The Tigress and the Yogi The Sadhana Trilogy, Book One / Volume 1

A talking tigress.A wandering yogi.A young woman's harrowing journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike.A tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, and as she flees in terror, she stumbles upon an irascible old yogi. Though she is an Untouchable and her very shadow may pollute the holy man, she offers him hospitality, and he accepts, repaying her kindness with stories that awaken her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge. Soon after he leaves, she is brutally orphaned and enslaved, but the Devi, the Mother Goddess, appears as the warrior goddess Durga and offers her hope. As time passes, Mala, with the Devi's help, gains the courage and strength to fight for her freedom.Thus begins her quest for liberation, on which she meets gods and goddesses, high-born Brahmins and lowly keepers of the cremation grounds, outlaws and kings, and young Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who is prophesied to become the Buddha. She finds happiness for a brief moment, but when she again loses everything, she becomes an outlaw warrior who worships the dark goddess, Kali. She descends into madness and misuses the supernatural powers the goddess bestows, and when she again encounters the old yogi, she must decide whether to continue on the path of bloody vengeance or seek transcendence through the power of yoga.The Tigress and the Yogi is a historical fantasy that brings to life the vivid mythical world of ancient India and transports the reader to the Buddha's time in a story filled with love and fear, anger and desire. This visionary novel creates a memorable portrait of a powerful woman, her extraordinary daughter, women, and the men they challenge and inspire. It examines the yearning for spiritual transformation and inner peace, and the ways in which the pursuit of wisdom and compassion can go terribly wrong.Winner: 2016 Visionary Fiction IPPY Award. Scroll up and grab a copy today. A talking tigress. A wandering yogi. A young woman's journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike.When a tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, she flees in terror, only to collide with an old yogi. She offers him shelter, and in return, he spins wondrous tales and awakens her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge.Thus begins her quest for freedom, on which she meets gods and goddesses, outlaws and kings, and the young prince prophesied to become the Buddha. At first, her journey leads to happiness, but when she loses everything she loves, her quest goes terribly wrong. She descends into darkness, worshipping a dark goddess and mastering occult powers. Yoga's path could lead her back to the light, but inner demons guard the way, and she must summon the courage to face them.". . .fascinating reading for anyone remotely interested in Eastern religion and culture. . .With a strong and graceful writing style, Schanfield combines spirituality and action in a way that's consistently compelling. . .an impressive debut. . ." Blue Ink Reviews"With its violent, pulsating, and raw sensuality, this story of a heroine from the edges of Buddhist traditions appeals to the senses.. . . Schanfield's portrayal of the feminine aspects of the divine is highly potent. . ." Patty Comeau, five stars, Foreword Clarion Reviews. --Provided by publisher A talking tigress. A wandering yogi. A young woman's journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike. When a tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, €she flees in terror, only to collide with an old yogi. She offers him shelter, and in return, he spins wondrous tales and awakens her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge. Thus begins her quest for freedom, on which she meets gods and goddesses, outlaws and kings, and the young prince prophesied to become the Buddha. At first, her journey leads to happiness, but when she loses everything she loves, her quest goes terribly wrong. She descends into darkness, worshipping a dark goddess and mastering occult powers. Yoga's path could lead her back to the light, but inner demons guard the way, and she must summon the courage to face them." & ascinating reading for anyone remotely interested in Eastern religion and culture & ith a strong and graceful writing style, Schanfield combines spirituality and action in a way that's consistently compelling & n impressive debut & €Blue Ink Reviews"With its violent, pulsating, and raw sensuality, this story of a heroine from the edges of Buddhist traditions appeals to the senses. & Schanfield's portrayal of the feminine aspects of the divine is highly potent & Patty Comeau, five stars, Foreword Clarion Reviews A talking tigress. A wandering yogi. A young woman's journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike. A tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, and as she flees in terror she encounters an old yogi. She offers him hospitality, and the stories he tells awaken her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge. Thus begins her quest for freedom, on which she meets gods and goddesses, outlaws and kings, and the young prince prophesied to become the Buddha. When she loses everything she loves, she must choose between bloody vengeance or transcendence through the power of yoga. This book transports the reader to a vivid mythical world filled with characters who are archetypal and real. It examines the longing for spiritual transformation and inner peace, and the ways in which the search for wisdom and compassion can go terribly wrong. A talking tigress. A wandering yogi. A young womans journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike. A tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, and she flees in terror only to collide with an old yogi. She offers him shelter, and in return he spins wondrous tales and awakens her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge. Thus begins her quest for freedom. On her journey she meets gods and goddesses, outlaws and kings, and the young prince prophesied to become the Buddha, but when she loses everything she loves, her quest goes terribly wrong. She descends into madness, worshipping a dark goddess and mastering occult powers. Yogas path could lead her back to the light, but inner demons guard the way, and she must summon the courage to face them or wander in darkness forever.