ON BEING HUMAN

An inspirational speaker and yoga instructor shares her life story along with motivational tips and exercises from her popular workshops.

Over the past several years, Pastiloff has built an abundant international following for her On Being Human workshops, inspiring retreat gatherings in which she offers a fusion of yoga movement, motivational writing, and communal sharing. In her debut memoir, she digs into the significant life events that led her to this unusual entrepreneurial opportunity. She reflects on childhood and family dynamics, personal losses, past boyfriends, her struggles with depression and increasing hearing loss, and day-to-day encounters while waitressing at a restaurant in Los Angeles. Though her career steps may seem unremarkable on the surface, the author stresses her evolving talent for remaining receptive and present throughout these experiences, enabling her to recognize beautiful moments as they occur. “It was there at the restaurant that I first began to pay attention to the beauty, because if I hadn’t, I would surely have killed myself,” she writes. “The landscape of self-loathing I traversed was so treacherous that the only thing that could have possibly saved me were those moments of beauty I hunted—accidentally at first, and then deliberately, and in earnest.” In recounting her stories and her various emotional states, Pastiloff’s prose is occasionally overwrought. Though her followers will surely relate to most of the author’s stories, newcomers may find her style heavy-handed. Eventually, after training to become a yoga instructor, Pastiloff began to find her calling, and elements of her platform emerged. At this midway point in the text, the narrative gains more energy and substance. Though still reliant on feel-good aphorisms—chapter headings include “Embracing Change” and “Make Room for the Possible and the Impossible”—the author ultimately clearly conveys her authentic intentions. By the end, many readers will admire her tenacity and open-hearted mission.

For self-help fans and seekers of self-empowerment, this is an inspiring memoir with tips for overcoming and maybe prospering from the chaotic or disappointing elements that comprise an imperfect life.