Book Description

Poems of Awakening is an anthology in which poets speak about experiences of living joyfully in the moment and sensing themselves as part of what Walt Whitman calls a vast similitude which interlocks all". The book includes both ancient and modern works by Kabir, Hafiz, Shih-Te, Anna Swir, Walt Whitman, e.e. cummings, Wendell Berry, H.D., Mary Oliver, May Sarton, Li-Young Lee, Jane Hirshfield, Thich Nhat Hanh, Naomi Shihab Nye and many others.The sections of the book are organized to reflect a spiritual journey:I: My Body EffervescesII: A Deep QuietStillness and LightIII: Now I Become MyselfIV: Healing and RenewalV: May My Heart Always Be Open VI: How A Beautiful Day is SpentVII: The All-Surrounding GracePraise for Poems of Awakening: In todays world, we all need many sources of inspiration, and Betsy Smalls Poems of Awakening is a deep one. The poems, and the feelings they evoke, appeal to the best part of ourselves. Highly recommended for yoga practitioners and anyone who aspires to continue to live with an open, joyousheart in the midst of challenges. Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D, PT, yoga teacher since 1971 and author of eight books including Yogabody: Anatomy, Kinesiology"Poems of Awakening is a carefully chosen collection of inspiring poetry from all over the globe. These poemshelp me remember what is true and real."Danna Faulds, poet and dedicated practitioner of Kripalu Yoga, and author of four books of yoga poetry: Go In and In; One Soul; Prayers to the Infinite; andFrom Root to Bloom As a Senior Kripalu Yoga Teacher I teach that one must first set the tone for each yoga class and findingjust the right reading or poem can at times be a task. Betsy Smalls, Poems of Awakening takes the stress out of finding the right poem for a class or any occasion. Her innovative ?Çÿlinked sets guide the reader to the sense of spirit they are seeking. This is a beautiful work compiled by an effervescent yogini. Maya Breuer, Director, Santosha School of Yoga, In the Kripalu Tradition As a practitioner and teacher of yoga and meditation, it is exactly the kind of book Ive been lookingfor. Leza Lowitz, author of Yoga Poems, Lines to Unfold By Betsy Smalls prodigious collection of poems is a treasure. . . The poems touch the heart, invite self-examinationand welcome profound emotional response. Betsy has organized her anthology in sets of poems that reflect her own spiritual journey, summoning the reader to travel a poetic path of deep awareness and personal growth. Peggy Osna Heller, MSW, Ph.D., poetry therapist and author of Word Arts Collage: A Poetry Therapy Memoir What a joy it is to find so many beautiful, moving, edifying poems in one place! Al Zolynas, poet and editor of The Poetry of Mens Lives Poems of Awakening is a gift to yourself and all those you love and serve. Amy Weintraub, authorof Yoga for Depression and founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute