The Genius of Yoga: How Yogic Meditation Can Unlock Your Innate Brilliance

A must read for all yoga practitioners...beginners as well as the very experienced!

Authors Alan Finger and Peter Ferko are teacher and student. Both teach the method developed by Finger, ISHTA yoga. As the book explains, ishta is a Sanskrit word meaning “appropriate practice,” but it also is an acronym representing the Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda. The main thrust of this book is presenting yoga beyond simply the physical postures (asana) as well as beyond the concept of mindfulness as a stand-alone practice. The latter seems to be a particular sticking point with the authors, as they adopt a patronizing tone towards mindfulness. Finger and Ferko postulate that much more is possible when one discovers one’s “genius.” They discuss this genius as a sense of inner knowing, providing an example from when Finger was a child—the anecdote alleges that Finger learned how photography works through meditation rather than instruction.The authors present “An Individual Road to Genius," by discussing concepts such as doshas and the system of energy centers in the body commonly referred to as the chakras. The asana chapter focuses on physical postures and concludes with a “Preliminary Asana Practice,” a simple, well-rounded physical sequence that is likely to be accessible to most, including beginners. Chapter 7 “Pranayama,” is brief (4 pp), covering only the very basics of observing the breath, but further breathwork is incorporated into the following chapter, “Kriya Yoga.” The authors describe Kriya Yoga as being essential to the ISHTA method, and they identify the four main elements as visualization, breath, mantra (sound), and intention. The purpose of the kriyas is to shift energy in the body and to move beyond the senses. The authors provide additional details on how kriyas work, the experience of samadhi, and the role of the chakras.Part Four of the book, “Your Yoga Practice,” ties the teachings together in a practical way. In particular, Chapter 11, “Your ISHTA Meditation Practice,” forms the core of the book. Here the authors present a five step daily routine of about 20-30 minutes in length (they frequently emphasize their program’s efficiency in this regard, contrasting it to other approaches such as “days-long retreats”). The first step is a “premeditative asana practice,” a short postural sequence, which is followed by a seated mediation and the breath observation practice known as apa japa. Step 3 is the kriyas, with detailed instructions provided for three different kriya options: Sat Yam, Calling Your Name, and Ham Sa. The kriyas are basically meditations which involve components of visualization, mantra, and sometimes a mudra (hand gesture) as well. The kriyas are designed to help one reach samadhi, Step 4; the authors recommend remaining in samadhi for up to eighteen minutes. The final step of the daily routine is called “artha vattva samyama,” which is a kind of step-by-step body scan combined with mudra and mantra. The goal of this last step is to hold the meditative state while releasing samadhi and drawing the focus to intention.As a psychologist, long-time yoga practitioner, and yoga teacher, I place high value on the practice of yoga in all its forms, including meditation. I strongly believe in making yoga accessible to all, which means encouraging adoption of any parts which might be of use to the individual. I found the dismissive attitude of the authors—particularly their depiction of mindfulness and related scientific research in this area—to be distasteful and verging on sanctimonious. On the other hand, I appreciated the actual techniques presented in Chapter 11. The kriya work was new to me, and I have already thought about how I could incorporate the first kriya, Sat Yam, into both my yoga classes and my therapy sessions. I wish that the authors had put more effort into simply presenting their method rather than try to “sell” the reader on the superiority of their work.I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley to review for Metapsychology Online Reviews.

Finding this on Netgalley at the time I did, could not have been more perfect! I’ve been doing a 30-Day Yoga challenge with Adrienne this month so to tie in this read with my practices, has been amazing.During this time especially, we’re all looking for ways to escape, to find calm and silence, but it’s not easy. We’re either all in the house or venture out to work but with the added stress and fear of whether or not you’ll get the virus. For my family, we’re dealing with an extra amount of stress but now is not the time to discuss that, however, it is the reason I’ve decided to step up my game when it comes to health and wellbeing.When you’re feeling stressed or just not yourself, it’s a sign that you need to get in touch with your inner self. For most that is done in silence through breathing and meditation. Some find solace in other ways but this has always worked for me!I invite you to get in tune with yourself again, find the peace within you, and learn how to manage stress in these trying times!

I really enjoyed this book. It usefully brings together mindfulness with yoga--which seems super obvious, but too often practitioners focus on one or the other. Targeting a western audience, the author meets us where we are and invites us to deepen our practice, offering the tools with which to do so. Highly recommended.

I studied with both Alan and Peter. Their work has guided and helped many people over the years, including myself. I highly recommend this book and any opportunity to be in their company.

Love this book .. This book is “genius” keep it my my bed. Such interesting information ... I keep rereading it .. I would highly recommended to everybody