Through the lens of Francesco Mastalia and words of the worlds top yoga gurus.

Famed Rhinebeck NY photographer Francesco Mastalia has traveled the world photographing tribal, religious, spiritual, and indigenous people and garnered major success with his astounding photography.

Following the success of his photography books Organic: Farmers & Chefs of The Hudson Valley (2014) and DREADS (1999), Mastalia has released a coffee table book that will take you on a spiritual journey. Yoga: The Secret of Life, as seen featured in the New York Times, is a photo-documentary about the spiritual and physical journey of yoga. Through photographs and text this fine art book explores the personal experiences of 108 of today’s leading practitioners and how this ancient practice has transformed their mind, body, and spirit.

The photographs take on another dimension with the spoken words that accompany them. The text provides an intimate and enlightening account of each person’s personal journey, it tells their personal story how yoga and meditation has guided the,

Beyond the physical postures Yoga: The Secret of Life delves deep into the purpose of our existence and how to live a happy and fulfilled life. It explores understanding who we truly are, why we are here, and what our ultimate purpose is on this planet

“I don’t freeze time. I use time to take a photograph. Time does not sit still. It’s constantly moving… The movement of light appears in the background of the photographs. I think nature plays a big role in the essence of the photograph.” –Francesco Mastalia

Published by powerHouse Books – Purchase your copy here: http://www.francescomastalia.com/

WHAT MAKES THE PHOTOGRAPHS UNIQUE?

The photographs are taken on glass plates using the wet collodion process, a photographic technique dating back to the 1850s. With the use of a large format wooden camera and antique brass lens, glass plates are hand coated to produce one of a kind ambrotype images. The collodion process transcends us to another place, another time. When light and chemistry collide we enter a mysterious world where art and science meet and the alchemy reveals itself. .

WHO’S FEATURED IN THE BOOK?
Included are world renowned yogis Radhanath Swami, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Gurmukh Kaur Khasla, Sri Dharma Mittra, Krishna Das, Tao-Porchon Lynch, Shiva Rea, Rod Stryker, Seane Corn and Rodney Yee

Radhanath Swami is a guide, community builder, activist, and an acclaimed author. He has been a Bhakti Yogapractitioner and a spiritual teacher for more than 40 years.[2] He is the inspiration behind ISKCON’s free midday meal for 1.2 million school kids across India,[3] and he has been instrumental in founding the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai.

Sharon Gannonis a yoga teacher, animal rights advocate, musician, author, dancer/choreographer and painter

David Life- a “spiritual activist,” co-founder of the Jivamukti Yoga studios in New York City.

Gurmukh Kaur Khasla- , is a teacher of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan and a pioneer in the field of pre-natal yoga

Sri Dharma Mittrais a Yoga teacher, and a student of Sri Swami Kailashananda.” He created the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures

Tao-Porchon Lynch, is a 99 year old yoga master and award-winning author. She discovered yoga in 1926 when she was eight years old in India and studied with Sri Aurobindo, B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Swami Prabhavananda, Maharishi Mahesh Yogiand Dr. Roman Ostoja. She still teaches six to eight classes a week in New York, and leads programs across the globe.

Rodney Yeeis an American yoga instructor who rose to national prominence in the early 1990s when he began starring in a series of Gaiam/Living Arts yoga instructional videos and DVDs.

Seane Corn is an internationally renowned Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher and spiritual activist. She is well known for her passionate and inspirational style of teaching and the work that she is involved in throughout the world using yoga for positive social change.