3 Books: Looking Back and Moving Forward

9/12/2015

The Kickstarter is done. We shipped hundreds of boxes full of Buddha Bose's 84 Yoga Asanas and our own Ghosh Yoga Practice Manuals to dozens of countries around the world. I am exhausted and at the end of two years of consistent and focused effort. A tremendous weight is lifted, an era ended.

Originally, we were only going to make an Intermediate Practice Manual, based on Tony's (Sanchez) Master's Core System. It was to be the book we wished we had as we were learning the system, with clearly explained intention and execution for the intermediate postures that are neglected in the Bikram world.

Our paths changed at 3 points: when Jerome approached us with the Bose project, when Tony was unsupportive of our book, and when we realized that we needed to write a Beginning Manual as well.

ENTER BOSE
I still have the email from last June when Jerome told us he thought he had located Bose's complete manuscript. We had been discussing Bose's Volume 1, and this revelation - that a complete book existed - was shocking and tremendously exciting. He asked us to help bring the book to the world, and we were on board 100%. The opportunity of a lifetime.

It was unclear at the time how the project would take shape or how much effort it would require. All we knew is that it was an important opportunity and we would be foolish to close ourselves off to it. What transpired was months of discussion and transcription, ordering and editing Bose's manuscript, a trip to Calcutta to meet with the Bose and Ghosh families, and after it all, a vast international Kickstarter campaign.

TONY
In April, Ida and I returned to Los Cabos to study the advanced series under Tony's guidance. We took him a copy of the Bose manuscript and also a rough copy of our intermediate book, based on his Master's Core System. We showed him our book as students eager for their teacher's approval and blessing, but I don't think he saw it that way. I can't speak for him or what he thinks. I will only say that he has not asked about it since.

My heart was broken, but it was a profound learning experience for us. We were eager to make an offering to this grand, idealistic world of yoga, and we were inexplicably resisted from all sides including the man who had told us to give knowledge away as freely as possible. We still thought we should make the book, if only to have it for ourselves, but now we had no reason to dogmatically follow Tony's system.

We have often talked about the shortcomings of Bikram's beginning class and even Tony's intermediate system, how they encourage some types of movements while neglecting others. Two glaring gaps are inversions and Lotus preparation postures. So we added them into our intermediate book to help the student of yoga learn these positions. It is unacceptable that a student would have to wait until the advanced class to learn Shoulderstand, Headstand or Easy Pose.

A heartfelt thank you to Jerome and Ben who, when we told them about our idea for an intermediate book, were enthusiastic and incredibly supportive. That was the moment when we decided to offer it to the world, realizing that others may have use for it too.

ANOTHER MANUAL
Like I said above, originally we only planned to do an intermediate book, mostly because it is what we wanted for ourselves. As Ida and I teach, there are often students who could benefit from home practice. How nice it would be, we thought, if there were a manual for our students who are old, injured, imbalanced and new; those for whom the intermediate book would be wholly inappropriate. So we decided to expand our endeavor to incorporate a beginning manual that would be suited to those who are new to yoga or physically limited. Simple body movements, use of big muscles, foundational flexibility and coordination.

Bikram's class is technically for beginners, but I never start my students there unless they are young, strong and flexible. Our studies at the Ghosh school in Calcutta and our familiarity with Bose's array of exercises (from editing 84 Yoga Asanas) led us to incorporate some simpler and more therapeutic postures in our beginning book. It is very much in line with the Ghosh lineage, drawing from Bikram, Tony, Bose and the Ghosh school.

MOVING FORWARD
It is uncertain where the path will lead us. We love yoga, we love to help people find health, relief from physical and psychological pain, and relief from stress and anxiety. There are many hurdles that we did not foresee with regards to writing books, selling and shipping them, and becoming slightly wider known than we were before. Right now it feels like an appropriate time to retreat and refocus on our personal practices. Only time will tell.

If you are interested in any of the books, they are available here.