If you found "Journey Into Power" (Baron's first book), to be a life changing book (I also have it on CD and listen to it all the time for inspiration), Baron has produced another excellent guide along the path of his approach to yoga.While I must admit that I haven't followed the plan on a week by week basis, I have already been doing yoga daily for 8 years and have a very well established practice which I vary daily (I have over 70 videos of every imaginable style of yoga).
A big part of the reason that I purchased this book is because I was curious to see how he broke the sequences down for the various weeks. I like the way he lays out the routines in the series of photographs in the back section of the book, very useful!
The excavation questions in the meditation sections are useful as well as the principles he outlines in the first part of the book. The last section is also very useful in terms of applying yoga to one's whole life and not just what happens on the mat.
I did find Baron's nutritional principles ("The Cleansing Diet" and "The Detoxifying Cleanse") a bit easier to follow in "Journey Into Power", but there was still much interesting "food for thought" in this new book :) Baron's approach to eating is not a "diet" in the way the word is typically used, it's just really an approach to eating vital, living and unprocessed foods along with the psychology behind your relationship to food.
As far as practicing Yoga, in general I feel it's much easier to work with his Video/DVD programs than any book, even those as excellent as Baron's. His video/dvd programs are the best I've seen if you want a real "physical" yet sensible practice. For me the information on the poses in the books are excellent for getting detailed information on the specific elements of the poses which can be hard to get and absorb in the flow of a class (be it live or recorded).
In particular I'd recommend his "Live" programs, such as "Core Power" and "Unlocking Athletic Power" which are shorter practices. Plus "Soul Of Strength" which is a longer program (and it follows the "Journey Into Power" sequence almost exactly, just a few differences.
His PBS special which you can buy called "Transform Your Life" is a documentary of sorts which shows 40 students on one of Baron's weeklong "Bootcamps" and it is very inspirational, it also has a fabulous 20 minute Power Yoga Basics routine which is worth the price of the tape alone, I use it all the time for a short but effective practice.
Also, you may want to check out Baron's "Bootcamp Box" which has two CD's (not DVD's, but the CD's are VERY easy to follow) and flash cards which contain three 20 minute practices (Vinayas Flow/Hip Flow/Core Flow) and a long 75 minute practice. It also has a small booklet that helps you structure a home "Bootcamp" weekend practice.
Since writing this review I have purchased and used his "Journey Into Power" Video/DVD programs and they are excellent. The level one is a wonderful introduction to Baron's approach, it certainly seems that it would be challenging for someone new to vinyasa flow, and even for an experienced person it is a nice shorter and less intense practice than the level 2 which is considerably more intense. The level 2 program follows the sequence of Baron's book "Journey Into Power" quite closely (though it is very close to "Soul Of Strength" so if you have that you may not need "Journey Into Power" Level 2)
Namaste
The first part of the book lays out 12 good spiritual "laws" and is a great mixture of Eastern and Western spiritual guidelines, quoting Jesus, Buddha, Ghandi, and others. This is worthwhile reading, and may touch on a foundation for spirituality that will resonate with many Weterners. Very Intriguing, I wish there was more here.
The Yoga Vinyasas are much more difficult to follow, with over 30 pages of writing and photos showing the first 20 minute session alone. Yoga appears to be Baptiste's primary fame to date, and where most of the pages of the book focus. Video may be a better format to get Yoga across. I run one of Rodney Yee's videos (albeit with a different sequence of Vinyasas) and use Baptiste's photos and description to give me details if I don't know a pose.
The diet sections are confusing, I saw Baptiste in a lecture and I'm not sure he even understands what is written here ( was there a ghost writer helping?) Still, their focus on balance in a diet, and balance from many viewpoints (including building vs cleansing, cooling vs heating foods)is good.
The meditation emphases and "Excavation questions" are good also.
Can one have a personal revolution in 40 days with this book? The book is too new to know so stay tuned. From what I see, there needs to be significant supplements as far as reading and instruction for this to be the main catalyst for such a revolution.I have to admit I have an ambiguous relationship to this book. I admire the author's credentials and experience and the contents are organized around a 40 day plan which is a great idea. However, I think there are some important gaps if this is your only reference.
First, the best part about this book is progressing and deepening your commitment a day at a time. This is a great way to change your life and the ideas presented are useful and cover physical, mental and spiritual practices. The book is also well-illustrated and provides basic instruction on the most important asanas.
What I feel is missing here is more depth on the appropriate and safe ways to practice the asanas. If one is attending regular yoga classes or has a teacher, then I think the instructions are adequate. However, I think it's particulary important for beginners to focus on the details and if you purchase this book I would get something to supplement it such as Judith Lasater's "The 30 Essential Yoga Poses" and/or "Dancing the Body of Light" by Dona Holleman. If you have a bad back or neck, then it might also be worth purchasing "Back Care Basics" by Mary Pullig Schatz. (The Pilates back book might also be helpful, but it is not as comprehensive and it's not a yoga book per se.)
Some other aspects of this book that I like is the broad scope that covers philosophy, diet, meditation and routines that build up over time. It also talks about dealing with resistance and has a very motivational tone. While this approach may be a bit aggressive for non-athletes or people who are casually acquainted with yoga, the challenge will appeal to more serious students and atheletes who want to move forward quickly and are already in relatively good shape. These people are also less likely to get injured along the way.
In truth, I would rate the book a 3.5. However, there is no 3.5 category. While there are many things I like here, I don't see it as a standalone book. The most interesting thing about it for me was the attempt to integrate lots of elements into a way of life. However, I think there wasn't enough space to completely tackle this task. The effort to do this is admirable and there is certainly a lot one can learn, but please pick up one or more of the other books above before you starting combining bending and twisting or other physical moves that put high strain on fragile joints as well as the back.This book is very well written and I've not been able to put it down since I got it. I'm in the middle of my fourth week of the 40 day program and things have been unbelievably smooth. The practices have awesome flow from one to the next. The progressions are so natural. When I saw "40 days to transformation," I conjured up some grueling process, something I'd force myself to get through and then move on. But around the end of the first week I realized these 40 days are transforming my life. The physical changes have been powerful, I've dropped weight, stress and a lot of tension. The lessons I've learned about myself are permanent. They'll be with me always!I've been practicing yoga for a while, and have been integrating Baron Baptiste's "power" style into my own recently. I thought I'd pick up this book and see what he has to say. I bought it more for the meditation and life coaching side of things, and I think Baron's approach to "presence" meditation is great--it actually works for me, unlike other methods I've tried. I think I can also relate best to Baron the most of the yoga gurus because of the physicality of his yoga: the "power" and the "flow." As an avid runner, I feel more comfortable being active rather than holding poses for a long time, and focusing on the breath while moving through poses helps me achieve mental stillness which I can carry into meditation practice (which I'm totally a beginner at!). The other thing I really like is that Baron references Jesus, Moses, and the Bible as much as he does Indian yogis and gurus--and as a Christian too, it makes me really happy to see someone else finding a way to integrate Christianity into yoga. You don't have to be Hindu or Indian to be a yogi, or give up your spiritual beliefs.
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