Ancient yoga texts don’t have a whole lot to say about where to place your hands or your feet, but they do offer plenty of instruction on where to place your heart.
The standards prescribed by Patanjali—and translated thousands of years later on countless Lululemon bags—are nothing if not seductive. Compassion. Truth. Discipline. Gratitude. Contentment. It’s what we all want to embody, is it not?
Indeed—and what started as a way for seasoned yoga teacher Winifred Wilson to see the country-and to grow closer to the man she’d called her partner for a decade-turned into the most unexpected trip of all. A profound voyage within, and the surrender of everything she once deemed true, necessary, and valuable.
Downdog for Roaddogs: Yoga for Rock-and-Roll Tours (And Other Cosmic Journeys of the Heart) is the result of her life-changing excursion, In each of the book’s fourteen essays, a virtue alchemized from theory to practice while out on the wide, open road of America. Each piece is paired with an archetypal rock-and-roll song and the specific pose that allowed her to feel, and exemplify, these qualities. Ranging from Vulnerability to Kindness to Surrender—and shifting from “Feelin’ Alright” to “Landslide” to “Dream On”—each essay operates as a blend of yoga philosophy, rock lore, autobiography, and asana, and cover an array of eminently relatable issues, including addiction, divorce, aging, money, co-dependency, and perfectionism. At the crux of each essay lies a lesson on how we can find ease and contentment when the ground beneath us is constantly moving.
Downdog for Roaddogs: Yoga for Rock-and-Roll Tours (And Other Cosmic Journeys of the Heart) is built for the busy, modern reader, allowing people to pick and choose essays that might resonate with them at a certain time, or to read the narrative from start to finish.
Whatever the reader elects, she’s bound to leave Downdog for Roaddogs that much wiser, buoyant, and enlivened—and that much closer to realizing that how we are loving is how we are living.
reader
reviews
“Reading Winifred Wilson’s book makes you feel you’ve just eaten a great bowl of chicken soup! The way she brings you into her life and tries to help others find peace is beautiful and effective. Some never find the door to start the journey to compassion but she might help you find the key. For anyone searching for joy in this wild and confusing world, Downdog for Roaddogs can help you. It’s the quiet pond in the middle of a storm.”
– “Supermensch” Shep Gordon, talent manager, film agent, and producer
“Dear Readers!!! You must have this fantastic magical book, full of pages that are upon every turn , opened up to new insightful ways into ... “God knows“ for me, having literally spent my life in the road, this read has taken some broken memories of those years and has, in some instances, turned those memories upside down into moments of, after this read, magical life lessons that I now hold close to my heart!! Winifred I love you and love this book Downdog for Roaddogs. It is your song that will stand the test of time!!”
– Mick Fleetwood, musician, actor, co-founder of Fleetwood Mac
“Winifred Wilson’s Downdog for Roaddogs: Yoga for Rock-and-Roll Tours (And Other Cosmic Journeys of the Heart) is a delight to read—and very insightful. Reading this book one can experience how each of the yoga postures can be practiced not only physically but also spiritually, in any place and at any time, leading to life-changing experiences. I would be surprised if this book did not enchant everyone interested in any aspect of yoga.”
– Ravi Ravindra, Author, The Wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
“Winifred and I are fellow Roaddogs. Cut from the same bolt , we are not unlike puppies, who, when car keys are jingled, start to leap around the room in anticipation of going in the car! We both can say we live on a bus, sleep in a bed that moves, and (sometimes) share a toilet with six men. This can be at times ... daunting. In her book Winifred manages to capture the thrill of a rock and roll tour, the excitement of being onstage, and the challenges of day to day living out of a suitcase. Her catharsis and transformation through movement and yoga make Downdog For Roaddogs an eye opening and compelling read.”
– Sheryl Cooper, dancer, award winning choreographer, co-founder of Solid Rock Teen Center
Downdog for Roaddogs is a true story of a yogi's life on the rock and roll road she shares with husband, long time musician, Dave Mason. I first met Winifred ten years ago and was impressed by the great vision she had for teaching and sharing the benefits of a yoga led life with as many people as possible. I was particularly impressed by Winifred's soulful kindness and her desire to help bring yoga to those in the addiction recovery community to help heal and nourish their bodies and soul. I encouraged her to do it, agreeing that this community would benefit greatly by her vision. Yoga Blue, a yoga program for recovery was the result, and Winifred's dream became a gift for many seeking a new way of living.
In this book, she describes integrating and sharing yoga and the principals of peace and harmony with another type of warrior: the road warrior. While dealing with the insane life backstage and on the tour bus she called home, she describes finding her true self through yoga, love, life, the people she met along the way---and the power of music. Finding this balance is a key to a healthy life. Winifred gives positive direction and advice to help to heal the heart and soul...”
– Michael Bolton, Grammy & American Music Award winning singer/songwriter
“Winifred Wilson is the real deal. Many of us study the yogic principles, but Winifred embodies them. Downdog for Roaddogs take us through humorous, yet heartbreaking explorations of real-life relatable scenarios. The wisdom Winifred shares transforms ancient yoga concepts into practical guideposts for people living in the modern world.
Her stories are compelling, funny and engaging to the point that you almost forget that you’re learning yoga—until suddenly you are hit with the truth. Winifred presents lessons steeped in wisdom that only lived experience and inner sight can produce. Like a master weaver, she pulls on the threads of asana, philosophy, the poetry of song, and the vulnerable grit of life to create a beautiful text that both entertains and educates.
Downdog for Roaddogs is wildly entertaining, but it is also an important yogic text—one that reminds us that yoga is ultimately a practice of relationship, clear vision, truth, and love.”
– Lisa West, Author, Follow the Feeling: A Roadmap to Emotional Freedom
“Not surprised Winifred has written a revolutionary book about yoga as a way of life no matter what your life is in this present moment. This will become a dog-eared book for many on the road of life.”
– Founder of Desk Yogi and Punk Wellness, Jacqui Burge
“Incredible…Life on the road is not as easy and glamorous as it looks, but if there’s one person who makes it look effortless, it’s Winifred Wilson.”
– Cris Sommer Simmons, Author, The American Motorcycle Girls, co-founder of Harley Women
"A yogi's quest for self-discovery and equanimity. Downdog for Roaddogs is a love story that shines."
– Lisa Genova, Author, New York Times Bestseller Still Alice