The Secret of the Yamas : A Spiritual Guide to Yoga

Like "Into the Heart of Truth", this book incinerated me. All that was left was the truth of me. I don't know how he does it, but somehow reality blossoms in his words. If you only read one book in your lifetime, this should be the one.

"...without a firm understanding of ourselves---who we are, how we relate to the world and why we do the things we do---we cannot possibly live life to its fullest." Thus begins John McAfee's spiritual revelation, The Secret of the Yamas. Here is a masterful look at self-discovery and self-awareness from a practice that originated at least 2500 years ago.Many people think of yoga as a technique to gain physical strength, flexibility and better health (asanas). However, Patanjali, who first documented the organized science of yoga 2500 years ago, wrote, "The union of the various parts of the mind is gained through control of the mind, and then the perceiver comes to consciousness of himself." And so, The Secret of the Yamas helps teach the aspect of yoga that increases our understanding of ourselves, our relationships and our actions.While most people are familiar with the first limb of yoga, asanas (postures), it is the second limb (yamas) that deals with behavior: guidelines about non-violence, non-stealing, chastity, absence of greed and truthfulness. Mr. McAfee points out that it is relatively easy to pretend about or imitate these positive characteristics. However, the beauty of The Secret of Yamas is learning the wisdom to understand Patanjali's true significance of these conditions of behavior.Author and seeker John McAfee is the founder of the Relational Yoga Mandarim in Woodland Park, Colorado. He has taught self-discovery techniques for over 15 years. This has enabled him to not only understand and live yoga in its entirety, but to offer us a clear, concise and (surely) effective guide to life.In this reviewer's opinion, The Secret of the Yamas is a must-read for everyone seeking self-discovery---everyone!

Short, insightful, precise, and respectful -- this book is a joy to read and read again. Mr. McAfee touches the heart of the matter. His sincere, clear presentation gives one pause. Each yama is explored in turn. At each turn, Mr. McAfee sheds light on causes of inconsistencies and incongruities in ones practice. As a guide book, it succeeds in pointing a direction. I highly recommend this book in general, not just for yoga students.