*Disclaimer: I have been kindly gifted a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Life’s Not Yoga is Jacqui Burnett’s first book. This memoir is honest and beautifully written. This story is personal and when something is personal it’s not always comfortable and it takes strength to share your pain. Life’s Not Yoga is divided into three parts: Burning Shame, Burning Bridges and Rising Phoenix. Jacqui starts her story with memories from her childhood and continues to adolescence. She shares her journey from shame, distancing herself from certain people and situations and finally where she rises from the ashes of shame and is transformed into a woman with self-acceptance and a newfound joy for life.
Transformation isn’t easy, it’s painful. While reading, the reader experiences Jacqui’s pain and anger, but also the peace and love she finds after her journey. Through sharing her story, Jacqui is empowering others to deal with their difficulties. This is not a self-help book, this is a self-discovery book.
I have to break everything apart and tear myself to pieces if I am to save myself from the person I have become.
Jacqui Burnett
I have personally learned a great deal while reading this book, finding answers to questions and knowing how to handle certain emotions. As Jacqui writes in her book, “Writing my story has freed me to live beyond my shame, guilt and blame stories“, through this I have learned that we must all write our story, not necessarily on paper, but emotionally. Face the anger, the guilt or whatever it is that is holding you back so that you can be freed to live beyond that anger, shame or guilt. Dealing with emotions is messy, but there’s beauty in it. Jacqui helps the reader to see beauty in this mess and helps redirects our perspective to love, to be love to ourselves and to others.
Readers will be able to relate to Jacqui’s pain and will be confronted with uncomfortable emotions, but by confronting and handling these emotions like Jacqui is showing us, I believe a great deal of healing will take place in many readers’ hearts and lives. Life’s Not Yoga is an inspirational read and definitely a book everyone has to read. It is eye-opening, emotional and empowering. You will not be left feeling the same after reading this book. Jacqui shows us the good and the bad of her life, and she decides to focus on the good. This helps us to realise we can also make the choice to focus on the good, no matter what we have experienced in life.
- PUBLISHED: October 2020
- PAGES: 342
- GENRE: Memoir
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacqui has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa in Industrial Psychology and Economics and a MBA from the University of Witwatersrand, including a semester abroad at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) Erasmus. She is a certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West, and trained as a yoga teacher with Yoga Tree, acquiring both these certifications in San Francisco, California. When not working, Jacqui loves spending time with close friends, writing poetry, reading, hiking, yoga and staying active.
This memoir, Life’s Not Yoga, is Jacqui’s first published book.
#JacquiBurnettAuthor #LifesNotYoga #DaretoBeLove
Willow's Corner 
Love your review…. I was gifted a copy as well, and also for an honest review….
Just received the book…. have to dive in!!
Thank you so much. That’s wonderful! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!