Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga


Rolf Gates - 2002
    The 365 meditations incluided in this book offer a way to integrate the mindfulness that yoga teaches into everyday life. Whether used in the morning to set the tone for the day, during yoga exercise itself, or at the end of the day, during evening reflection, Meditations from the Mat will support and enhance anyone’s yoga journey.

2,100 Asanas: The Complete Yoga Poses


Daniel Lacerda - 2015
    Organized into eight sections for the major types of poses -- standing, seated, core, quadruped, inversions, prone, supine and backbends -- and each section gently progresses from easy to more challenging. Each pose is accompanied by the name of the pose in English and Sanskrit, the Drishti point (eye gaze), the chakras affected and primary benefits.

Yoga and the Quest for the True Self


Stephen Cope - 1999
    Far fewer are aware of the full promise of yoga as a 4,000-year-old practical path of liberation—a path that fits the needs of modern Western seekers with startling precision. Now Stephen Cope, a Western-trained psychotherapist who has lived and taught for more than ten years at the largest yoga center in America, offers this marvelously lively and irreverent "pilgrim's progress" for today's world. He demystifies the philosophy, psychology, and practice of yoga, and shows how it applies to our most human dilemmas: from loss, disappointment, and addiction, to the eternal conflicts around sex and relationship. And he shows us that in yoga, "liberation" does not require us to leave our everyday lives for some transcendent spiritual plane—life itself is the path. Above all, Cope shows how yoga can heal the suffering of self-estrangement that pervades our society, leading us to a new sense of purpose and to a deeper, more satisfying life in the world.

Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body


Jessamyn Stanley - 2017
    Now she brings her body-positive, emotionally uplifting approach to yoga in a book that will help every reader discover the power of yoga and how to weave it seamlessly into his or her life.

Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, and Live with Vitality and Joy


Acharya Shunya - 2017
    Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom is a breakthrough book for yoga practitioners, spiritual seekers, and anyone ready to learn a doable approach to this time-tested art and science of health and well-being. Internationally renowned for her ability to make Ayurveda accessible and practical for Western audiences, Acharya Shunya presents a narrative-based guidebook that meticulously covers the how-to s of morning and evening self-care, daily contemplations, self-massage and skin care, cooking (including recipes), beauty rituals, and more.To rid ourselves of the suffering that afflicts the body, mind, and soul, what we need is an affirmative knowledge of life and how to live it in alignment with nature, writes Acharya Shunya. Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom opens the gates to this profound knowledge."

The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards


William J. Broad - 2012
    He reveals what is real and what is illusory, in the process exposing moves that can harm or even kill. Five years in the making, The Science of Yoga draws on a hidden wealth of discovery, drama, and surprising fact to cut through the fog that surrounds contemporary yoga and to show—for the first time—what is uplifting and beneficial and what is delusional, flaky, and dangerous. At heart, it illuminates the risks and rewards.Broad describes yoga as a burgeoning global industry that attracts not only curious scientists but millions of true believers and charismatic hustlers. He takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of unknown yoga that goes from old archives in Calcutta to world capitals of medical research, from storied ashrams to spotless laboratories, from sweaty yoga studios with master teachers to the cozy offices of yoga healers. In the process, he shatters myths, lays out unexpected benefits, and offers a compelling vision of how the discipline can be improved.

Ashtanga Yoga: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga


John Scott - 2001
    An easy-to-use guide, it features color photographs and a series of step-by-step exercise sessions -- starting with a simple sequence designed for beginners that, once mastered, provides the foundation for moving to the next cycle.

Strala Yoga: Be Strong, Focused Ridiculously Happy from the Inside Out


Tara Stiles - 2016
    Focusing on the power of combining movement with intuition, Tara walks readers through the importance of moving with ease and creating space in their lives. Strala isn’t about strict poses; it’s about your body and your abilities. By moving how it feels good to move, readers will not only get a great workout but also release stress, free up space in their minds, and open themselves up to creativity. Tara lays out simple, step-by-step information on everything from how to use the breath in movement, to how to create ease, to how to set up a home practice. More than ten routines—each illustrated with clear, instructional photos—offer both easy and more difficult tracks, appealing to beginners and seasoned yogis alike, and aim to help readers dissolve stress, get better sleep, gain energy, or even wind down after a tough day. Tara also offers up both a 7-day jumpstart and a 30-day program to help readers bring yoga—and its varied benefits—easily into their lives.“My goal is to help you feel connected and gain strength, calm, clarity, and ease from the inside out. Get ready to feel amazing, and enjoy the ride!” —Tara

Anatomy of Yoga: An Instructor's Inside Guide to Improving Your Poses


Abigail Ellsworth - 2010
    Each pose is shown in a full-color photograph opposite a detailed and annotated anatomical drawing that identifies the active and stabilizing muscles being used. By identifying affected muscles, practitioners can maximize the benefits of each pose and even design a personalized yoga routine that focuses on their specific problem areas. Anatomy of Yoga explains the basics of yoga, breathing and the spine, concentrating on the body's core musculature. It covers:Yoga warm-up Standing poses Forward bends Back bends Seated and twisted poses Poses that balance arms Inversions Restorative poses Sequences, such as sun salutationThere are numerous asides, including "best for" information boxes that describe the muscles that work the most during each pose. Tip boxes give hints on safety and form and outline the target muscles for and benefits of each pose. The author also suggests creative ways to modify the intensity of an exercise. Anatomy of Yoga is an expert guide that is extremely useful for anyone interested in enhancing a personal yoga fitness routine. It will also interest yoga instructors who want a visual aid that clearly illustrates the benefits of each exercise.

Yoga Journal Presents Restorative Yoga for Life: A Relaxing Way to De-stress, Re-energize, and Find Balance


Gail Boorstein Grossman - 2014
    It's a gentle yet empowering style that helps you de-stress and re-energize. While restorative yoga is beneficial for your entire body, Gail also shows you how to treat more than twenty ailments, such as headaches, digestive issues, and anxiety, through specific yoga poses and sequences. Guided by step-by-step instructions and beautiful photographs, you will gently ease your way into inner calm and better health with powerful yoga sequences. Whether you're having trouble sleeping, suffering from backaches, or just want to unwind after a busy day, you will find balance throughout your body, soul, and mind with Restorative Yoga for Life.

Yoga Mind, Body Spirit: A Return to Wholeness


Donna Farhi - 2000
    Integrating the teachings of every tradition, internationally renowned yoga instructor Donna Farhi reveals how yoga enhances the connections between the mind, body, and spirit. She outlines the seven simple movement principles that underlie all human motion and provides exercises to help readers understand how they can achieve all yoga postures. She also discusses the ten ethical precepts that are the foundation of all yoga teachings and explains how to incorporate them into a spiritually and emotionally rewarding inner practice.At the heart of Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit are more than seventy-five yoga asanas or postures. Each is one pictured and described in detail, and they are arranged into related groups--including standing postures, sitting postures, arm balances, and breathing practices--or easy reference. A selection of yoga practices of varying lengths and levels of difficulty provides challenges and inspiration for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students.A huge resurgence of interest in yoga is sweeping the country. With its broad scope and holistic approach, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit is the ideal book for today's mainstream audience.

Yin Yoga: Stretch the mindful way


Kassandra Reinhardt - 2018
    Avoid putting stress on your joints and heart with this slower yoga style.In today's fast-paced world it's easy to lose the balance in our lives and the connection with our bodies. Yin Yoga offers a remedy to the stress and hustle of everyday life. As yin balances yang in Taoist philosophies, so the slower yin-style yoga offers an alternative to the faster, more active forms of yoga such as ashtanga. Yin yoga concentrates on holding and breathing through floor-based poses, allowing you the time and space to clear your mind and stretch your body. The 54 meditative poses and 20 targeted sequences will help you attain a sense of mindfulness and physical well-being, making it the perfect complement to a busy, active yang lifestyle and bringing you back into balance.

Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion


Anonymous - 2003
    A new chapter on The Many Benefits of Yoga gives a fascinating and valuable overview of the ways that yoga can maintain or restore the health of the body. With the help of specially commissioned anatomical drawings, it explains how yoga poses work on and benefit the body, including their effect on different types of muscle and the connective tissue (the vast network of elastic tissue that encloses and connects muscles and organs); how poses can help to stimulate our hormonal system; the vital role they play in calming the nervous system, helping you to relax and deal with stress; and the powerful effect yoga has in oxygenating the whole body, and especially the brain, which needs plentiful supplies of oxygen to function properly. In the chapter Proper Exercise, the yoga poses are arranged in the order you should practice them in, and poses are clearly labeled beginner, intermediate, or advanced, helping the reader to progress at his or her own pace. At the end of the book, in another new feature that yoga students will welcome, there are specially devised programs of yoga poses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students of 20, 40 and 60 minutes each. The chapters on Yogic Breathing and on Positive Thinking and Meditation provide detailed advice on breathing techniques and on how to meditate. The Vegetarian Diet chapter has also been rewritten, and now includes a helpful transition eating plan to becoming vegetarian. The chapter also includes over 40 wholesome and delicious all-new vegetarian recipes.

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing


Vasant Dattatray Lad - 1984
    This beautifully illustrated text thoroughly explains history & philosophy, basic principles, diagnostic techniques, treatment, diet, medicinal usage of kitchen herbs & spices, first aid, food aid, food antidotes and much more.

Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga


Gary Kraftsow - 1999
    In this easy to follow guide for practitioners at all levels, America's leading teacher of Viniyoga emphasizes the physical as well as the spiritual components of healing through yoga. Beginning with a general introduction, he then includes case studies and specific yoga sequences designed to address individual ailments. Best of all, each step of each posture in a sequence is clearly illustrated with its own photograph. The exercises in this book are truly transformative and certain to help those searching for alternatives to mainstream medicine and those looking for a way of becoming more involved in their own physical well-being.