Book Review: Ask Asha by Asha Praver
If you are seeking truth, Ask Asha is the perfect guide. A disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the bestselling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi) for over 40 years, Asha Praver answers questions about spirituality and self-realization in letters to truth-seeking souls in her latest work. The nature of the questions range from the specific to the universal (“How do I overcome negative feelings developed in my nasty divorce? and “When does soul evolution begin?”). With answers to the questions that range from relationships and daily life, to karma and reincarnation, and suffering and bliss, Asha preserves the profound essence of yoga’s ancient spiritual teaching, which shine on each page. The extraordinary clarity, compassion, and wisdom Asha packs into each thoughtful answer make this book valuable and powerful for me personally and for many across the globe.
Asha’s teacher, Swami Kriyananda, asked her early in her life to offer spiritual counsel to those seeking it. Ask Ahsa is an astounding example of why he made this request; her gift is that she makes deep teaching easy to understand. I enjoy re-reading Ask Asha for clarification to questions I have, or issues that my mind tends to complicate or incessantly analyze.
Asha is the spiritual director of Ananda Palo Alto, an intentional spiritual community. She will speak at events at Ananda Los Angeles throughout the year: NayaswamiAsha.org.
Reviewed by Meera Grace Hoon, who teaches therapeutic journaling workshops and is an advocate for survivors of human trafficking. She lives in orange County, practices Kriya Yoga and is an active member of Ananda Los Angeles: writingandconsciousness.com
Melissa Hoon is a journalist currently training to become a Yoga instructor. She is a devoted graduate student of cultural studies and is passionate about her volunteer work, including in Vietnam on medical missions, in New Orleans rebuilding Hurricane Katrina victims’ homes, and in South Africa at a home for abandoned, abused, and neglected children. These experiences have led Melissa to seek a lifestyle of helping and healing, namely through various meditation practices.