Yoga Pose invites you to stretch your mind by following along with monthly book recommendations covering topics of yoga, mindfulness and wellness. Each month, our editors will select a book that challenges traditional thinking and concepts surrounding yoga. Let us know your thoughts on each month’s book by tagging us in social posts using @WeAreYogaPose or by using the hashtag ‘#YogaPoseBookClub.’
July 2020: “Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga” by Benjamin Lorr
When Benjamin Lorr first started yoga, he was out of shape and curious about the ancient practice. Like many, he quickly became obsessed with the life transforming effects. While studying Bikram yoga, Benjamin was invited into the world of competitive yoga, where he witnessed the dedication and relentless training of athletes in overwhelming heat. He entered a subculture that few recreational yogis ever get to experience, and inside packed studios and on the stages of world-acclaimed competitions, Benjamin became transfixed on the end goal: yoga athleticism and body competitions.
“Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga” is a thrilling tale of one man’s obsession with yoga, backed by science and two years of personal research. Prepare to be ‘wowed’ by the stories from exhausted yoga instructors, heaving from the heat, the inspirational pursuit for a stronger, leaner, more flexible body, learn the limits of the human body, and the controversial practice of Bikram yoga.
Why We Love This Book
If you’re looking for a toe dip in the pool of yoga, this book is not for you. Benjamin Lorr creates a mentally challenging and mind boggling account of what lies on the other side of leisurely yoga practice. Be prepared to be thrown into a world of obsessive lifestyles and painful narcissistic characters, all in the name of yoga. This book is a prime example of moderation being key, and it is a challenging ride backed by facts that will bend your perception of yoga as most of the Western world knows it.
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