The Three Lives of a Czech Yogi ... and Beyond: Volume One: 1925 - 1968

Karel Werners wife convinced him to record his life story on camcorder, resulting in a 46-hour recording that covers his childhood in Jemnice, his work for a German firm in Brno, his doctorate, and his experiences as a tram driver, coal miner, and plumber. He also practiced deep meditation, which helped him during secret police interrogations. His research into Hatha Yoga led to him writing the first book on it in Czech and founding the Yoga Club in Brno.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2023
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Karel Werner's reluctance to write a book about his life was cleverly overcome by his wife, who started interviewing him on a camcorder. She enjoyed hearing about his idyllic childhood in Jemnice, south Moravia, but ended up transcribing 46 hours covering the years up to 1968, when he emigrated. During the war, he worked for a German firm in Brno, then obtained a doctorate and was poised for a professorship at Olomouc University. After the communist putsch in 1948, no teaching jobs were available to him. He became a good tram driver but a less competent coal miner and plumber. Unwittingly, he gave the political commissar a nervous breakdown during his army service, most of which he spent sitting at a typewriter. From his teens, he had been interested in oriental philosophy and was practicing deep meditation, which helped him to stay true to himself during secret police interrogations and at other times of intense pressure. His research into the benefits of Hatha Yoga led to his writing the first book on it in Czech and founding the Yoga Club in Brno, all under the eyes of the communist regime. Before he was deemed to be 'illegally abroad, the book had sold 95,000 copies.

Karel Werner's reluctance to write a book about his life was cleverly overcome by his wife, who started interviewing him on a camcorder. She enjoyed hearing about his idyllic childhood in Jemnice, south Moravia, but ended up transcribing 46 hours covering the years up to 1968, when he emigrated. During the war, he worked for a German firm in Brno, then obtained a doctorate and was poised for a professorship at Olomouc University. After the communist putsch in 1948, no teaching jobs were available to him. He became a good tram driver but a less competent coal miner and plumber. Unwittingly, he gave the political commissar a nervous breakdown during his army service, most of which he spent sitting at a typewriter. From his teens, he had been interested in oriental philosophy and was practicing deep meditation, which helped him to stay true to himself during secret police interrogations and at other times of intense pressure. His research into the benefits of Hatha Yoga led to his writing the first book on it in Czech and founding the Yoga Club in Brno, all under the eyes of the communist regime. Before he was deemed to be 'illegally abroad, the book had sold 95,000 copies.

Weight: 1096g
Dimension: 304 x 219 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803136455