Combine the ancient practice of hatha yoga
with the
shapes and mystical meanings of the Hebrew letters to
enhance your physical health and deepen your spiritual life.
shapes and mystical meanings of the Hebrew letters to
enhance your physical health and deepen your spiritual life.
This unique guide shows both the yoga
enthusiast and the yoga novice how to use hatha yoga postures
and techniques to physically connect with Jewish spirituality.
“If you are curious about hatha
yoga, Aleph-Bet Yoga provides a safe introduction to the basic
yoga postures and techniques. If you are one of the tens of
thousands of Jews who already practice hatha yoga, Aleph-Bet
Yoga will connect your yoga to something explicitly Jewish.
With its Jewish content and intent, Aleph-Bet Yoga will enhance
rather than interfere with your religious identity.”
—from the Introduction
As we move our bodies through the Hebrew aleph-bet, turning
toward the inner meaning of the letters, we can tap into the
deep connections between our body, mind and spirit.
Drawing on the sacred texts and mystical
writings of Judaism, combined with the insights of yoga teacher
Steven Rapp, Aleph-Bet Yoga is an East-meets-West experience for our whole
selves.
Aleph-Bet Yoga makes
it easy for anyone to incorporate yoga into their life, and
combines the physical and spiritual aspects of Judaism. It
features step-by-step instructions, photographs clearly
demonstrating each yoga pose, and insightful words to inspire
and guide us in connecting the spiritual meaning of the Hebrew
letters to our yoga practice.
“Beautifully synthesized yoga and
Judaism in understandable and poetic ways. A testament to the
power of yoga as a way of life to enhance any faith.”
—Marsha
Wenig, creator of YogaKids
“At last, a whole-bodied approach to
Hebrew that not only informs the mind but opens the soul. This
is not your Bubbe’s aleph-bet book, but it should have been”
—Rabbi
Rami Shapiro, translator/annotator
of The Hebrew Prophets: Selections Annotated
and Explained and Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained
“An intriguing, interesting and
innovative concept. Using Hebrew letters as parallels to
ancient yogic asansas opens exciting possibilities of
intregration.”
—Aruni
Nan Futuronsky, director of
Retreat and Renewal, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
“Reader-friendly, poetic, and
insightful … an excellent beginning guide for those who
want to view yoga through a Jewish Lens.”
—Alan
Reder, contributing editor to Yoga Journal;
co-author of The Whole Parenting
Guide
