SKU: 20308976081

The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America

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The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in AmericaIn The Subtle Body, Stefanie Syman tells the surprising story of yoga's transformation from a centuries old spiritual discipline to a multibillion dollar American industry. Yoga's history in America is longer and richer than even its most devoted practitioners realize. It was present in Emerson's New England, and by the turn of the twentieth century it was fashionable among the leisure class. And yet when Americans first learned about yoga, what they

In The Subtle Body, Stefanie Syman tells the surprising story of yoga's transformation from a centuries-old spiritual discipline to a multibillion-dollar American industry.

Yoga's history in America is longer and richer than even its most devoted practitioners realize. It was present in Emerson's New England, and by the turn of the twentieth century it was fashionable among the leisure class. And yet when Americans first learned about yoga, what they learned was that it was a dangerous, alien practice that would corrupt body and soul.

A century later, you can find yoga in gyms, malls, and even hospitals, and the arrival of a yoga studio in a neighborhood is a signal of cosmopolitanism. How did it happen? It did so, Stefanie Syman explains, through a succession of charismatic yoga teachers, who risked charges of charlatanism as they promoted yoga in America, and through generations of yoga students, who were deemed unbalanced or even insane for their efforts. The Subtle Body tells the stories of these people, including Henry David Thoreau, Pierre A. Bernard, Margaret Woodrow Wilson, Christopher Isherwood, Sally Kempton, and Indra Devi.

From New England, the book moves to New York City and its new suburbs between the wars, to colonial India, to postwar Los Angeles, to Haight-Ashbury in its heyday, and back to New York City post-9/11. In vivid chapters, it takes in celebrities from Gloria Swanson and George Harrison to Christy Turlington and Madonna. And it offers a fresh view of American society, showing how a seemingly arcane and foreign practice is as deeply rooted here as baseball or ballet.

This epic account of yoga's rise is absorbing and often inspiring--a major contribution to our understanding of our society.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Farrar Strauss & Giroux-3pl
Published: 05/24/2011
ISBN: 9780374532840
Pages: 390
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.10d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 06/05/2011 pg. 52
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SKU: 20308976081

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Shaienne
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
EXCELLENT QUALITY
Size: Medium 20", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog
I have a German Shepherd/Pointer mix who is 10 months old. He has been in the throes of teething and destructive exploration. He's chewed up clothing and shoes. He chewed a hole in our couch and one in our brand new mattress (He was never left home alone until this point but as my mother came to visit and my boyfriend was back at work, I had no choice but to trust him alone for about an hour a day for 3 or 4 days... he clearly didn't earn that trust). He loves ropes because he can gnaw them, whip them around, and play tug of war or fetch with them at any given time. We love ropes because they keep him occupied and relieve his desire to chew things. Unfortunately, he was destroying rope after rope after rope. Some ropes were worrisome because they would quickly start fraying and falling apart. We would have to help remove strings he has swallowed from his behind while he was out doing his business... My boyfriend's mother picked up a Mammoth TireBiter tire and rope toy for him but it was much too small. Still, he loved it and it stood up very well to his chompers despite being way too small/weak for him. Looking for a larger version of the Mammoth TireBiters, I stumbled across this rope toy and gave it a shot. Let me tell you, I don't think I will ever buy rope toys from any other brand! We have had this rope for over a month and it is still going strong. It does show some small signs of wear and tear but you would swear we bought it last week. It is very strong and durable. It has held up through many long gnawing sessions. It has been put through countless hours of fetch and tug of war with no signs of giving out any time soon. I am so in love with this rope and so is my pup!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020
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Lilly
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Good quality
Size: Mini 10", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog
Small but good quality
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
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Amazon Customer
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 3
Only for tug-a-war play.
Size: Small 15", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog, Size: Small 15", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog
This should only be advertised as a tug-a-war dog toy. I gave the toy to our 6 month old puppy and in, not even, an hour it was ripped apart. He’s not big enough for the larger ones yet. Not sure if I’ll try the next size larger.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026
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Beka
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Definitely worth the price
Size: Mini 10", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog
Not for heavy chewing. This rope is light and not as rigid as the others. My dog prefers this one over her other ropes and plays with it much more.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026
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Krystal
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Good for Puppies
Size: Small 15", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog, Size: Small 15", Style: 3 Knot, Pattern Name: Dog
Puppy loves it. It has kept up with her chewing so far even though it is fraying
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026

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