This highly original book introduces a fascinating new approach to yoga and Torah by combining the practice of classic yoga postures with traditional and mystical Jewish wisdom. Each chapter begins by presenting a central Jewish spiritual concept that engages readers of all faiths on a personal level. It offers an in-depth exploration of the concept, quoting and commenting on sacred Jewish texts from the Pentateuch (Five Books of Moses) and other sources. It then guides its readers with mastery and clarity through a meditation and a set of fundamental yoga postures--clearly illustrated by beautiful photographs--for both beginning and advanced yoga students. The Torah concept is actualized and experienced through the practice of these postures. Torah Yoga helps to heighten awareness of body, mind, and spirit?it illuminates the heart of Jewish wisdom.

Drawing on a deep knowledge of both traditions, Feldman and Epstein illuminate the Jewish holiday cycle through the lens of yoga. Part practical handbook, part journal, this insightful work leads the reader on a yoga journey anchored in Jewish time. For 12 holidays, from Rosh HaShanah to Tisha B'Av, a curated selection of yoga poses, accompanied by a Hebrew mantra and meditation, guides beginning and advanced practitioners alike to embody the themes and essence of each holiday.

Meet Ruthie: a recently widowed New York City Jewish grandmother who doesn't necessarily come to yoga with the most open of minds. But when her granddaughter Stephanie gives her a year of yoga classes as a gift ("I think it will help you grieve, Bubby"), she doesn't want to risk offending her. At first, Ruthie is skeptical of yoga and its promise of renewal, healing, and transformation ("You know what's wrong with yoga? They haven't mastered the art of kvetching!"). She can't resist poking fun at some of the new words and rituals she encounters, translating the exotic language of Yoga into the more familiar idiom of her native Yiddish culture. As Ruthie's journey progresses from week to week, she forges new paths, new postures, and unexpected friendships, slowly overcoming her grief. Yiddish Yoga is a poignant, witty, and human story of love in its many expressions—between grandmother and granddaughter, between an older woman and her younger yoga teacher, between a widow and her beloved husband of fifty years. As Ruthie learns to let go of the past without forgetting, she shows us how to embrace the present with new vigor, strength, and courage—and, above all, makes us laugh.

"The Torah is called the Tree of Life. Just as a tree is always growing and changing, the Torah's ideas can help us grow and change, too. Yoga can do the same. Both can help us strengthen ourselves, calm our minds, and learn to appreciate the world around us. Written by rabbi and certified yoga instructor Mychal Copeland, I Am the Tree of Life encourages us to explore both the world of yoga and the stories of the Bible and find meaning in both"--Amazon.com.

An accessible introduction to an embodied spiritual practice for anyone seeking profound and lasting self-transformation. “Mussar practice aims to help us become more whole in our lives. It is focused on helping us move from partialness or even brokenness toward wholeness. Yoga embodies a similar concept.... By marrying Mussar practice and yoga practice, this book opens a new pathway to developing greater wholeness.... The wholeness that comes of our efforts in turn affects both body and soul, and we experience the fruit of our efforts in the form of inner peace.” —from the Foreword In this clear and easy-to-use introduction to Mussar Yoga—a blending of Jewish and Eastern spiritual practices—you will learn how to explore the physical dimension of ethical behaviors and attitudes such as humility, generosity, enthusiasm and gratitude through yoga poses and the yogic practice of breath work. Intended for the novice as well as the yoga expert, and for people of all faiths, each exercise is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, helpful photographs, mantras and journaling exercises. With practice, Mussar Yoga can help free you from bad habits and self-destructive behavior, increase your capacity for compassion and acts of goodness, and help you develop a more fulfilling, meaningful life.

Audi Gozlan, a certified yoga instructor and the founder of Kabalah Yoga, offers a book that fuses the practice of yoga with the ancient wisdom of Jewish mysticism, teaching you how to awaken the secret energy of each Hebrew letter in order to enliven your practice and experience the hidden powers of the universe. There is an authentic need for spirituality in our lives—one that connects us with the sacred, something greater than ourselves, but that is also practical, touching the body and soul in deep and meaningful ways. While yoga offers us postures (or asanas), breathing, and meditation techniques, it may not always fulfill the deep desire for spiritual connection that has arisen. But when combined with the mystical tradition of Kabalah, it may be just the answer modern spiritual seekers are after. Kabalah Yoga blends the movement and meditation of Hatha flow yoga with the ancient teachings of Kabalah, incorporating the wisdom of the Hebrew letters, also known as the Sacred Shapes, which are believed by Jewish mystics to be divine templates that contain the creative energy of the universe. This book describes the body, breath, and soul found within each of the Sacred Shapes, and shows that by moving your body into asanas based on each letter of the Hebrew alphabet and meditating on their meaning, you can unlock and embrace their great, empowering, and healing wisdom. Kabalah Yoga brings a new form of awareness to the practice of yoga as a language of the soul, allowing you to journey deep within and discover yourself from the inside out, while tapping into the divine energy of each of the Sacred Shapes. With the explanations, insights, stories, meditations, and photographs in this book, you’ll enhance your practice and improve your life.

Gracefully blends aspects of hatha yoga, the shapes of the Hebrew letters, physical fitness and spiritual wellness to connect yoga practice with Jewish spiritual life-and vice versa. Includes easy-to-follow instructions, black-and-white photographs showing each yoga pose, the relationship of the Hebrew letter yoga pose to its equivalent hatha yoga pose and a list of resources for further information.