaded for free. To stay connected during the month of reading I have created a Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/The-Yoga-Book-Club-110940344364248) for readers to motivate each other, send updates or info and post questions to think about while reading for discussion in the upcoming meet online.

I hope the Yoga Book Club will create a small pocket of presence online that represent the practice of yoga involves the independent seeking of gaining knowledge thru study of text. This is also known as Jnana Yoga, the practice of yoga thru knowledge. In Ashtanga one of the requirements in the practice is self study, which has two meanings:

1) to literally study one self, our habits, patterns and tendencies thru observation

2) to have the initiative to study and seek knowledge on our own thru reading text of wise learned people whom have lived the spiritual path

Social media has struggled to represent a balanced understanding of what it means to practice and study yoga, but it’s not impossible, with some effort technology when used for the greater good has the power to unite and bring non-egoic benefit to many.

I look forward to helping many tread along the path of Jnana Yoga together with me and bring a reason for much welcomed extra minutes off the screens in a day with the commitment of the Yoga Book Club! unfortunately the meets will be online for us in different countries to chat, but if we gain over 10hrs a month reading, it is worth the 1hr screen time to chai together.

If you have any questions or are interested to participate send me a message here to get added ! Books we have read below…