Enhancing Quality of Life Through the Synergy of Yoga Practice and Reading, Practicing Forward Folds and Making Big Salads November 2 , 2025
- rockbriarfarm
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
I was thinking about fall today as I looked out the windows from the library looking for inspiration for this week’s blog. Now that I am retired, I enjoy going to several local libraries to read, work on the blog or just hang out and look at the books and chat with other people about books. As I sat thinking, a full circle pivot away from the fall season to books took ahold of me.
An avid reader since birth, I find reading one of the only activities (besides yoga of course) that allows me to totally escape, for my mind to be fully absorbed. When I was a child, admittedly awkward and nerdy, I would lose myself in reading. I had a love/fear relationship with the librarian at Kingston Free Library. I would take out towers of books each week, and sometimes be tardy in returning them. This I partially blame on my parents since at eight I was not yet driving. If the books were overdue, a war of emotions started as I weighed the embarrasssment of bringing her the past due books against the need for more books. Truthfully, she was always kind and helpful and, in retrospect, probably had a soft spot for my dilemma and love of books. I never remember her charging me fines!
As I thought about reading, I realized that yoga and reading have that power to aborb our mind in common. Both activities are healthy for the mind; yoga teaches us to calm and clear our minds while books absorb our attention. My family has told me that a bomb could go off next to my chair and if I were reading a good book, I would not even flinch.
Yoga is a union (or the yoking) of the mind and spirit, body and breath. Books also have the power to bridge or fill gaps within us. When we read inspirational texts like the Bhagavad Gita or Patanjali’s Sutras or my favorite yoga book, The Heart of Yoga, we are exploring wisdom that can nurture our souls. Furthermore, reading any book that absorbs our thoughts or transports us to another place serves to exercise our brain and nurture our wellbeing.
I did a little research. Studies tell us that reading for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce stress by up to 68%. When I read that, I laughed out loud, I would hate to meet my non-reading self! This health benefit becomes even more impactful when we pair reading with yoga and meditation, practices also known for reducing cortisol levels. When we pair the physical and mental discipline of yoga, adding in yogic breathing and reading, we can create a holistic powerhouse of self-care!
While some articles that I read discussed reading yogic or meditative texts to pair with physical yoga practice, I am a firm believer in just reading. I love reading Thich Nhat Hanh or Desikachar, but I also love the escape of a beautifully written work of fiction, something that transports me to another place and time.
I may be preaching to the choir of readers! There may be some of you who think “I just don’t have time to read” or “I would rather lose myself in a movie or TV show”. While I am always disappointed to hear that someone does not experience joy from reading, I am going to suggest trying again, starting small.
Yoga is not about the physical practice, it is a lifestyle. Reading is similar. When we choose what we read with a bit of care, knowing what our soul needs at a particular time, we take a decisive step toward self-care. While I loved Louise Erdich’s Round House , Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead and Jeanine Cummins’ American Dirt, all serious works of fiction depicting challenging lives, sometimes I need the joy of Ann Tyler’s writing or the escapism of another place by reading Khaled Hosseini (Kite Runner and others) or Amy Tan (Joy Luck Club and 11 more!). As we need different styles of yoga depending on what our body and mind needs at a particular time, choosing different books to feed our soul appropriately also follows.
Reading can enhance our yogic lifestyle by bringing joy, thoughtfulness, and wisdom into our lives. Perhaps consider having close by a book of quotes or essays that are inspirational to us. When we pause for a break in the day, perhaps reading a few quotes or a short essay will provide moments of calm. I have a tiny book of quotes by the Dalai Lama that I love to look at when I need inspiration. Sometimes just losing ourselves in a story whether fictional or biographical provides the escapism that we crave.
I think of it this way: finding all the ways that I can incorporate things that I love which also provide health and wellness benefits to both mind and body is a win-win. Top a day of yoga and reading with a huge salad and I have my perfect day!
Our Practice: Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
As we think about enhancing our self-care with both our reading and yoga (and the common threads between the practices), lets work on standing forward folds this week. The poses can benefit mental clarity and focus by calming the nervous system, relieving stress, and increasing blood flow to the brain. The poses activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s relaxation response) and calms the stress response. As we calm our bodies and brains, we can calm our monkey mind and encourage a sense of peace and foster a sense of relaxation. This practice will lead to improved mental clarity and focus.
Meditating on Reading and Yoga
“I read so I can live more than one life in more than one place.” ― Anne Tyler
“When we are young, the words are scattered all around us. As they are assembled by experience, so also are we, sentence by sentence, until the story takes shape.” ― Louise Erdrich from Plague of Doves
“she was a book lover who enjoyed reading aloud to her baby. She liked the idea that, even before he understood them, he might begin with the most beautiful words, that he’d build language from a foundation of literature and poetry.”― Jeanine Cummins from American Dirt
"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are truthful and kind, they have the potential to change the world," Buddha
Nurturing with Food – Salad, A Big Salad
As I thought about a day of reading and yoga, I realized the only thing that could make it more perfect would be a great salad (anyone remember Elaine’s Big Salad? - no not a regular salad!). I agree with George on this one. A regular salad is not a big deal, but a big salad is special. And my favorite food. Yes, really. Here are links to some of my favorite salads on the website. The reality is my best salads come from whatever is in the fridge, salad enhancements from leftovers, and a few pickled items. And yes, the bigger the better!
Spring Inspired Salad
Abbie’s Spinach and Strawberry Salad
See you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne