Your character is well written – are you too; a yoga teacher?

Thank you for the compliment – I greatly enjoyed bringing Sasha Devine’s character to life. Yes, I trained as a Sivananda Yoga instructor in the beautiful Bahamas in 2001. I taught classes in Auckland for a number of years, but these days I am more focused on my writing and Hot Stone Massage business.

You are well versed in yoga and understand the philosophies of Patanjali can you describe your yoga practice?

Following the time period of my teacher training I was a bit of a ‘yoga compulsive’…had to do yoga religiously every day, often twice. Which was wonderful, but I had an almost obsessive attachment to my practice so, for me, learning balance in all of life has been a wonderful byproduct of my yoga journey in its entirety. Yoga has fundamentally taught me that it is my relationship to my inner self and life that matters most – not how much I can bend like a rubber band. So now I focus more on maintaining my unique life balance and find 3-4 yoga practices a week – long or short – generally keeps me in tune.

When you go to yoga class what do you enjoy most?

Whether I do yoga at home or in a class I enjoy reconnecting with my body and breath. Coming out of my (usually active) mind, dropping into my breath and feeling peace. Really tuning into stillness.

What do you enjoy least?

Honestly? Actually driving to the class and finding a carpark in my home city, Auckland. (chuckle)

Aside from the fact that the book is written using Yoga as a framework within which to tell your story – why else did you choose yoga as this frame upon which to build your story?

Great question, thank you. As a teacher and practitioner of yoga, in the early years I noticed that Western yoga practice seemed more associated with the Asana and Pranayama practice and ‘Limbs’. I always loved the philisophical and broader aspect to yoga, too. Not just the physical. So I had an inspiration to weave all eight of the ‘eight limbs of yoga’ into a modern tale – one that I hope is both entertaining as well as a little educational.

Would you describe yoga as a muse for your work in general?

Not really, I don’t think so. For Her Eight Limbs of Love, yes. But mostly, I’d describe ancient wisdom in general as my muse. I’m a little like a female Indiana Jones on the mental plane!

Do you find yoga opens up creative pathways and dimensions of expression otherwise not so easily accessed?

Absolutely. My creative self began to open up and flourish as yoga became more prevalent in my life. Yoga helped ground me and allow my expansive mind to find form.

If there was one message that you would like readers to get from this book what would it be and why?

Love. What other message matters more? Love. Love yourself, love others, forgive and release the past, and allow yourself full permission to experience and create Joy. Live with totality in every moment – even the uncomfortable places…stay with the process and ‘it too shall pass’.

How does yoga and meditation fit in with your life as a writer?

I can say that it fits in much better during summer than it does in winter! I’m not sure that a winter bear is as concerned with peace and productivity during the cold season. More seriously – as I know many yogis can be – yoga fits in perfectly with being a writer – inner stillness and peace lend themselves extremely well to creativity.

Where does yoga come into the long hours of writing? i.e do you find yourself using pranayam or meditation to settle or focus at the start of a day or restore energy flows when it flags later – do you consciously use yoga as a tool to assist with your writing?

One of my greatest writing challenges is to stop and take a break when in writing flow. I actually need to actively stop and schedule any yogic activity, otherwise I’m like a dog with a bone and can end up walking away from my laptop like a hunchback. I find yoga brilliant for restoration and recalibration, and it’s great after a writing ‘high’, or deep state, to ground and integrate. At home, I go by inner mood in terms of asanas & breathwork…and sometimes I just need to put on some loud music and dance.

I found when reading your book that it could be a great way for someone unfamiliar with yoga to ‘learn’ about yoga without delving into the depths of textbooks in strange Sanskrit terminology – did you intentionally write so people would ‘learn’ more about yoga?

Absolutely. I wanted people in general to understand how broad and relevant the entire yoga blueprint can be for life – whether someone does yoga or not. I guess I’ve endeavored to ‘demystify’ the Eastern philosophical component a little by giving it a very contemporary Western context without including much Sanskrit terminology. Sanskrit can be a little overwhelming for some. And not everyone is drawn to more classical forms of learning or textbooks, particularly for those with a busy lifestyle where a yoga class is crammed into a hectic schedule. Storytelling can convey a huge amount, and my readers can quietly absorb yoga philosophy whilst relaxing over what I hope is an entertaining yarn.

Is this book going to be the first in a series along this line?

At this point I don’t think so. However, in all my novels, I envisage a self-help/ self-development component through utilising wisdom across the ages and creating new/enhanced awareness about our planet and humanity…through entertaining and inspiring, via visonary storytelling.

As a writer you have Book Launches etc …. How did you find people responded to The Eight Limbs of Love at your book launch?

I received tremendous support, particularly from those who had read and loved my first novel, The Bright New Dawn. I guess I had built a level of trust in my writing ability and also some curiosity from my readers – as my books tend to convey many deeper messages behind the guise of a ‘light fiction read’.

In general the reviews have been favourable has anyone found the yoga aspect of your book to be strange or odd, what kind of questions has it given rise to?

In feedback to date, the majority of reader responses have been that they ‘loved’ or ‘greatly enjoyed’ the book, regardless of the yoga component to some degree – and regardless of whether they do yoga or not. Her Eight Limbs of Love is fundamentally a fiction story with yoga philosophy interwoven – not the other way round. Being clear about that in marketing etc helps avoid confusion from anyone expecting an arsenal of Sanskrit or a textbook-like delivery about yoga. That’s not my writing style. I’m very clear about the focus and vision for my novels: Transformational and visionary fiction novels that entertain, inform, inspire and uplift.

Tell us more about your lifestyle and future plans for writing.

My lifestyle is a little eclectic. I endeavor to write mornings and also work around my Stonemassage (Hot Stone Massage) business. I’m currently working on my third novel – which is rather epic in scale, so it’s keeping me very busy.

Do you have any kind of yogic legacy you would like to leave?

Yes. Her Eight Limbs of Love – it was a two year labour of love and, in part, is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to the amazing practice of yoga and expressing gratitude for the many gifts it has bestowed upon me. I can’t help but feel that Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu Devananda would be looking down at me and beaming big smiles – much like their huge portraits did as I swept their old Ashram cottage every day during my teacher training. They wouldn’t judge the how – I suspect they’d just be happy that I’m promoting broader awareness of yoga and self-love in general. That’s called: service to humanity…they would understand this, and I’m pretty certain they’d approve.