Yoke

Starts off strong and, aside from a brief detour into astrology/tarot woo, remains strong. I really like Stanley’s ... soul, maybe? She Gets It: why we yoga. How we yoga. Breath. Self-awareness and -forgiveness and -amusement. Her voice, though, I had a little trouble with: there was a swagger that felt at odds with what I see as her message. Then again, that might be a voice that resonates with those who move through the world as Black and Queer.

The essays are much more than reflection: she shines a spotlight on racism, sexism, cultural appropriation, consumerism, fat shaming, all of it woven with yoga and breath and awareness so although there’s a lot of discomfort — including her own — it’s always with breath. The kind of discomfort that invites exploration. This is a thinking person’s book.