Namaste The Hard Way explores the bond between mothers and daughters.
My mother used to chant in Sanskrit in her study before sunrise every morning. Though she died when I was 16—22 years ago—I always hear her voice that way. Off-key, but strangely hypnotic, the language both complicated and pure, reverberating around our house.
Excerpt from the Book
For a kid growing up in Southern Ohio — Bible belt country — the sound was both alluring and repellent.
“What’s your mother doing?” my friends would ask.
“Being a weirdo,” I told them.
Namaste the Hard Way: A Daughter’s Journey to Find Her Mother on the Yoga Mat
Sasha Brown-Worsham is a writer and editor and yoga teacher whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Boston Globe, and countless other publications. She was the lifestyle editor at both Cafe Mom and She Knows Media for many years and was also a staff writer at both publications. Currently, she is a contracted writer for Destination America’s blog, The Hauntist.
My review: 4/5
Sasha had a weird Mom. According to her at least! She doesn’t know how to make braids or cook and is busy studying Sanskrit, being macrobiotic and finding enlightenment in an ashram. So different from the other Moms in the middle of the Bible belt where their family lived.
Her mother taught her yoga, but when her Mom passed away she stopped the practice. Then a running injury brought her back to yoga. And there she grieved her Mom and discovered so much more of herself. Through yoga, she realized how she was much more like her Mom than she realized. She discovered the mind, heart and body connection of yoga.
Another memoir, this year and I was glad that I read it. Sasha’s writing is humorous and heartfelt.
The mother daughter bond is a subject close to my heart as I often struggle to understand my relationship with my Mom, especially after her passing.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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