Who’s that doing his down dog at Walden Pond? Same cat rocking his proud warrior of civil disobediance. You guessed it: Henry David Thoreau, laid back dude and early champion of the simple life. According to Stefanie Syman in her new book The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America, Thoreau was also one of the first Americans to experiment with yoga on this soil.

On Thursday, August 5, at 6 p.m., Syman will be giving a reading from her new book and leading a question and answer session afterward. Find out how we traveled from Thoreau to Jivamukti in her thoughtful exploration of how this ancient spiritual form took root and continues to blossom here. Beverages and snacks start at 5 p.m. The event takes place at 4 Boulder’s End, Chilmark. To get there take Middle road to Tea Lane, drive 0.6 miles on Tea Lane, then take a left onto Boulder’s End. For more information, call 508-696-0807.