Table Of Content“Many of us are driven in our yoga, employing the competitive striving, over-efforting
and self-flagellation that work so brilliantly in other areas of our lives. This engaging
and useful book shows us less can be more, and a whole lot more fun!”
— Timothy McCall, M.D., Medical Editor of Yoga Journal
and author: Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing
“This is a wonderful work. Deeply spiritually wise, fun and funny. A very useful
and insightful view of the meeting of the ancient tradition of yoga with fast-
paced modern America.
— Kevin Barrows, MD, Medical Director Osher Center
for Integrative Medicine, University of California,
San Francisco School of Medicine
“This book has great advice for those walking the spiritual path, and better yet, it
is filled with the humor and playfulness that are essential for the journey. West-
ern yogis need this book. Enlighten up!”
— Wes “Scoop” Nisker, Humorist,
Dharma Teacher and author: Crazy Wisdom
Lightening Up: The Yoga of Self-Acceptance combines findings from neuroscience,
physiology and scientific studies of mindfulness with traditional teachings of
yoga to remind us that the body doesn’t lie. This book is a must for any yoga prac-
titioner, beginner or expert alike.”
— Sandra Blakeslee, NY Times Science Writer
& author: The Body has a Mind of its Own
“Tony Wolff has made superb use of his knowledge of philosophy, psychology, and
spirituality to create a very accessible book on yoga as a medium for transformation.
This is a truly useful handbook for yoga practitioners, teachers, and all those seeking
to increase their bodymind consciousness.”
— David Richo, author: Wisdom’s Way
“In this book, Tony Wolff offers an approach to yoga that allows us to receive its
sacred gifts. We are reminded that all healing and freedom becomes possible when
we approach asanas (and life!) with sincerity, non-striving and a deep acceptance
towards what arises.”
— Tara Brach, Director, Insight Meditation Society
of Washington, D.C & author: Radical Acceptance.
Lightening Up:
T Y
h e oga of
S -
a
elf ccepTance
with a Foreword by Erich Schiffmann
Illustrations by Sacha Eckes
Tony Wolff
Copyright © 2011 Tony Wolff
[email protected]
www.yogaofselfacceptance.com
Book Design: mattinglydesign.com
Warning:
Buy this book at your own risk. It will fill your head with many thoughts, some
you’ll recognize, and maybe some that are new. But, remember: the only good
thought is the one that reminds you to stop thinking.
“Abandon all thoughts, then
don’t think of anything.”
—Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
(4.57), 14th century CE
“There is nothing either good or bad,
but thinking makes it so.”
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet
“I try to stop thinking
but nothing happens.”
—Curly Howard* The Three Stooges
“You think too much, that is your trouble.
Clever people and grocers,
they weigh everything.”
—Nikos Kazanzakis, Zorba the Greek
STAN: W ell, I know if it was me, I’d sit down and relax, I’d close my eyes,
and I’d concentrate and I’d think of nothing. Wouldn’t be long then,
that’s what I’d do.
OLLIE: Say, I think you’ve got something there.
STAN: I know I’ve got something. Why don’t you take a whirl at it?
OLLIE [sits down, supports his chin in his hands, and closes his eyes]
STAN: Now don’t think of anything.
OLLIE: I won’t.
—From Laurel and Hardy, The Flying Deuces*
*Courtesy of Richard Rosen, thinking not-thinker.
Contents
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 1: The Contradiction of Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 2: What’s It All About, Yogi? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 3: R&R Redefined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 4: The Mind And Its Shenanigans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Chapter 5: Remembering to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 6: Seeing Is Believing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Chapter 7: Moving Forward By Staying Still . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 8: Shine a Little Light-Ness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Chapter 9: If It’s So Simple, Why Ain’t It Easy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Chapter 10: The Fear of Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Chapter 11: Making Friends with Mat Demon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Chapter 12: Humor is Serious Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Chapter 13: Science to the Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Chapter 14: Down Here in the Tummy, Dummy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Chapter 15: Edging into Your Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Chapter 16: Bananas, Savannahs, Muscles and Bones . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Chapter 17: Lie Down & Get Personal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Chapter 18: Bend It, Wiggle It, Let It Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Chapter 19: The Wizard’s Just a Guy Behind the Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Chapter 20: Flexing Your Self-Trust Muscles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Afterword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
