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Whether or not you practice yoga, Stanley's essay collection is an outstanding read for those wrestling with the big questions and concerns in today's modern culture and society and more, where each person fits within those issues. Essays span cultural appropriation, Fatness, colonization and capitalism, and so much more. They're explored through the lenses of the yoga sutras, and for those who do practice, Stanley offers outstanding explanations for why sitting back and practicing ~good vibes only~ is bullshit.

One of the essays that really made me pause and think was the one on asana. i really dislike how American yoga focuses so deeply on the postures and poses, as it's only one limb of the eight of the practice. Stanley agrees, but she's also able to articulate clearly why for some practitioners, the focus on asana really DOES matter -- and it's not at service of one's ego, but rather the only way to settle down one's ego. It's a reversal of a script I too frequently stick to, and being forced to sit with that is powerful.

And really, that's precisely what the point of the book is: sitting with discomfort. Moving with discomfort. Speaking with discomfort. That's the why and the how of yoga: finding ease in dis-easing situations but not allowing yourself to become complacent within them.