One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life

Name: One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life
SKU: 51306
Availability: InStock

4.6 | 594 ratings

Price: 17.5

Last update: 05-21-2024

About this item

Yoga was created as a science for liberation, but in modern times it is used by many to improve physical and mental health, helping us become more productive at work, more caring in relationships, more responsible contributors to society, and better inhabitants of this planet. If yoga does accomplish all that―as many practitioners report―how exactly does yoga do it? How does yoga work?

Believe it or not, the answers lie in how the human body and mind function. Eddie Stern’s One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How It Can Transform Your Life explains from both a yogic and a scientific perspective how the human nervous system is wired. It describes the mechanics taking place beneath the surface of our bodies and shows how we can consciously use yogic practices to direct and change our lives in positive ways.

Drawing on modern neuroscience, ancient wisdom, and decades of practice and teaching, Eddie Stern’s One Simple Thing, with a foreword from Deepak Chopra, explains how what we do affects who we become, and reveals how a steady routine of physical movements, activities, and attitudes are able to transform not just our bodies but our brain functions and emotions, and how we experience life.

Simply put, but powerful read

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019

This is a great read for these interested in the science of yoga, beginner students and advanced practitioners. Eddie Stern does a beautiful job of explaining, in simple terms, why yoga can be so transformative. As a long time yoga student, I often find myself overwhelmed by the practice - having to be a "perfect yogi" - but this book puts those thoughts to rest. In addition to providing a concise, yet thorough description of the different elements of yoga, this book explains how and why practice can bring about changes in oneself. What I love about this explanation is that it suggests all people can benefit from practice. Yoga poses do not have to be "perfect" or look a certain way. They simply need to just be practiced. And in that practice, benefits just arise. It really does seem that simple after this read.

Fernando Cordero

Great amount of knowledge in an easy to read book

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2022

Great book, well written, and easy to read. Multiple aspects of the subject are considered, which is great as everybody feels yoga in a different way.

Amazon Customer

It really is kind of a modern masterpiece

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019

This single book manages in 300 pages to synthesize most everything that is important in yoga from the classics , and lays out the links from western science and medicine that demonstrate for the folks in the west WHY yoga works.
It is easy and approachable and practical and all a person will really need in one simple text.
I am using it in classes and with clients. And as gifts for friends, and hosts, and.......

Amazon Customer

Vagus nerve guide

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2021

This is a comprehensive and detailed guide to the vagus nerve and now contemplative physical practices and science explain why we feel so good doing yoga. A bit long and verbose at times, but straightforward and essential reading for yogis.

ashley

Yogi Student/Instructor

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024

Love this book. Had to read it for my yoga course.

Donny

Merging the invisible and visible worlds

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019

Like many others, yoga has changed my life; it's the only thing that I have that is a 100% return on investment. And like many others who feel the same, I really had no idea why it was so - why does yoga work?

Over the years I have kept up with Eddie's podcasts, lectures, etc, and am now reading One Simple Thing for the second time; this time making annotations and spending a little bit more time in each chapter.

Eddie does a great job of eliminating the interference that can get in the way of experiencing yoga in the West. Early on in the book, he helps us to frame Yoga as a contemplative practice and begins to steadily build a foundation of understanding through his practical, real-life, modern day interpretations that cut through the opaque and mysterious nature of yogic treatises and elements of the practice.

Where Eddie's text really opens up for the reader is when it all comes together in the last chapter: where East and West meet on the neuroscience piece. Using accessible language, he presents his learnings from meeting with subject matter experts in their fields and makes sense of it for us at the right level of information; blending his own personal experience with scientific research. Merging the invisible and the visible worlds. If that's not enough to ponder the question of, "why am I here?" then I don't know what will.

One suggestion I have is to listen to some of his recent podcasts between reading the book. This may help enrich your understanding of some of the pieces that may be new to you (the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga yoga, the Yoga Sutras, Sanskrit in general, etc). Further to that, he does spend time talking about the book and can help reinforce some points for you.

Slowly, layer by layer, Eddie helps us broaden our perspectives to understand more about how having a practice (yoga, meditation, practicing kindness, etc) can help us discover our purpose in this complex and demanding world.

Jonathan Cerna

Just okay

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022

Book is advertised as scientific, but it is not quite so. Most of the book consists of the author just citing other books, and towards the end providing a pretty low-level analysis.

Amazon Customer

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019

Wow I came here to read the reviews because I just wanted to read more on this subject! Eddie Stern did such a good job of breaking things down and explaining “how it (yoga) can transform your life” I have been practicing yoga for years and teaching yoga to young kids and I have learned so much from this book. I have been to so many teacher trainings and workshops and what was in this book was one of the best “talks” I have ever been able to “hear”. I highly recommend!

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About this item

Top reviews from the United States

Best Sellers in

The Seat of the Soul: 25th Anniversary Edition

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