Friday, July 12, 2013

Book Review: Where in the OM Am I?

By Tracey Meyers

Almost five years ago I bought a yoga mat with the intent to wake-up every Saturday morning for a 8:30 AM yoga class held at my apartment building's gym.  As many of you know where good intentions typically lead, I only attended the class once.  It's not that I didn't like yoga, it was that I felt sleeping-in on a Saturday morning was more important than dragging myself out of bed to workout.  Five months ago, I attended a Monday, 7:15 AM yoga class at a gym right down the street from where I work.  Since then, yoga has become a regular part of my life and ironically a regular part of my morning routine two days a week.  AND after only a few months, I found myself wanting to attend yoga class more then twice a week and the idea of one day becoming an instructor has popped into my mind.

With the hope that this doesn't sound too cliché, getting the chance to read Where in the OM Am I? by Sara DiVello seemed like perfect timing only the universe could have arranged.  Beside having a similar educational background and professional aspirations as Sara, I also share a love of yoga and an interest in the process of becoming an instructor.  I was interested in getting an inside look into what drove her to become a yoga instructor and the journey she took to get there.

What I found when I peeked between the covers of this book was not as smooth karmic journey as you might think one's path to yoga bliss would be.  Instead, it was a bumpy road filled with ups and downs.

I really loved how Sara is candid about her experiences with yoga instructor training and trying to balance her corporate Public Relations career, as well.  I could feel how hard it was for her to balance the two worlds while the transition was taking place.  Additionally, I could also feel her struggle with taking something that was once an escape from reality and making into something she did for a living.  One of my favorite lines in the book reads, "Previously, yoga had been my place of refuge and respite.  Now, between the perpetual workshops, ensuring self-study, homework, and required class, yoga was starting to feel strangely like work."

I picked that quote specifically to point out a misconception many have about turning a hobby into a paid venture.  I believe Sara very eloquently captured the idea that in theory something that we enjoy doing would be nice to pursue as a career as long as we recognize that by doing so it will in fact at some point require work like our regular job does.

I commend Sara for leaving her established career as a Public Relations professional and pursuing her dream of becoming a yoga instructor. 

Regardless if you practice yoga or not, Where in the OM am I? is a delightful read and various themes that many can relate to. From the humorous and serious aspects of corporate life to finding the right path for oneself, the book offers up something for anyone who's ever gone on a journey of their own to find themselves.

Thanks to BookSparks PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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3 comments:

Connie said...

I have never gotten into the yoga arena, however, this novel does sounds like fun. Looking forward to reading about Sara's journey to become what she was evidently meant to be.

Sara DiVello said...

Tracey: Thank you for an incredibly thoughtful, introspective, well-written review! Knowing that you connected with the message of the book on such a deep level (and enjoyed it!) is so rewarding.

Good luck with your own teacher-training journey! I hope it is far less bumpy than my own :) I'm sure it will be. But definitely message me (I'm on FB and Twitter) if you have any questions or just want to talk it through!

xoxo,
Sara

Sara DiVello said...

Connie: Thank you! I hope you enjoy it! :)
xoxo,
Sara