A new book, Kripalu Yoga: A Guide to Practice On and Off the Mat, details how to practice yoga from the inside out. Written by Richard Faulds, a former Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health resident and president, this latest and most detailed book from the Massachusetts-based retreat center defines a difficult-to-describe practice based on loving self-observation, asanas, and awareness of energy, food, consciousness, and yogic ethics.

After a first section that delineates the basics of this deliberate, heart-centered method, Faulds leads readers through two sequences: a “sun flow” and a “moon flow.” Though it’s a little frustrating that he doesn’t explain the differences of each (it appears the former is more dynamic than the latter), several photos and useful instructions accompany each pose. Following are chapters on Kripalu’s spin on things like health, prana, purification, witness consciousness (the part of your mind that watches you watching), meditation-in-motion (a core tenet of the practice), and inner growth. In the back of the book an “Evolving Your Practice” section features more asanas and descriptions for poses that include core strengtheners, backbends and inversions. All of it makes for a comprehensive, if slightly disjointed and generic, guide for yogis of all levels.

Over a decade ago, I spent a lot of time at Kripalu as a resident, student, and cook, which is why it’s warming to see essays here by familiar names. Kripalu’s senior teachers expound on topics like deep meditation, yoga and depression, and integrating yoga with activism, often alluding to the center’s rich and storied history. These honest, knowing voices sprinkled throughout capture the essence of what I’ve always loved about Kripalu yoga. On page 15, a quote by student Kim Childs says it all for me: “The teacher…said, ‘Don't abandon your body.’ Well, I looked down at my leg and realized that I'd been estranged from my body for most of my life. I thought, ‘Who are you? What are you? How are you?’ At that moment, I knew that my body had been waiting all these years for my attention and love.”