Description
When he was a college freshman business major suffering from a variety of anxiety-related maladies, the author stumbled into an elective: yoga. It was 1989. All his classmates were female. And men did not yet generally “cry, hug, or do yoga.” But yoga soothed and calmed Leaf as nothing else had. As these rollicking and wise chapters show, Leaf went on to visit yoga studios around the country, have a spiritual experience at a Grateful Dead concert, and consult Ayurvedic physicians, swamis, and even (accidentally) a prostitute. Twenty-one years later, he teaches yoga and meditation, practices multifaceted healing, and is the beloved founder of a holistic tutoring center that helps students — whose ailments he once shared — manage ADD and overcome test and math phobias.
Endorsements
“Leaf’s tale unfolds like a trail of delicious bread crumbs leading to the heart of yoga practice. Whether you choose to scarf them down mindlessly or savor every morsel is up to you. But definitely take time to savor Leaf's brilliant self-inquiry.”
— Yoga Journal
“Throughout this entertaining and enlightening memoir, Leaf demonstrates that he is a yogi with a great sense of humor....[His] joyful embrace of life is contagious.”
— Booklist
“Leaf examines every situation with a fearless and trenchant wit, placing each in the context of his search for better health and happiness in part through yoga.”
— Yoga International
“From its first hilariously humiliating image to its closing words of grace, Brian Leaf’s memoir is an unfolding miracle.”
— Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, former editor of The New York Times Book Review
“[Brian Leaf] writes in an utterly winning voice — by turns as neurotic as Woody Allen, as irreverent as Huck Finn, and as serious as Jack Kerouac. It’s a fun romp — and much, much more.”
— Stephen Cope, director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living and author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self
“Brian Leaf clearly spent his formative years seated before masters like Obi Wan Kenobi and Seinfeld. Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi follows the path of yoga wherever it leads, from the sublimely ridiculous to the ridiculously sublime. It is ultimately a heartfelt testament to yoga’s power to heal body, mind, and spirit.”
— Timothy McCall, MD, author of Yoga as Medicine and medical editor of Yoga Journal
“Brian’s writing is funny and accessible and clearly reflects his personality and life experience. Check it out!”
— Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx
“This awesome book made me laugh out loud. I kept thinking, it’s high time that a man told his Eat, Pray, Love story.”
— Desirée Rumbaugh, creator of the Yoga to the Rescue DVD series
“Brian Leaf is like the Bill Cosby of yoga — recounting common emotions and situations on a yogi’s path in a way that makes you laugh with acknowledgment. His story is so graphic, I felt like I was practically holding his hand!”
— Kathryn Budig, author of The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga
“Brian Leaf’s charming and engaging account of his yogic journey is sure to strike a chord with readers who are embarking on their own adventures toward health and self-discovery.”
— Leslie Kaminoff, coauthor of Yoga Anatomy
— Yoga Journal
“Throughout this entertaining and enlightening memoir, Leaf demonstrates that he is a yogi with a great sense of humor....[His] joyful embrace of life is contagious.”
— Booklist
“Leaf examines every situation with a fearless and trenchant wit, placing each in the context of his search for better health and happiness in part through yoga.”
— Yoga International
“From its first hilariously humiliating image to its closing words of grace, Brian Leaf’s memoir is an unfolding miracle.”
— Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, former editor of The New York Times Book Review
“[Brian Leaf] writes in an utterly winning voice — by turns as neurotic as Woody Allen, as irreverent as Huck Finn, and as serious as Jack Kerouac. It’s a fun romp — and much, much more.”
— Stephen Cope, director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living and author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self
“Brian Leaf clearly spent his formative years seated before masters like Obi Wan Kenobi and Seinfeld. Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi follows the path of yoga wherever it leads, from the sublimely ridiculous to the ridiculously sublime. It is ultimately a heartfelt testament to yoga’s power to heal body, mind, and spirit.”
— Timothy McCall, MD, author of Yoga as Medicine and medical editor of Yoga Journal
“Brian’s writing is funny and accessible and clearly reflects his personality and life experience. Check it out!”
— Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx
“This awesome book made me laugh out loud. I kept thinking, it’s high time that a man told his Eat, Pray, Love story.”
— Desirée Rumbaugh, creator of the Yoga to the Rescue DVD series
“Brian Leaf is like the Bill Cosby of yoga — recounting common emotions and situations on a yogi’s path in a way that makes you laugh with acknowledgment. His story is so graphic, I felt like I was practically holding his hand!”
— Kathryn Budig, author of The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga
“Brian Leaf’s charming and engaging account of his yogic journey is sure to strike a chord with readers who are embarking on their own adventures toward health and self-discovery.”
— Leslie Kaminoff, coauthor of Yoga Anatomy
