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Darren Main
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Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic: 4th Edition Kindle Edition
by Darren Main (Author), Stephen Cope (Foreword)
4.6 out of 5 stars 143 ratings
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Everyday, millions of people roll out their yoga mats or sit on their meditation cushions in an effort to quiet the mind and heal the body. Some practice Iyengar yoga, while others practice vinyasa or restorative yoga—almost all who practice yoga have touched something deep within themselves and had their lives transformed by this ancient practice.
In Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, Darren Main offers a fresh, down-to-earth approach to the time-tested practice and philosophy of yoga. He shows us the way to apply the ancient wisdom of India to every aspect of life. From work and relationships, to death and dying—allowing even our busiest days to become powerful and mystical adventures, filled with all the wonder and magic that was once reserved for those living as monks and nuns.
This is not a book about perfecting yoga asanas or pranayama breathing techniques. It is a book about changing the way we see the world—transforming every experience and relationship into a yoga practice unto itself.
Since teachers like Swami Vivakananda and Paramahansa Yogananda brought yoga to the West, yoga students and teachers alike have sought to integrate the practice and philosophy of yoga into modern life. Find out why this best-selling yoga book has been used in yoga teacher training programs the world over and has become a modern spiritual classic.
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With gentle humor and obvious knowledge, Darren Main shares with us his practice and understanding of yoga. He does a beautiful job of interspersing his life experiences with the classical teachings in a way that makes them clear and alive. You will enjoy this book.
—Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D. Author of 30 Essential Yoga Poses and Living Your Yoga
Our urban lifestyles could greatly benefit from a bit of mysticism. To live in a magical, mystical world one only has to uncover the potential in their own daily lives. Darren Main gives us a how-to book on yoga, which offers us ways to transform the mundane into the mystical.
—Sharon Gannon, Author of Jivamukti Yoga
Darren Main is wonderfully talented at bringing the essence of living yoga off the mat fully to life for all who are on the yoga path. He writes in a friendly and accessible tone that makes often esoteric philosophical concepts easy to grasp in practical ways that one can apply in daily life. I highly recommend this book to all yoga students and teachers interested in more deeply exploring the practice on the mat and bringing it all more broadly into their life out in the larger world.
—Mark Stephens, Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques
A practical, easy-to-read road map to becoming an Urban Mystic
—Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D. Author of Shortcuts to God and Love is Letting Go of Fear
In Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic Darren Main has given us a wonderful doorway into the potentially complex world of raja yoga. His work provides us with a compelling but accessible Baedeker to the sometimes dense world of Indian metaphysics. It is a yoga commentary with a uniquely American voice. It is piquant, experience-near, real, contemporary, and very sensitive to the reader for whom the world of Sanskrit terms and Indian ideas is completely new and foreign. Darren’s work, like raja yoga itself, is precise and methodical in its approach to spiritual practice.
—Stephen Cope Author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self
Darren Main takes yoga off the yoga mat—adroitly applying the ancient system of yoga to the daily challenges of the modern mystic. Combining personal insight and anecdotes with practical, down-to-earth teachings, he brings you into a world in which every part of your life has sacred and transformative potential.
—Yogi Amrit Desai Founder of Kripalu Yoga, Lenox, MA, and author of Amrit Yoga
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Editorial Reviews
Review
A Practical , easy to read road map to becoming and Urban Mystic. -- — Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D. Author of Shortcuts to God and Love is Letting Go of Fear
Darren John Main has given us a wonderful doorway into the potentially complex world of raja yoga. -- —Stephen Cope, author of 'Yoga and the Quest for the True Self'
You will enjoy this book. -- —Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., physical therapist, international yoga teacher and author of 'Relax and Renew' and 'Living Your Yoga'.
[Darren] gives us a how-to book on yoga which offers us ways to transform the mundane into the mystical. -- —Sharon Gannon, co-creator of Jivamukti Yoga
Darren John Main has given us a wonderful doorway into the potentially complex world of raja yoga. -- —Stephen Cope, author of 'Yoga and the Quest for the True Self'
You will enjoy this book. -- —Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., physical therapist, international yoga teacher and author of 'Relax and Renew' and 'Living Your Yoga'.
[Darren] gives us a how-to book on yoga which offers us ways to transform the mundane into the mystical. -- —Sharon Gannon, co-creator of Jivamukti Yoga
From the Author
Living the practice of yoga in our modern world is no small task. The world is organized in such a fashion that living a spiritual life is an up hill battle. Yet today more than ever we need mystical techniques such as yoga to help us find inner peace and heal the world. It is my hope that 'Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic' will help you find the natural balance that exists within all beings. -- Darren John Main, darrenmain.com
About the Author
Darren Main is a long-time spiritual seeker who has studied psychology and social work. He is a yoga and meditation instructor and massage therapist in San Francisco, where he works extensively with the HIV community and gay/lesbian community. He is the cofounder with David Nelson of Castro Yoga, one of the premier yoga centers in San Francisco. He also travels widely in the United States, leading workshops.
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File Size: 1143 KB
Print Length: 262 pages
Publication Date: May 27, 2017
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Biography
Darren Main is a yoga and meditation instructor and author. He facilitates workshops and gives talks on yoga and modern spirituality throughout the United States and abroad and is the host of the internationally syndicated podcast Inquire Within. He teaches Yoga on the Labyrinth, in San Francisco's iconic Grace Cathedral.
www.darrenmain.com
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4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
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Top Reviews
Sydney Khan
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely amazing resource for a a yogi at any point in the journey towards enlightenment!Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book is so real and honest! I often feel that texts on this subject can be alienating or inaccessible, this book was incredibly refreshing. An absolutely amazing resource for a a yogi at any point in their spiritual journey. Darren covers the 8 limbed path, the ego, maya and many more illuminating topics. I found the book to be rooted in history and it was not watered down or overtly western. Research, appreciation and care were brought into explaining ancient philosophical perspectives.
The information presented was accessible,insightful, and useful in many areas of my life. The urban mystic is alive and real, and I felt that through Darren's stories of personal discovery while encouraging the pursuit of exploration without attachment when observing our own lives. I read this book for a teacher training and was so excited to deepen my understanding of what yoga means as a way of life and not just an hour long workout. I feel at ease knowing that it is meant to be a practice of being better, not perfect, the connection and importance of service really spoke to me and my journey in finding a career as well.
Overall this book gave me so much and has inspired me to do so for others throughout my journey as a yogi! Thanks Darren!
22 people found this helpful
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Timothy R. Venard
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I needed, when I needed it.Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This book fell into my lap at a time when I was searching for answers. I had just barely begun a yoga practice for health and physical reasons. I wasn’t aware of how much I needed the deeper level this book provides until I read it.
Darren is extremely easy to follow. His writing is clear and concise. He offers gems of wisdom that whet the appetite for more. He gets right to the root of the matter and touches the places where others just gloss over the surface.
This book has set me on the path of deeper exploration, with joy in my heart about what I will find - whether “good” or “bad.” It is not an instruction manual to tell you how to live your life, or spoon feed you what you think you need. Rather, it is an outline, or a map, to help you find your own way to peace.
Nice work, Darren. I will definitely be handing this out to my friends. The only drawback is that now I’m going to have to buy a print version, so I can make notes and highlights...
9 people found this helpful
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Monica Carroll
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for any yoga teacher, period!Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2017
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This book is a must have for any yoga teacher period! Grasping the teachings of the bhagvad gita, the upanishads, and the yamas and niyamas is a very complicated process. The teachings were traditionally spoken, then applied; students would be with their masters for as long as it takes to understand the path. Our modern times do not afford us the opportunity to develop with any true integrity the true teachings and yet we as a society scream for it. Darren Main's book, Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, has a beautiful way of applying these ancient teachings to modern day approaches and clarity. It not only helps one to apply these lessons to our modern lives, but gains our understanding of how simple it is to truly follow the path of the urban mystic. I have read this book myself and to my students for years and the meanings often times change and grow with the student. Like my favorite passage states, 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.'
12 people found this helpful
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Hilary G.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for spiritual seekers navigating the modern worldReviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017
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I found this book at the perfect time, when I was struggling to participate in the modern world of corporate work and realities while also yearning to follow a spiritual path and deepen my yoga practice. As a yogi, this book resonated so deeply with me and helped me integrate my love of living yoga with my work and social life to bring light and authenticity to my leadership in my work and in my life. I love Darren's clear, candid writing style and positive tone. He is talented at making ancient yogic concepts applicable to modern life. This book changed the way I approach the modern world as a spiritual seeker. A must read!
10 people found this helpful
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Evelyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a good readReviewed in the United States on February 26, 2018
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Darren has such an amazing voice to his writing. This book goes in depth about how you can live a Yogi life in this fast pace consumerism world, where it is so easy to come out of our peace. Thank you Darren for this book!
5 people found this helpful
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jleroux
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book - highly recommend for its clarity and practical approachReviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
My friends/yoga teachers Dennis & Kathy Lang are true yogis and authors themselves (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1719441154/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=) so I knew I could trust their recommendations for books on a deeper understanding of yoga. They recommended “Urban Mystic” and it is such a wonderful book. With clear and simple language as well as humor, Darren Main demystifies yoga principles while maintaining an attitude of deep respect for the practice He adds stories from his own life and those of friends and students to further clarify how yoga can change lives for the better. How to bring yoga into a “ modern” life? Here it is. Highly recommend.🙏
One person found this helpful
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Carl Arndt
5.0 out of 5 stars The philosophy of yoga was clearly described and I loved the author's personal stories he included as wellReviewed in the United States on June 13, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This book greatly exceeded my expectations. The philosophy of yoga was clearly described and I loved the author's personal stories he included as well! This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about yoga.
3 people found this helpful
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Anna O
5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction for new yoga teachers and other urban mysticsReviewed in the United States on February 14, 2016
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I read this book during the yoga teacher training with Darren and found it an excellent resource for someone who needs an initial introduction to yoga philosophy. It's relatable: there are many personal examples that illuminate the concepts effectively and are also enjoyable to read. The book is written almost deceptively simply and yet it gives an effective and thought provoking introduction to yoga history and philosophy, including the eight limbs, and how they relate to the present day. The fact that there are so many contemporary and real examples makes it particularly useful for yoga teachers, because we can think of similar experiences from our own lives and use them to relate to our students. The path to further studies is clearly outlined and made easy. In summary, this is a great resource for the new yoga teachers and other urban mystics.
2 people found this helpful
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