Overview

"It's taken yoga several thousand years to journey from a handful of monasteries dotting the Himalayas to the myriad studios of London, Lower Manhattan, and beyond. Whether bathing with holy men in the Ganges or joining the chorus of a thousand voices chanting ""om,"" photographer Michael O'Neill decided to devote himself to experiencing and recording the world of yoga at this critical juncture in its history. The result is a powerful photographic tribute to the age-old discipline turned global phenomenon, with over 250 million practitioners united in physical, spiritual, and mindful practice worldwide. Famous for his photographs of the famous, O'Neill first set out to make portraits of the most influential yogis of our time-B. K. S. Iyengar, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, T. K. V. Desikachar, Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa-as well as those famed for integrating yoga into their high-profile lives, such as Donna Karan, Sting, and Trudie Styler. It was a chance to honor the masters and unite his lifelong passion for photography with a newfound love for yoga and meditation. But as his practice deepened, so did his drive to look past the personalities and the poses to document the roots of yoga. Over ten years O'Neill trekked beyond the traditional epicenters to meditate with monks in the Tibetan Plateau, live with sadhus in their tents at the Kumbh Mela, and marvel at the boys who practice the little known discipline of Mallakhamba at the wrestling grounds in Kochi. Says O'Neill: ""All I wanted to do was to pay homage to yoga's classical lineage and understand this unique moment before it slips away."" Now brought together for the first time, this extraordinary body of work tells the story of yoga as it's never been told before, with nearly 200 photographs, most of which have never been seen. Two of O'Neill's most important subjects, meditation master His Holiness Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Ashtanga guru Eddie Stern, join the conversation with their essays on the role of yoga in contemporary culture, the history of the practice from the time of Patanjali, and the healing power of what Michael O'Neill calls ""the architecture of peace . . . a series of postures that bring the practitioner closer to touching the infinite."""

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9783836520416

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Reviews

An antithesis to all those sterile, dreary yoga books... this volume presents the world of Yoga as a fascinating cosmos: unique, foreign, exciting and captivating. * Vogue * These spectacular pictures of yoga practitioners from India and Tibet will make you gawp and gasp in disbelief... It's a book that informs, inspires and offers a provocative window into the yoga soul. * Tatler * ...a collection of nearly 200 stunning portraits that record yoga's humble beginnings and loyal disciples, and follows the practice's extraordinary journey, which shows no sign of stopping. * VanityFair.com * A meditation in images, On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace is a tribute to the spirits it portrays, a collection of ancient wisdom for modern times, and a chronicle of Michael O'Neill's own journey toward enlightenment. * huffingtonpost.com * A stunning visual feast for all yoga lovers, a truly beautiful book. * Om Yoga Magazine * ...a study as much in anthropology and sociology as in beauty of form and spirit... featuring striking images of everyone from Krishnamacharya to the Indian Sadhu community to Sting. * Yoga Journal.com * Michael O'Neill's book is a beautiful journey though the world of yoga. Thank you for capturing the spirit and soul of its teachers their practice and their people. To study this legacy and to be able to travel through India through Michael's eyes is a feast for the mind, body, and soul a truly transformative experience that I will never forget. * Donna Karan * The world of Yoga captured on camera, from age-old monasteries in remote corners of the Himalayas to its urban counterpart of celebrity endorsements and fad-based lifestyle commodification. A must for yogis and pop culture buffs. * Vogue Online *

Author Information

Eddie Stern is a yoga teacher, author, app creator, and lecturer from New York City. His practical approach to teaching and practicing yoga is a mix of science, religion, philosophy, and social service. H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji is one of India’s most revered and beloved spiritual leaders. He is President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh (home of the annual International Yoga Festival) and founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Divine Shakti Foundation, and Ganga Action Parivar, and India Heritage Research Foundation. In his five-decade career, Michael O’Neill has photographed the cultural icons of his time, from Andy Warhol to the Dalai Lama, for publications including the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. He has had solo shows of his work at Visa pour l’image (Perpignan, France); at II Mes Internacional da Fotografia (São Paulo, Brazil); and Houk Friedman (New York). His photographs reside in the collections of the Walker Art Center, among other museums. He is the subject of the 2017 documentary On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace.

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