Notes on Yoga is written by Diane Long and Sophy Hoare outlining the method of yoga taught to thereby Vanda Scaravelli, offering instructive advice for practising asana,challenging many preconceptions about Yoga.
Diane and Sophy have been teachers for many years. In this book they provide a direct and illuminating insight into their work and practice. Written from the perspective of both student and teacher, it is a unique and indispensable guide for anyone interested in this approach to yoga.
Between 2013 and 2017, I worked on the editing and design of a yoga book. ‘Notes on Yoga, the legacy of Vanda Scaravelli’ by Diane Long and Sophy Hoare, was finally published by Pinter and Martin, London in February 2017 and is already in its second edition.
Working on the book has been a valuable experience to which I was able to bring some of the qualities which I have been honing in my own work and teaching, under a very different set of circumstances.
Working with the authors on the text, developing a professional relationship with the publisher and also sourcing and making some key illustrations has been tremendously interesting.
Notes on Yoga is an unusual yoga book, as it is written both from the persepctive of student and teacher. The authors, both taught by the founder of this particular yoga, Vanda Scaravelli, vividly recount their experiences. As teachers themselves, this book gives instructive advice towards a regular yoga practice.
One of the aspects of the book is a continuous experimentation in order to find different and new ways to practice Asana. This approach refects concerns in my own work. The learning experience is on-going, fresh and always brings to the surface new questions.
I was asked to make the informal accompanying black and white photographs, which show the playful and responsive attitude towards the practice.
The authors needed the visual form of the book to reflect the writing in both ideas and attitude and this is what we brought to the process. “Our words have been made into a beautiful book.” - Sophy Hoare and Diane Long.
‘Notes on yoga’ is a manual. The front of the book shows my studio during the process of working towards a possible cover design. Interestingly, in the end, it best expressed the ideas and spirit of the book.
The design and visual concept for the book was a collaboration with my friend and artist, Lise Bratton, with whom I have worked before on two catalogues of my own work.
