Book Review: My Friendship with Yoga by Revathi Raj Iyer

By Deepika Srivastava

My Friendship with Yoga is the inspirational tale of the foray of the author Revathi Raj Iyer into yoga; inspirational because it doesn’t end with just the feel-good factor of yoga, it outlines in detail its practicality too. Her journey begins in Fiji Islands, moves to New Zealand, and finally reaches its home, in India.

Revathi, a book reviewer, is on the panel of Muse India. She also volunteered with the women’s centre in ChristChurch, New Zealand, where she listened to the problems of several women of all age groups, and helped them connect with NGOs to get help. I first met her at a writers’ group meeting. The fact that she practices yoga did not surprise me. From her calm face to her elegant body posture, I wondered what her secret was, until I got to know about this book.

Yoga, considered a highly intellectual, spiritual concept, one which is demanding and needs body flexibility, is simplified and presented here. The jargon associated with it are decoded and made accessible to the common man. There are certain references from the Bhagavad Gita, which might appeal to everyone’s conscience at some level. This is what makes it a book for everyone. But, for someone looking for an in-depth, saintly, and highly intellectual understanding of the subject, it might seem a little breezy. However the combination of the philosophical, psychological and practical aspects of yoga have been captured well in just 185 pages.