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A review by victoriakleinco
The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras by Nischala Joy Devi
5.0
Before reading this book, I read a "traditional" translation of the Yoga Sutras. I found Devi's book to be a nice contrast to the previous book, adding another dimension of understanding to the overall Yoga Sutras. I also highly appreciate her lack of the use of "God", making the Yoga Sutras much easier to understand from a non-Christian/Atheist perspective.
Billed as a "Woman's Guide to the ... Yoga Sutras", I feel the need to address the representation of men vs. women in this book. Others who have reviewed this book say that Devi is doing nothing more than promoting the "usual" roles of men being angry & dominant and women being delicate & emotional.
While I see how that could be interpreted, I simply disagree. Women have been fighting for all-encompassing equality for centuries, and we have come a long way. That being said, women are naturally more caring and compassionate - that's why we are given the biological ability to give birth & nurture children, or perhaps because of it.
On the other hand, men are physically stronger and no-nonsense problem solvers - that is their natural duty since, classically, they don't spend as much time rearing children as they do protecting and providing for them.
Please don't interpret my musings as derogatory or enforcing traditional roles - this is simply Mother Nature. I'm all for feminine equality, such as making the same amount of money and having the same opportunities as men. That's referring to social/cultural equality. I'm talking about nature/biology. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but the majority of men & women follow the traditional biological personalities at varying levels.
All that being said, I didn't find Devi's interpretations of men vs. women to be offensive or derogatory - merely factual. Historically, women's "feminine" qualities have been interpreted as weak, which is entirely from a social/cultural perspective. That is what needs to change.
Back to the book itself, I think it is a wonderful read for women AND men, providing yet another dimension of understanding to the widely-interpreted Yoga Sutras, especially in-relation to the exact words used & how they deeply impact your interpretation. The main thing I wish is that the book was longer & even more in-depth.
Billed as a "Woman's Guide to the ... Yoga Sutras", I feel the need to address the representation of men vs. women in this book. Others who have reviewed this book say that Devi is doing nothing more than promoting the "usual" roles of men being angry & dominant and women being delicate & emotional.
While I see how that could be interpreted, I simply disagree. Women have been fighting for all-encompassing equality for centuries, and we have come a long way. That being said, women are naturally more caring and compassionate - that's why we are given the biological ability to give birth & nurture children, or perhaps because of it.
On the other hand, men are physically stronger and no-nonsense problem solvers - that is their natural duty since, classically, they don't spend as much time rearing children as they do protecting and providing for them.
Please don't interpret my musings as derogatory or enforcing traditional roles - this is simply Mother Nature. I'm all for feminine equality, such as making the same amount of money and having the same opportunities as men. That's referring to social/cultural equality. I'm talking about nature/biology. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but the majority of men & women follow the traditional biological personalities at varying levels.
All that being said, I didn't find Devi's interpretations of men vs. women to be offensive or derogatory - merely factual. Historically, women's "feminine" qualities have been interpreted as weak, which is entirely from a social/cultural perspective. That is what needs to change.
Back to the book itself, I think it is a wonderful read for women AND men, providing yet another dimension of understanding to the widely-interpreted Yoga Sutras, especially in-relation to the exact words used & how they deeply impact your interpretation. The main thing I wish is that the book was longer & even more in-depth.