I’ve been reading Yoga Journal on and off for a couple years now, and as much as I enjoyed having a yoga magazine around, there was always something about the articles that left me wanting.

I do think it’s a great, accessible publication with lots of tips and short articles that are perfect for a beginner. However, there was always something too pat, too overly simplistic about its articles and its bite sized, processed nuggets of yogic wisdom for me. Chacun à son goût.

Recently, I stumbled upon a different publication the other day, Ascent.

This is the kind of thing I wanted to see, an exploration of the depths of where yoga can take you. I like the emphasis on service in daily life. In one article, Buddhist Tenzin Palmo comments,

It’s not enough just to sit on your cushion and think may all beings be well and happy and send them lovingkindness. This good feeling has to be taken into actual actions.

There is also a wonderfully titled interview with Jungian analyst, Marion Woodman: I had a marvellous dream about a metaphor machine. A critical point she makes,

In body–soul work, you honour your body because the musculature of the body is going to produce the image. If you do not honour your body, you will not get the deep dreams.

The last issue of Ascent was published in 2009, but there are archives of back issues for you to peruse online. Enjoy!