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During my 200-hour yoga teacher training, I heard an accompanying list of yoga books. I’m a words person, a writer, and an avid reader. I also have a slightly rebellious streak. This means that when I’m told to read something, there’s little chance I’ll actually crack my spine. This is compounded by the fact that I’m more drawn to escapist novels than non-fiction in my spare time.
Still, I wanted to take this opportunity seriously… and I had to write book reports. When I finally opened Yoga and the search for the true self by Stephen Cope I did so reluctantly. Within five minutes I was completely captivated.
Cope’s book uses the vehicle of memoir to explore the tenets of yoga philosophy and emphasize the power of self-examination. Originally published in 2000, the story follows a lost Cope in the late 1990s as he trades his life as a psychotherapist in Boston for a retreat that becomes a months-long tenure at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts, a journey that would ultimately culminate in a new identity as a yoga teacher.
The author and teacher tells his story with a balance of self-awareness and learned wisdom, making it feel like spending time with a friend. As I worked on the book for hours on end, I was reminded of it Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert: a recent breakup, conventional life ditched for spiritual contemplation, the opinions of snarky city friends, charming self-mockery. It felt like I was discovering the best kind of source material, the kind that inspires us to look at our own lives, pause for a moment, and think about the possibility that there’s more waiting around the edges.
An artful blend of philosophy and story highlights the foundations of yoga through a lens that appealed to my overworked student brain. Rather than short paragraphs outlining spiritual approaches and their benefits, Cope conveys the importance of yoga and illustrates its value through stories and human experiences. The lyrics felt honest and passionate, and reminded me of the why of it all – including why yoga enlightened me in the first place.
I’ve recommended it ever since Yoga and the search for the true self to several friends, one of whom has already sent an enthusiastic review himself. The consensus is this: deep down we already know the value of yoga. We can feel it. It’s what brings us to our mat, to yoga teacher training, to an article like this. But hearing stories of how the practice has peeled back the learned layers of so many strangers to reveal their true nature (or true selves) offers evidence that the a-ha moments we’ve experienced don’t exist in a vacuum.
And a welcome bonus? Cope still teaches classes and workshops at Kripalu – and I will definitely attend one.
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