Movies and TV shows have always thrived on making fun of what people don’t understand, so have many ignorant folks in the world. These days you’d be hard pressed to not see some sort of mocking of the un-manliness or absurdity of yoga if you watched enough of the stuff being put out there. What this is though is just the natural human reaction to not understanding something, being uncomfortable about it and shunning it through mockery.
Former Army Ranger and (real) wrestler Rolf Gates may not have understood it when he first started out either, clearly though he has not only gained the knowledge of the physical practice of yoga but he has worked towards understanding just how much more yoga is than sun salutations alone.
In daily journal entries, Gates shares the knowledge he has garnered from his daily practice as well as does a truly terrific job in explaining the ideas that are yoga. Gates breaks down yoga into sections, the Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. Just those words alone might make the average person cringe with confusion and want to put down the book. Given the opportunity though, Rolf not only explains to the reader just what each aspect means, he also gives examples from his own painful and joyous life.
By using quotes from rock bands, artists, politicians, and of course a yogi or two Rolf manages to make a potentially scary new topic friendly to just about any audience (and most especially to men who might otherwise be hesitant to give something like yoga a chance). The entries range from a few sentences to a few paragraphs and are clearly meant to be read one a day with time given for reflection on what is being said. Gates bares his soul daily with his own reflection clearly in the hopes that the reader will do the same for themselves.
Rolf Gates may not be the most well known name in yoga yet but he is certainly the most down to earth and the most comprehensible. So maybe you did see someone take a poke at yoga on TV and got to thinking “I wonder what the big deal is” or maybe you are a regular a yoga class in the Valley, either way this book will give you a better idea of what yoga is actually about – so give it a read - and don’t be scared of learning something new.