by Baron Baptiste
2004

Some people have issues with Baron Baptiste because he seems so slick. Here is a guy who coaches celebrities, who has sold his Yoga videos on infomercials, who puts together 8-day Yoga "Boot Camps," and who, it is rumored, got a cool 2 million advance for this book and Journey Into Power. The truth is that in this day and age, if you want to get your message out, you can't just be great at your specialty - you also have to be a skilled marketer. This is not a "sad" fact, or something to waste time getting upset over - it just is. And the bottom line is that not only does Baron Baptiste know how to market himself, he's got the substance to back it up. 40 Days to Personal Revolution is about as far from fluff as you can get. Anyone can follow this program, but it takes a truly dedicated soul to complete it from day one to day 40. And those who complete it will earn great rewards in body, mind and spirit.

The book starts off with the "12 Laws of Transformation" - short, inspiring chapters with titles such as "Be Willing to Come Apart" and "Shift Your Vision." Baptiste is really urging you to create an inner revolution, to take risks, to escape from dull complacency, to rediscover yourself. All this is merely a warm up for the main attraction: the 40 day program, which includes Yoga, meditation, diet and, significantly, "Excavation Questions," which demand that you look within and define your truth. Each week has a different theme, starting with Presence and ending with Triumph (along the way you explore Equanimity, Restoration, Centering and more). You're led along gradually, increasing your Yoga and meditation practice as the weeks go by, examining different aspects of your diet (there is no firm meal plan, but each week has its own focus regarding food), and pondering some difficult questions. All of this combined is powerful stuff, and following the direction in this book will give you a clarity and focus that would be hard to obtain elsewhere, especially in just a few weeks' time.

While 40 Days to Personal Revolution is centered around Baptiste's unique style of Vinyasa flow (and the illustrating photographs are stunning), this is so much more than a Yoga program. It really is an invitation to transformation. The fact that Baptiste so boldly puts it out there doesn't lessen its effect any. In fact, it's rather pleasant to see something of value given as much marketing attention as other, lesser items. In the long run, what really matters are results, and if you utilize the material in this book, that will speak for itself.

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