An experiential guide to unpack yoga for newbies.
“Our world does not seem to be the superficial and shallow one that I had understood before,” writes author Osirian, a
yoga practitioner born and raised in Japan. Believing that he needed a complete break from the materialistic world to
pursue a higher calling, Osirian became a monk, although he eventually left monastic life. Osirian began practicing yoga in
1992, exploring its theories almost entirely on his own. The author notes that he’s “not a highly accomplished yoga
practitioner” and bases the book on his personal experiences and insights, giving the work a memoirlike voice and feel.
The book also draws on the wisdom of spiritual masters, such as the Buddha, Jesus Christ, Kukai, Dogen, Linji, and Patrul
Rinpoche. The guide will be an eye-opener for readers accustomed to viewing yoga as merely a set of physical exercises
intended to help them lose weight, improve stamina, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility. The author presents a
conceptual framework and vocabulary to facilitate understanding of yoga’s effects on the body and mind. He defines the
“subtle body” as a body made of energy that is closely related to both the mind and physical body. Yoga can alter this
subtle body, improving one’s physical health. Osirian writes about energy channels, called nadis, which run throughout the
subtle body, carrying prana, “an energy fluid that carries life force and can be viewed as something like wind,” and
introduces readers to chakras, or energy centers (Osirian cautions against mistaking chakras for the nerve plexuses of the
autonomic nervous system).
Readers are encouraged to explore ways of knowing that may challenge their belief systems. “It seems to me that things
and spaces carry something more subtle than what we can easily perceive with our five senses,” he writes. He notes that
he once viewed science as “absolute truth” and didn’t believe “in the existence of God, gods, goddesses, or spiritual
worlds.” He proposes that one can catch a glimpse of heaven, described as “a bright place” directly above the human
world, in the here and now by practicing yoga rather than waiting for it in the afterlife. After leaving the evangelical church,
Osirian explored the Buddhist idea of heaven, which he describes as having six levels that “are incorporated as orders into
the human world on earth where we live.” Written for new yoga practitioners, the manual aims to be “a yoga textbook” that
will enable readers “to easily grasp the basic essence of yoga, which is often omitted in other books on the market.”
However, this claim is a bit misleading. The book doesn’t discuss The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a foundational text for
yoga practitioners, in detail. Also, the multiple references to Hindu, Buddhist, Indian, Tibetan, and Japanese knowledge
systems and practices can feel like an information overload. Throughout, Osirian emphasizes that “the altruistic heart” has
a significant place in yoga, highlighting an important aspect of a practice that nurtures collective well-being. Copious
endnotes lead readers to various helpful primary texts.
An impassioned but meandering guide that blends theory with practice.
— Kirkus Reviews
This book review was first published on the Kirkus Reviews website on September 27, 2025 (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joseph-osirian/true-location-of-heaven/).