Sacred Fire - My Journey Into Ashtanga Yoga Paperback – Illustrated, 30 Jun. 2012

This book has so much wisdom in it I don't know where to start. I would recommend reading it through at least twice, it can be a deceptively simple read, there are many pearls that are easy to miss if you're not paying close attention.Kino is the living embodiment of the Power of what Ashtanga Yoga can do for any practitioner who truly puts their faith in the method which she was given directly from Sri K Pattabhi Jois and describes as follows."There was and remains a simple method: Posture, breathing and focus-one teacher, one style of yoga, many many years of practice"While the story of how Kino went from a lost partygoing Miami beach girl to become a fully accomplished Yoga Master is fascinating, it is the life lessons she learns along the way and generously shares with us readers that are invaluable in helping to deepen the physical and spiritual practice of the reader. These are the pearls that merit a 2nd reading.Kino frequently encourages fostering an attitude of gratitude and it is clear at several instances during the book that she is grateful for everything she receives, I found the last chapter particularly poignant where Pattabhi Jois had grown more frail and had stepped back from teaching. She describes the immense gratitude she felt towards her teacher, as a token of thanks she goes to a jeweler in Mysore to choose a gift and eventually settles on a gold chain. This gift contained the gratitude, love and devotion she felt for her teacher. The passage where she describes seeing her teacher and giving the gift is heart warming.Anyone who has met Kino knows that she puts her heart completely into spreading the message of Ashtanga Yoga and her dedication is inspiring.This book explains the journey that led her to the discovery that her dharma is to inspire people to delve deep into themselves so they can reap the benefits of the practice of Ashtanga yoga.If you have been practicing Ashtanga for a while, much of what Kino writes here will probably already make sense and resonate with you, as with all good teachers who know their subject well, she explains the concepts simply and elegantly allowing you to frame and fix the concept more easily in your mind, and thus enabling you to re-inforce the idea and internalize it into your daily practice and your life.She has certainly done this for me, I encourage anyone with a hint of an interest in Yoga to read this book..twice! It could be the start of an incredible inner journey, you never know, you could even end up in the Shala in Mysore one day, or in the Miami Life Centre which she created with her husband Tim in Miami!! (as I hope to)In a yoga world where ego can too often rear its ugly head, where yoga practitioners can re-arrange traditional methods and market a new yoga practice as their own concoction of which they become the self appointed guru, Kino humbly and generously dedicates herself to passing on the lineage of Ashtanga yoga honoring the tradition of the practice while making use of new technological innovations like Youtube, facebook and google+ to bring her message of Ashtanga yoga to as wide an audience as possible.In the book, Kino emphasizes that yoga is not something to be measured in terms of postures, the practice is not supposed to be an end in and of itself, instead it provides an honest mirror to the inner world of the practitioner.There is no end to the journey of yoga.As well as tonnes of wisdom, Sacred Fire is a very entertaining story of a girl's transition from lost girl uncomfortable with her body to strong, successful and truly happy Yogi.I laughed out loud on a few occasions, especially where she describes her first ever Ashtanga Led Primary series class in Miami where she's the only newbie in the room with the smelly loaner mat, she somehow gets herself in a panic that the elephant God Ganesh may bust through the walls to remove her obstacles, she perfectly captures the sense of panicy state of mind felt by all new students at some point in a new studio when beginning a new practice and it's refreshing to know that Kino has this in common with the rest of us.She also takes us along on her first and subsequent trips to India which she first made after she saw an image of Jois in a Dream right after finishing Yoga Mala.Along the way she finds herself and also finds a kindred spirit in her husband Tim.One of the most striking things about this book is it's honesty. Kino takes an unflinchingly honest look at herself each step of her journey and shares her deepest personal struggles with the readers throughout, including an insecurity with her body image, the good news is that there is a very happy ending to look forward to!In the book Kino comes across as very grounded and is still very much a American girl from Miami who loves shopping, this makes her very easy to identify with and the ideal ambassador to make Yoga popular with a young western generation.I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Well thank you Universe. I'm honoured to be the first to review this book in the UK!I attended a Kino workshop in London at the end of September and soon after bought this book.You don't have to be into yoga to read and enjoy this book but I would strongly suggest that all yogis who are also able to read, do so.Kino was a wild Miami party girl who found yoga, eventually travelling to Mysore in India to study under the famed ashtanga yoga teacher Pattabhi Jois. She became the youngest western woman to ever gain certification in fact.She also, whilst in India, met the love of her life and this book intertwines a love story with a yoga story.There are eight 'limbs' to ashtanga yoga of which the postures are only one and not even the main one. Most people think yoga is just the bendy stuff and astoundingly more than a few yoga practitioners think so too.Kino follows the full yoga - all 8 limbs - so this book isn't a 'look at me' journal but an inspiration for anyone who wants to be true to their yoga practice and also to anyone who would like a role model to break out from the 'party' zone.

I wholeheartedly agree with Kev's review - you don't have to be into yoga to read this. However, if you're not, you'll be wanting to take up yoga after reading it.Following the seasonal festivities, I can't wait to get properly back to my practice.Kino MacGregor's writing style is easy to read, even when covering more philosophical points. She has extended my understanding of the true sense of yoga and this book is a must read for anyone into Ashtanga."There was and remains a simple method: posture, breathinmg and focus - one teacher, one style of yoga, many many years of practice."It'll also make you want to go to India!

Shorter than expected and not in great quality for a book.

This book is definitely written in Kino's voice, which I like. It is a bit overpriced to me, though - I didn't realise how short it was, and was expecting more. There are also quite a few errors in it. If you can get past those issues, it is a good book to add to any yogi's collection.

An honest account of how Kino started her practice of Mysore Ashtanga Yoga, very motivating. If you love her Youtube videos then you'll love the book.

This book is perfect for anyone practising Ashtanga yoga.Kino speaks to you in an honest, relatable way and there are many times where you can really understand what she issaying through your own experience.This book is a lovely short read, inspiring and will leave you wanting to delve further into your study of Yoga.

This is an interesting read on how Kino became the amazing yogi she is today, and proves that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. I read this on holiday and it inspired me to start learning the primary series when I got home! (previously I had only done Hatha and Vinyasa yoga).