Tony Tenaglier book argues modern yoga is missing the point

Tony Tenaglier will release In a Rush to Go Nowhere: Finding Savasana on Oct. 20, 2026, with a case that modern yoga may be getting stronger on the mat while losing the stillness and mental calm it was meant to build. The book links yoga philosophy, neuroscience and daily-life practice to ask what happens when yoga leaves the studio.

Why it matters: - Tony Tenaglier’s new book challenges a common trend in modern yoga: physical progress can outpace mental stillness. - The book argues that yoga’s value extends beyond poses and into how people respond to stress, distraction and constant stimulation. - The release adds to a broader conversation about whether studio culture is reinforcing performance over presence.

What happened: - Tony Tenaglier will release In a Rush to Go Nowhere: Finding Savasana on October 20, 2026. - Tenaglier is an author, yoga teacher and psychology researcher with a background in engineering and industrial-organizational psychology. - The book examines how contemporary yoga can produce stronger, more flexible practitioners who still struggle with restlessness and distraction.

The details: - Tenaglier draws on yoga philosophy, psychology, physics and neuroscience to frame yoga as more than physical exercise. - The book centers on Savasana, the resting posture traditionally done at the end of class, as a test of a practitioner’s ability to stop moving and remain present. - Tenaglier writes, “Yoga is a practice to live—not a performance to perfect.” - The book explores Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the idea that yoga calms the fluctuations of the mind. - It also looks at modern studio habits, including music in class, attachment to phones, breathwork, meditation, flow and the growing emphasis on asana. - Tenaglier uses B.K.S. Iyengar’s tree metaphor to place physical postures within the larger eight-limb framework of yoga. - The framework includes ethical principles, self-discipline, breath regulation, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and integration. - The book does not argue for removing modern yoga, technology, music or physical practice. - Instead, it asks whether those habits help practitioners become more attentive and intentional outside the studio. - Personal stories and recurring characters are used to make the ideas accessible to students and teachers. - Chapters end with “Putting It Into Practice” sections that connect the material to everyday moments like traffic, work stress and the urge to reach for a phone. - The book is designed more as an examination of yoga’s role off the mat than as a pose manual. - Additional information and companion materials are available through the book’s website.

Between the lines: - The book’s core argument is that yoga can become disconnected from its original purpose when physical achievement becomes the main goal. - Tenaglier is positioning stillness, awareness and everyday behavior as the real measures of a yoga practice. - The use of science, philosophy and narrative suggests an effort to reach both longtime practitioners and readers who may not connect with purely spiritual or technical yoga writing.

What's next: - In a Rush to Go Nowhere: Finding Savasana is scheduled to release on October 20, 2026. - Tenaglier says the book is intended to help readers and teachers test how their practice shows up beyond the studio. - Companion materials will be posted on the book’s website.