After 22 years of marriage and 20 years at an ashram in India, two yogis drive from Napa, California to Taos, New Mexico on a spiritual vacation that ends with a stunning transcendent beginning. Set in the pure magnificence of the American Southwest and jointly illuminated by the inner fire of aspiration and spectacular desert sunrises, this singular pair balances laid-back cruising with intensive high-gear sadhana (yogic practice). Just like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, they’re carried through the eternal battle in consciousness that every yogi must face, compelled to stand up against the forces of attachment, attraction, repulsion, desire, ego and delusion—except they’re in a Lexus, not a chariot.
A charming chapter in this ongoing true tale of boy-meets-girl-and-they-surrender-to-an-Enlightened-Master, Yogi Road Trip overflows with practical examples of how to apply timeless yogic techniques to modern life. Synchronized meditations at the Holiday Inn, daily contemplation, detachment in luxury, devotional chanting, shopping without acquiring, fasting, using the intellect to discriminate between eating to fulfill need versus culinary greed, and practicing austerity in the face of indulgence at the "World's Best Destination Spa" (as voted by Travel & Leisure) are a few examples of balancing the pull for sensory experience with the priority of the inexpressible delight of inner awareness.
Packed with insights from the yoga path of the Bhagavad Gita, and 120 color photos, Yogi Road Trip exemplifies the promise of maintaining a wide-open perspective¬—to travel, culture, history and life—and the freedom that comes when we release expectations and embrace the present as a divine gift. Particularly touching are the author's experiences with the Native Americans she meets in New Mexico, and the parallels she finds between their natural spirituality and India's ancient culture. On the return to Napa, driving from vegan restaurant to vegan restaurant en route from Taos to Albuquerque to Ventura to Santa Barbara and through Silicon Valley, by way of California beaches, the book concludes with a deep expository sharing regarding the scope of transformation on the Gita path.
This book speaks directly to seekers, yogis and anyone that has ever felt the inner spark and wondered how to take the next step—or whether they might be crazy for thinking like that in the first place—or sought ways to bring spiritual striving into everyday life in today's frenetic world. Particularly for those familiar with the path of the Bhagavad Gita, Yogi Road Trip inspires expansive conceptual contemplations and action roadmaps from a fresh and energetic experiential perspective, based on the unique revelations of the author's Gurudev that were, for the author, literally life-changing.