Tony Wolff

“In your life, please emphasize the means, not the goal.”
-TKV Desikachar”

Lightening Up: The Yoga of Self Acceptance is at Henry Miller Library or the Phoenix Shop at Nepenthe in Big Sur, Bookshop Santa Cruz, on the West Coast, or Malaprops Boodstore and Cafe and Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, available at Amazon and all the ebook retailers, or you may download the free .pdf version.

The book, this site, plus my teachings and workshops are dedicated to the proposition that only by accepting oneself openly, honestly, and completely is it ever possible to map a correct course of change leading to increased well-being.

Perhaps the most fascinating paradox of transformation is that change is only possible with the acceptance of no change. Yet our particularly American version of yoga often embraces the importance of physical “improvement” as the key to progress. One moves from Beginner through Advanced by increasing levels of flexibility and strength and the facility to execute predetermined alignments. The Yoga of Self Acceptance is also about building strength and flexibility, but it is strength and flexibility of the “self-trust muscles.”  Through a keen awareness and acceptance of what is, intuition is fostered, well-being is enhanced and the appropriate change for your unique body becomes clear.

Self-Acceptance is not about being a couch potato. Yoga is about effort, but it is about right effort, the kind of effort that is without strain, self criticism or desire to achieve some external image of a “better” body. Most of all, it is the effort to pay attention to what “is”, not to what you hope, fear, or imagine.

“Abandon all thoughts, then
don’t think of anything.”
—Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
(4.57), 14th century CE