This weekend, as part of the wonderful literary series at Bernal Yoga, Neal Pollack, writer, yoga practitioner and self titled “hot Jew of the yoga generations” will be sharing his latest creation at Bernal called Stretch, The Unlikely Making Of A Yoga Dude. In this funny, honest and enlightening book, Pollack shares his journey from an unhealthy, highly unlikely yoga candidate to a yogi extraordinaire. In a language that is humorous, self deprecating and deeply touching, Pollack speaks about the trials and inevitable tribulations we come into contact when we’re trying to go into a forward fold as we hear our legs crackle and our back ache. But Pollack makes it, and with great stride, as he falls into while remaining keenly aware of this wild culture of yoga. As John Hodgman points out in a  review of the book,  “Neal Pollack has a well documented history of putting himself into ridiculous positions, but never so literally… If Eat, Pray, Love had been written by a sweaty, aging, male smartass, then that book might be called Stretch, and Elizabeth Gilbert would be named Neal Pollack.”

Come to the reading at Bernal on the evening of the 5th and you may find yourself gleefully going into headstand as you trace the movements of Pollack and his relationship to this practice. It should be lots and lots of fun, especially for those yogi skeptics out there and those new to yoga…