Yoga Radicals: A Curated Set of Inspiring Stories from Pioneers in the Field

by Allie Middleton, Amy Wheeler (Foreword by)

Overview

Consisting of curated interviews with yoga pioneers including Gail Parker, Heather Mason, Ganesh Mohan, Neil Pearson and Danilo Forghieri Santaella, this book shows the transformational benefits of personal yoga practice and uncovers a collective deepening, resulting from accumulated practice and conscious application at scale. These interviews were collected with the "presencing approach," developed by the author in the dialogue and the interview process itself. The yoga narratives that form the heart of the book are inspirational stories from lineage holders and newer practitioners who have created transformational change in their own lives, or incorporated yoga into a bigger vision to benefit society and the planet. The book also presents a toolkit of actionable steps for readers to create social action and/or change. A unique example of moving from the "me" consciousness to the "we" consciousness. Yoga Radicals invites readers to join pioneers on a path of social action through personal transformation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787754676
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	08/19/2021
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Allie Middleton is a yoga practitioner, business innovator and coach. She is also yoga therapy training faculty in an IAYT-accredited program. She has been in leadership positions in business, not-for-profit and government. Her speciality is curating optimal teams who flourish together for productivity, profitability, and prosperity. Allie teaches yoga throughout the world and serves many global clients through her somatic coaching practice. She is also a long term member of the Presencing Institute community, a global awareness-based action research learning organization. Presencing.org

Table of Contents

Dedication 13

Foreword Amy Wheeler 16

Acknowledgments 18

Preface 19

Introduction 23

Yoga Radicals 31

I The Journey Starts: Arriving with Deeper Listening 33

Stories about transforming perception, gathering attention, mindfulness, extending awareness.

Race and ethnic informed practices Gail Parker 35

Phoenix rising Michael Lee 43

II Grounding and Co-Initiating: Planting Seeds of Potential 49

Welcoming the emerging future with embodied creativity.

Social justice is spirituality, spirituality is social justice Itta Roussos 51

All paths lead to here Amina Naru 57

Cultivating wisdom Matthew J. Taylor 65

Diving in with heart Jivana Heyman 71

III Connecting to Source: Awakening into the Immanent, the Emergent 77

Unfolding the "me" into the "we."

Compassionate embodied engagement Anneke Sips 79

Courageous heart and soul Shelly Prosko 87

Making space for integration at the beginning Joseph Le Page 95

I belong, you belong… Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani 103

IV State and Stage Shifts: Acting with Heart, Mind and Body as One 109

Healing self and others by resting and moving from a place of confident action. Crystallizing, playing with a shared coherent field of being-ness.

Blessed altar of the heart Amy Weintraub 111

When paths cross Pamela Stokes Eggleston 119

Just go Larry Payne 123

V Transforming Actions: Conscious Engagement, Stewarding "the New" 127

Moving with the collective will as it becomes visible, engaging with self and others through all the senses.

Making magic in the 'hood Freidel Kushman 129

Loving myself and others Catherine Cook-Cottone 135

Where will it all take us? Marlysa Sullivan 141

Climbing mountains Gary Kraftsow 147

Remembering our bodies, the earth Danilo Forghieri Santaella 153

VI Reflections on Participatory Action 161

Returning to rediscover the deeper shared roots, naming the magic of the ancient forms of true connection, staying simple.

Staying lost Richard C. Miller 163

Combining forces Helene Couvrette 169

Dancing our way in and through it all Camille Maurine 175

Loving wisely Neil Pearson 183

Keep playing in tune Rose Kress 191

Staying with it Stephen Cope 199

VII Further Reflections 203

Listening to the universe with others, listening again.

Waking up early Shirley Telles 205

Structuring the new pathways Ganesh Mohan 213

Trust the teachings Kazuo Keishin Kimura 217

Homeschooling arts Ann Marie Johnston 225

Sit sweet and still Nischala Joy Devi 231

An original moment Lori Bashour 237

World service Rob Schware 243

VIII A New Day After a Long Night 249

Landing in wellbeing and dreaming the world into being.

Finding home Monique Lonner 251

Heart intelligences Leigh Blashki 259

Tell me again, please Jana Long 265

I know how Heather Mason 271

Playfully swimming, embodying the Yantra Lorin Roche 279

Postscript by Amy Gage 287

Appendix 1 The Interview Process 290

Appendix 2 Shaping Change and Healthy Social Innovation with Theory U and Mindful Dialogue and Embodiment Practices 293

Background Bibliography 298

Editorial Reviews

Curiosity, calm, clarity, compassion, co-evolution...themes from wise souls whose practices for learning and living supportour best selves and wellbeing for all. Their stories embody inspiration and possibility. As a student of systems change, I trust the body's wisdom more deeply now. Read these stories to sweeten your meditation practice.

Peggy Holman

Allie Middleton is a remarkable human. She integrates her deep study of eastern and western traditions in a way that is both unique and accessible. In this book, she brings together a broad spectrum of clear voices and inspired teachings. Through these brilliant, evocative interviews, she offers readers practical and poetic guidance for the realization of a better world.

Tim Hurson

Yoga Radicals is an inspiring compilation of personal narratives from many leaders in modern yoga therapy. Radical in every sense of the term, these healing stories warm the heart and remind us that we are all on this journey together.

Dr. Lori Rubenstein Fazzio

Yoga Radicals is myth busting! In story after story Allie shows us Yoga is not a path to relaxation and calm but a potent portal to blowing the lid off of our life expectations and discovering greater meaning and service toward collective wellbeing. Yoga is Radical!

Edi Pasalis

I have often thought of Yoga as "Gentle Stretching" and in fact, one practitioner near me, a Physical Education Teacher in a public school, chose to call it that after being forbidden to use Yoga in her classes. This Book and the fun, inspiring stories within it, is about a different kind of gentle stretching. About a form of expanding potential. About innovation, both incremental and radical, by those using Yoga to make a new or improved difference ~ stretching the boundaries of the possible. Whether you are a Yoga teacher, individual practitioner or just a curious polymath, the diverse and inspirational stories in this book will stretch and inspire you to an expanded view of the possibilities that humans create when they have a deep care to affect the world in a positive way.

Bob Eckert

By navigating the hills and valleys of their lives, these yoga masters forged communities of care and transformed the world. In this book, you will learn to embrace your spirit's calling...and invite others to join you. Together, we will remake society and build a new "WE."

Alethia Jones

Yoga Radicals is an inspiring, deeply informative collection of stories from a diverse group of yoga leaders. Each chapter is an individual account of transformation and a reflection on the path to well-being. Together, they provide light and practical guidance to a world struggling to find a better way forward. Highly recommended.

Truett Black

These insights hug and feed me like compost to seeds, water to roots, sunshine to green leaves! Nyawe to the wisdom keepers who invite us to remember and to reimagine as we co-create, emerge, and grow through these changing times together.

Beth Roach

In this eclectic collection of stories from people who practice and teach yoga from such varied perspectives, most of us will find at least one, if not more, that we resonate with. Even better is the surprise- yoga can lead to...that? Allie Middleton uncovers for us a thread whispering through the different voices: "go ahead, try it! You have no idea where the process of the practice can take you."

Jana Spalding

For many years Allie and I have shared creativity conferences, connected at conventions and meetings designed to apply imagination and creative innovation practices to different contexts. She's one of those rare people who can take you to places you would never go. In this book she has curated stories of innovators that are invaluable. Together now in community, we might come to understand how to try something new.

Matteo Catullo

Over the past 20 years or so, practicing yoga has become almost mainstream, but plunging deeper and committing to the vocation of yoga teacher or yoga therapist remains, indeed, an act of profound and radical love. The world is waking to a need for new paradigms - new ways of knowing that are not only actionable - but also provide a springboard for the leaps of consciousness necessary to tackle the most pressing social, environmental, and geopolitical issues of the day. The yoga radicals who've shared their stories in these pages are the mavericks who embody the paradigms that will lead our cultures forward towards futures that are not only more sustainable, but also more compassionate, and more human. This book offers stunning vistas into these futures.

Kristine Weber