Well, it happened again: I won the lottery! Last week I bought a Powerball ticket in hopes of winning the $325 million prize. I didn’t win at Powerball, but I did hit the jackpot that very same day when a copy of The Poetry of Yoga Volume 2 arrived in my mailbox! (Keep reading for you chance to win a copy of your very own.)

When I received the first volume of this anthology of contemporary yoga poetry, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The book had pages and pages of beautiful poetry about yoga written by modern-day yogis from around the world. With each turn of the page I found inspiration for both my personal yoga practice and the weekly yoga class themes I develop.

Imagine my utter delight when I opened up the second volume to find a quote from my review of the first analogy printed on page six alongside quotes by Shiva Rea, Yoga Journal Magazine, Rod Stryker, and Master Yoga Teacher Andil Palkhivala, to name a few. Woot!

I have not make it through all 325 pages of Volume 2 (I want to slowly savor and enjoy this book), but in just three readings, I’ve already found many poems like the one below that I would like to share and weave into yoga class themes.

Opening to Grace by Terilyn Wyre

From the Poetry of Yoga Volume 2, page 44

In my practice

in my life

I have planted seeds of hope

been rooted in faith

witnessed the tender new growth

of my awareness

and tended to my practice

like a master gardener

honoring every tight little bud

beginning to emerge

Only when I began to serve

did my yoga blossom

Petal by petal unfolding

Opening to grace

I no longer seek the perfect pose

An end result

the skilled gardener, a prized bloom

I honor the flaws, frayed edges,

dark spots, shadow side

fragmented reflection of light

And another petal unfurls

Opening to grace

I till the soil and gather the seeds

of knowledge to offer my community

A wisdom beyond my own

with my authentic voice

To be of service, to learn and teach

We weed our gardens and mindfully plant our intentions

To witness our physical bodies and minds

Yoking with the subtle energetic body

We yearn for the light

Like wildflowers and stately trees

Shrubs, moss and climbing roses

Opening to grace

The Poetry of Yoga Volume 2 is a project of love edited by author, documentary filmmaker, musician, poet, peacemaker, and yoga teacher HawaH. It consists of 206 poems submitted from toga teachers and students from around the world. Originally the plan was to release one book of poetry, but the power of social media sky-rocketed HawaH’s call for entries, and he received over 1,900 pages of poetry from 19 countries. Thankfully, the decision was made to create not one but two volumes to share these submissions, which express the modern-day collective consciousness of the yoga community. If you would like to learn more about the poets (which include folks like MC Yogi, Ana Forrest, David Newman, and Sean Corn), or just want to know how HawaH was ever able to cull down all those entries, please check out the official Poetry of Yoga website.

How to Purchase: Volume 1 is currently available, and the second volume goes on sale today 12/12/12. You can purchase the books from The Poetry of Yoga website, and when you do, you will not only score an awesome book of poetry – you’ll also be doing a good deed. When either volume of The Poetry of Yoga is purchased, 50 percent of proceeds are donated to the non-profit organization One Common Unity, which provides inner-city youth programs that teach peace education and the building of a non-violent culture through music and art.

How to win your own Yoga Poetry Jackpot: To celebrate the release of the second volume, the Daily Downward Dog has two copies of The Poetry of Yoga Volume 2 to giveaway, courtesy of HawaH. To enter, please leave a comment below and do one or several of the following:

• Like Poetry of Yoga on Facebook
• Copy and paste this to either Facebook or Twitter:  The Poetry of Yoga Vol 2 available 12/12/12. Purchase yours now at http://bit.ly/X8R7Qx & enter to win a free copy here http://bit.ly/QUEt9q
• Don’t do the Facebook or Twitter thing? Send an email to a fellow yoga friends with a link to this article and tell them about The Poetry of Yoga.

The deadline for entries is 12/21/12 at noon ET, when two lucky winners will be randomly selected to win a copy of The Poetry of Yoga Volume 2 (that is, if the world doesn’t end).

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the yoga lover in your life, or just want to support a great cause, please visit The Poetry of Yoga website and pick up a copy of this inspiring and lovingly crafted book.