Braja Sorensen | Books

This startlingly original book combines the teachings of Sri Krishna and the sage Patanjali to emphasise the real purpose of yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is actually teaching Arjuna on the battlefield as he addresses the prince’s fears, doubts, and dilemmas. And the questions that Arjuna asks Krishna are as relevant and pressing for the modern reader as they were centuries ago: Why am I suffering? How do I find peace within? How do I comprehend the difference between right and wrong? Who am I, and how do I understand myself? What is the purpose of life?  Living the Bhagavad-gita: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life  presents a lucid analysis of the multiple meanings of the word ‘yoga’ that Krishna teaches in the Bhagavad Gita. The yogic journey is a process of training and refining the mind, senses, and emotions, and the Gita is the finest guide to understanding life, love, and relationships; the body, mind, and senses; and the nature of the soul. Available here

Raj, a cloth merchant’s son from Delhi, lives a contemplative life in the historical town of Sultanpur. He seeks meaning in his rapidly advancing nation, and feels that India’s beauty is locked in the past and forgotten by the consistent desire to imitate the West. Guided by his wise grandfather, Raj sets out to explore the source of all things spiritual, cultural, and poetic, and in a series of spellbinding visits from gods and goddesses, his destiny unfolds. As he learns to be the guardian of the millions of souls who take birth in this land, he must ensure they have a truly spiritual place to call home. And so he comes face to face with the last true evil that roams the earth, the enemy of the world, and the one who has brought emperors to their knees… Of Noble Blood is an enthralling medley of drama, fantasy, and history, celebrating the possibilities of glorious, timeless India. Available here

“The least pretentious diary of life in India I have ever read.”  Farrukh Dhondy, Best- selling author, Rumi: A New Translation Despite how entertaining or exotic one may find other books on India to be, they share the trait of being written by foreigners on a brief journey, an adventure; they often deliver an often incomplete view of a country that is impossible to understand from the surface.  Sorensen moved in, set up house, became a resident in a village on the banks of the Ganges River, and eventually called India home. Her writing swings from the depths of ancient culture, spirituality, and philosophy, through to drunk bathroom repair men and India’s wedding season, and ties it all together with direction, grounding, and an easily-digested reality. Its funny, outrageous, controversial, deep, witty, spiritual, philosophical, and damned entertaining: in other words, it’s India. Available here

A story of a woman’s search for herself in the land of spirituality, India. Adorned with the jewels of eastern philosophy and poetic Sanskrit, her lyrical prose unfolds like a story without a script; a journey from the disappointments of so-called love, to the first scent of eastern wisdom, and finally, the possibility of transcendence... Available here

Short Lives is a simple tale of a simple time: the sixties and seventies in Australia. It is funny, heart-rending, sad, painful, shocking, and outrageous. It is the story of a child’s life—the drama, adventure, small things and big that make a child’s life so unique. But it is told through the voice of the child now grown: a 39 year old woman who learns she has only a few months left to live. As she revisits her life and how it brought her to this point, she captures the essence of the quintessential Aussie child: suburban, sunburned, big cars and family outings, backyard cricket, pets, and daredevil childhood stunts. As only an Aussie could tell it. As only a dying Aussie could deliver it: “This was my life, and it’s ordinariness is the reality. I am nobody, but I’m dying, and this is what it looks like.” It is the story of life and death; an exploration of memories, their impact, their meaning, and how they culminate in who we are at the end of it all. This book will change the way ...

A collection of writings published in various magazines worldwide and online by the author, from fiction to poetry, controversy to philosophical, and a little salt and splash for flavour. Dive in... Available here

Light reading for yogis, bhaktas, babajis, and wanna-bes while traveling to India, and beyond. From the beginnings of the author's own personal spiritual path in a dusty outback town in Australia, India & Beyond starts at childhood and goes from cow protection to Jesus in Denmark, through to ganja smoking holy men, cult religion, spiritual equality, and old age. It records some victories and even delivers some answers, and all of it viewed from front row seats in the Eastern Philosophy grandstand.  Are you game? Available here

Finally, a book that emphasises the sacred love teaching woven throughout the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutra texts.  Drawing from the ancient bhakti tradition they have belonged to for decades, authors Braja Sorensen and Catherine Ghosh  invite the reader to broaden their definition of yoga according to one of the best-kept secrets of the Bhagavad Gita: that although it is set in a war zone, at its core the Gita is essentially a book on love, and yoga is the process through which we connect with, and participate in, that love. Yoga in the Gita offers readers two very different yet complementary voices presenting the same ancient approaches to self-development from both Krishna and Patanjali in practical, philosophically insightful and entertaining ways.  With the first part of the book focusing exclusively on the way Krishna defines yoga in the Gita, and the second half drawing bhakti parallels between Krishna’s teachings and Patanjali’s, the authors offer a captivati...