Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude

by Pollack, Neal

• ISBN13: 9780061727696
• ISBN10: 0061727695
• Edition: Original
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-10
• Publisher: Harpercollins

Summary

The hilarious true account of an overweight, balding, skeptical guy's unexpected transformation into a healthy, blissful yoga fiend.Neal Pollack was out of shape. The hair on his head was thinning and the hair on his face was pretentious-traits a New York Times critic gleefully pointed out while panning his second book. Combined with the predestined failure of his punk rock band, it was almost too much for Pollack to bear. He was willing to try anything to get his life back on track . . . even yoga.While struggling to master difficult poses without kicking other yogis in the face, Pollack actually, remarkably, began to feel better, both in body and mind. Soon he found himself immersed in the "weird and circuslike" world of yoga. He participated in a 24-hour yogathon, attended yoga conferences and Asian retreats, went to yoga rock shows, started getting regular assignments for Yoga Journal magazine, and, finally, began teaching yoga classes himself.Stretch mercilessly lampoons the bizarre, omnipresent culture of yoga, but it's also a story of profound personal transformation. Pollack started off mocking yoga. Now he's become one of its most enthusiastic proponents.

Author Biography

Neal Pollack is the author of the bestselling memoir Alternadad and several books of satirical fiction, including The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature and the rock novel Never Mind the Pollacks. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. viii
Introduction: How Did I Arrive at This Ridiculous Place?	p. x
Find a Comfortable Seat
Yet Another Doughy, 35ish White Man	p. 3
Smoothly, and with Ease	p. 20
The Crystalline Center of the Hard Core	p. 38
A Different Kind of Fun	p. 56
Yogathon	p. 73
Too Many Tibetans	p. 83
Rise Out of the Bayou of Your Pelvis
Somebody Seva Me	p. 94
Have Mat, Will Travel	p. 115
On the Cover of Yoga Journal	p. 140
Bikram Begins	p. 172
The Wind Blowing Around Inside of an Idiot
Pack Your Bag, I Don't Need the Ag	p. 190
Karma, Aligned	p. 208
A Great Opportunity to Do Nothing	p. 225
A True Quality Journey	p. 237
At the Feet of the Dude-Ji	p. 252
Ill (Not in a Good Way)	p. 292
Club Sutra	p. 304
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