MEDIA CONTACT: Isabella Michon (415) 898-4838 Im.Media@comcast.net www.andrewharvey.net

North Atlantic Books Talia Shapiro (510)549-4270 ext. 14 tshapiro@northatlanticbooks.com www.yogakaruna.com

Aril 15, 2010 - Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism (North Atlantic Books - May, 2010) by Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson has been proclaimed by the world's greatest spiritual and yoga teachers as the essential next step for the international yoga movement. In a world menaced by nuclear proliferation, constant war, environmental holocaust, and an increasing lack of food, water, and shelter, it is crucial that the yoga movement becomes, as this book proposes, the crucible for a new kind of human being, a human being with an enlightened mind, a sacredly inspired heart, and a divine body. Rodney Yee, called the most sought after Yogi in the U.S., says in his introduction, "There is going to be a quantum leap, jumping from an old paradigm to a completely new understanding. There are necessary techniques and preparations that we must practice to make this transition peacefully and consciously. Andrew and Karuna have written one of the essential manuals that takes us step by step through this threshold."

This book is a sequel to Andrew's The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism (Hay House - September, 2009) which has received great acclaim and which has begun a global movement of Sacred Activism. Sacred Activism is the fusion of the two noblest fires in the human's heart - the fire of the mystic's passion for God, and the fire of the activist's passion for justice. Now, it's time to engender a third fire, which is the fire of love and wisdom in action. In The Hope, Andrew makes it clear that all those who respond to the call for Sacred Activism need to take very seriously the necessity of cultivating a serious sacred physical practice so as to make the whole being strong enough to do the great work of transforming the world through sacred action. The most powerful and widespread sacred physical practice now available to the world is that of yoga which is estimated to have over 30 million practitioners in the U.S. alone. Heart Yoga is a tender and passionate invitation to yoga practitioners everywhere to take their practice to the next level of direct divine self empowerment.

Heart Yoga offers a unique electric and transformative fusion of sacred poetry, meditations from the main mystical traditions that enable the yoga practitioner to embody divine light with a series of yoga postures suitable for all levels of experience. This combination enables the sacred marriage of transcendence and presence, heart and mind, body and soul, deep peace and sacred action. This sacred marriage births five great joys - The Joy of transcendence, the Joy of creation, the Joy of love for all beings, the Joy of the tenderness of Tantra, and the Joy of service. Karuna and Andrew have worked for many years to create inspiring yoga sequences for each joy which enable everybody to fully feel these joys. They also share their own compelling stories of how conceiving and birthing Heart Yoga has begun to transform their own lives.

Karuna and Andrew first met when she was his student. Suffering from debilitating back pain and struggling with weight issues, Andrew was in balance with his heart and soul but not his body. Karuna helped change that. She inspired Andrew to embrace the power of yoga, so that his mind, spirit, and body could become truly aligned. "It is important to practice from our hearts and care for ourselves, each other, our communities and environment in a heartfelt way. When our hearts are awakened, we then act in the world in a compassionate way," emphasizes Karuna.

"Heart Yoga offers, at these chaotic and difficult times, the union of grounded passion and peaceful joy in the core of the body and heart that everyone needs to keep strong, creative, and inspired by love…We need the ancient practices and wisdom of yoga to sustain, inspire, and encourage us to respond in healing ways to the many world crises."



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Andrew Harvey is an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, translator, and spiritual teacher. The author or editor of more than 30 books, he is the Founder and Director of the Institute for Sacred Activism and the author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism of which Elizabeth Lesser wrote "If God created a new curriculum for the human race - one that might ensure our continued place on this planet - I think he would make The Hope required reading." He has taught at many institutions including Oxford and Cornell University. He was also the subject of the BBC documentary The Making of a Modern Mystic. He lives in Oak Park, IL and offers workshops nationwide. www.AndrewHarvey.net

Karuna Erickson directs the Heart Yoga Center. A psychotherapist, she has practiced and taught yoga for 40 years and has trained many yoga teachers for over two decades. She has been endorsed by some of the biggest names in yoga including Rodney Yee who says "Karuna is delighting us with her authentic and intense inquiry into spirit. Her yoga is inspiring." A resident of Nelson, British Columbia, Karuna teaches workshops and retreats all over the world. www.yogakaruna.com

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HEART YOGA:
The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism
By Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson
Price: $17.95 U.S./$21.50 CANADA; Trade Paper; Pages: 280
ISBN: 978-1-55643-897-4
Publication Date: May 4, 2010
North Atlantic Books is distributed by Random House Distribution Services

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