Yoga and the Twelve-Step Path

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY APR 23, 2012

Hawk offers a way for people in recovery from addiction to work their Twelve-Step program in a way that will enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual health: through the practice of yoga. A yoga teacher, potter, and recovering addict, Hawk has walked the walk. Twelve-Steppers and counselors, the likeliest readers of the book, should know that Hawk concentrates on explaining yoga its postures and other practices and not the steps, though her grounding in the latter is clear. Her simple walk-through the parts of a true yoga practice, which includes rules for behavior, physical exercise, and breath and meditation practices, make a basic yoga practice highly attainable. She rightly cautions that a teacher is needed to learn the physical postures; the book's instructions can be hard to follow, and there aren't many, or good, photos to illustrate. A chapter on ayurvedic health concepts seems unnecessary. The book is best for those looking to enrich their recovery by developing more physical, and mental, flexibility.