“This is an amazing book that will accelerate your journey to God-consciousness.”
—DEEPAK CHOPRA, author of
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription
and
Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul
“This profound, beautiful, and pioneering book will ground the yoga community in a deeper mystical understanding, taking the worldwide yoga movement to a new level of inner empowerment and outer effectiveness. Whether you’re a beginning student or a life-long practitioner, Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson will deepen your practice with this exalted and extremely practical book.”
—MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, author of
The Age of Miracles
and
The Healing of America
“Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
exquisitely merges the poetry of the Divine with the power of yoga with inspired precision. Authors Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson have accomplished the rigorous blending of heaven and earth, guaranteed to inspire new and well-seasoned students of yoga. This book is a magnificent accomplishment.”
—CAROLINE MYSS, author of
Entering the Castle
and
Anatomy of
the Spirit
“Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson have written an inspirational and passionate guide recognizing modern-day yogis as mystics on the mat. They invite us to experience our mats as temples, our movements as embodied prayer, the world as a divine altar, and our actions as the tools for change.
Heart Yoga
addresses how the awakening of the cosmic soul within the physical form inspires us to align our individual hearts with the universal call for action and service—the natural progression of yoga beyond the body. This is a magnificent and timely book affirming that the sacred practice of yoga is a journey of personal illumination, universal recognition, mystical unification, and the inevitable understanding that it is love and action that can transform this planet from one of fear and separation into one united by love, truth, and God.”
—SEANE CORN, yoga teacher, Global Yoga Ambassador for Youth AIDS,
and co-visionary for “Off the Mat, Into the World”
“
Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
is a potent offering with the depth of living wisdom, kindled knowledge, and mystical insight that will ignite the inherent fire of yoga lovers everywhere. The pages are infused with the direct passionate experience and wisdom of two longtime love pilgrims and scholars who are calling for and igniting the inner fire of the heart of yoga with piercing insight and a living joy. I have made Andrew Harvey’s books a must-read in all our teacher trainings, and this is another sacred classic.”
—SHIVA REA, founder and leading teacher of Prana Flow Yoga and
Yoga Trance Dance™
“Karuna Erickson is delighting us with her authentic and intense inquiry into spirit. Her yoga is inspiring.”
—RODNEY YEE, author of
Moving Toward Balance
“Reading
Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
was a delicious revelation. Harvey and Erickson have blended the powerful practicality of yoga poses with the transcendent power of heart-opening spirituality in ways that are both inspiring and practicable for everyday life. I recommend it heartily to all students of yoga and self-transformation, as well as to those who simply want to live more deeply, more richly, and more happily.”
—JUDITH HANSON LASATER, PhD, PT, yoga teacher since 1971
and author of
A Year of Living Your Yoga
“As a longtime student and practitioner of yoga, I am filled with respect for
Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
. I particularly love this crystal-clear primer for practicing yoga as a means of connecting the body, mind, and spirit to all living beings. The frequent references to beautiful writings from all cultures and times make this book a rich and rewarding experience. I am inspired to take my own practice deeper, and to realize through it my own Sacred Activism, of which Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson have written so eloquently.”
—ALI M
AC
GRAW, actress
“This book is a quiet but passionate revelation. It takes the yoga community to a new level of process and empowerment. It invites all spiritual seekers to an adventure of embodiment. While being extremely ambitious and elevated, the book is also very lyrical, clear, and accessible. I believe that yoga is ready for the next wave and this book is it.”
—DEBBIE FORD, author of
The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
and
Secret of the Shadows
“Here is a wonderful gift to the world of today, a helpful Yoga container to develop fire in the heart, and beautiful meditations to inspire the heart’s passion for the Great Work, both inner and the outer.”
—PAUL H. RAY, coauthor of
The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million
People Are Changing the World
“In
Heart Yoga
, Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson deliver an eloquent ‘guidebook’ to understanding and navigating the current evolution of yoga. This book strikes a fine balance between the transcendent powers of yoga, while providing understandable, practical, and effective techniques. Andrew and Karuna draw from vast experience, insight, and knowledge to provide a renewed sense of reverence to practitioners wishing to make their practice more sacred and inspired.
Heart Yoga
is perfectly timed to provide a tool to take one’s practice and mystical inquiry to a new level of compassion, truth, and action in the world.”
—ALLY BOGARD, Gaiatri Yoga, director of yoga teacher training
and international yoga teacher
“We are delighted to see this beautiful book that … reveals what so many of us have long known—that the real work of life is to open ourselves to living in our spiritual heart center. This book provides both practical and spiritual guidance as you move forward on your journey into Self! Bravo, Karuna and Andrew!”
—NICKI DOANE and EDDIE MODESTINI, Maya Yoga Studio,
Maui, Hawaii
ALSO BY ANDREW HARVEY
The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism
A Walk with Four Spiritual Guides: Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and
Ramakrishna
The Way of Passion
The Return of the Mother
The Essential Mystics: Selections from the World’s
Great Wisdom Traditions
Love’s Glory: Re-creations of Rumi
Light Upon Light: Inspirations from Rumi
A Journey in Ladakh: Encounters with Buddhism
Copyright © 2010 by Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.
Published by
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712
Photographs by Ricardo Hubbs
NOTE: Every effort has been made to locate the artist in order to acquire permission to reprint an element that appears on the cover. Please contact North Atlantic Books if you are the artist or have information on how to locate them.