Books
Michael wrote, edited, and contributed to several books that explored the connections between Buddhism, yoga, and social action. Few people have his gift of explaining in contemporary language the profound wisdom of yoga.
The World Comes to You
Notes on Practice, Love and Social Action
These concise, pointed essays by Michael Stone offer essential wisdom on living the yoga and Buddhist paths in the midst of everyday life and in a world full of challenges. Through the overarching themes of practice, love, and social action, Stone addresses the essential questions of: What does daily practice actually look like? Where are you going with your practice? How do you take your practice into your everyday life? How does practice manifest as love? How do you act as a steward of society and live in right relationship with each other and the planet? These essays inspire and guide, appealing to both yogis and dharma practitioners. In this age where we can’t turn away from environmental and political issues, Stone reminds us in a clear and encouraging way that practice is always both internal and external.
Shambhala Publications
July 2019
ISBN: 9781611806113
The Inner Tradition of Yoga, Revised Edition
This wise, accessible guide—now revised and updated—makes the spiritual and ethical teachings of the yogic tradition immediately relatable to our practice on the mat and in our everyday relationships and activities. Stone draws from numerous disciplines—including Buddhism and psychotherapy—to provide an in-depth, completely clear explanation of yogic philosophy, along with teachings on how to work with the conditions of our life and fully appreciate yoga as a practice of being intimate with moment-to-moment reality.
Shambhala Publications
July 2018
ISBN: 9781611805918
Awake in the World
Awake in the World presents the essential insights of mindfulness and yoga, emphasizing the teachings of simplicity and the interdependence of all life. Stone explains that the practices of yoga and meditation are not about escaping reality but about living fully in the here and now, opening to our experience, and gaining access to stillness within the flow of life. The essence of yoga and Buddhist practice is opening the heart—our own and the heart of the world. With that awareness, Stone encourages us to get involved in our communities, to speak out when we see wrongdoing, and to find ways of helping others.
Shambhala Publications
June 2011
ISBN: 9781590308141
Freeing the Body, Freeing the Mind
In this collection of provocative essays by prominent teachers of Yoga and Buddhism, the common ground of these two ancient traditions becomes clear. Michael brought together a group of intriguing voices to show how Buddhism and Yoga share the same roots, values, and spiritual goals. The themes addressed here are rich and varied, yet the essays all weave together the common threads between the traditions that offer guidance toward spiritual freedom and genuine realization. Contributors include Ajahn Amaro Bhikkhu, Shosan Victoria Austin, Frank Jude Boccio, Ari Goldfield and Rose Taylor, Chip Hartranft, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Sarah Powers, Jill Satterfield, Michael Stone, and Robert Thurman.
Shambhala Publications
August 2010
ISBN: 9781590308011
Yoga for a World Out of Balance
Every aspect of our life has a part to play in the greater ecological system, Michael Stone explains in this book. How do we bring this large view to our yoga practice? According to Stone, our responsibility as human beings is to live in a sustainable and respectful way. He says two things need to change. First, we need to understand the relationship between our actions and the effects of our actions. Second, once we see the effect of our actions in the human and non-human world, we need practical skills for learning how to make changes. Using the five principles (yama) described in the Yoga-Sutra attributed to Patanjali, Michael Stone offers a basis for rethinking ethical action and the spiritual path.
Shambhala Publications
September 2009
ISBN: 9781590307052
The Inner Tradition of Yoga
There is more to the tradition of yoga than toning and strengthening. At the root, there is a vast and intriguing philosophy that teaches the ethics of nonviolence, patience, honesty, and respect. Michael Stone provides an in-depth explanation of ancient Indian yogic philosophy along with teachings on how to bring our understanding of yoga theory to deeper levels through our practice on the mat—and through our relationships with others.
Shambhala Publications
August 2008
ISBN: 9781590305690
Family Wakes Us Up
In this intimate, existentially honest and strangely funny book, Michael Stone and Matthew Remski share thirty years of yoga practice and teaching experience between them. They each traveled far and wide to study and practice their contemplative arts—living in campervans in the dead of winter, dusty monasteries in South India, frigid temples in Japan and ashrams in rural America. As they both became expectant fathers, Michael and Matthew began an exchange of deeply personal letters that explore the interweaving themes of their lives amidst teachings from Zen, anecdotes from the yoga mat, observations from meditation and Ayurvedic recipes for postpartum broth.
Authored by Michael Stone, Matthew Remski
Self-Published
October 2014
Out of Print
21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice
Yoga may be rooted in ancient India, but it’s morphed into something new in North America today. Precisely what that might be, however, is difficult to say. With its chameleon-like ability to adapt equally well to advertising, athletics, and ashrams, contemporary yoga is a fascinating phenomenon that invites investigation. Written by experienced practitioners who are also teachers, therapists, activists, scholars, studio owners, and interfaith ministers, 21st Century Yoga is one of the first books to provide a multi-faceted examination of yoga as it actually exists in the U.S. and Canada today.
Includes Our True Nature is Our Imagination: Yoga and Non-Violence at the Edge of the World by Michael Stone.
Kleio Books
September 2012
ISBN: 9780615617602