Yoga Zone Essentials

In this essential guide for the 10 million Americans who practice yoga and for the many more who begin every day, each of the five parts contains a series of fully illustrated yoga poses, with benefits that stretch beyond mere fitness.

Let the modern authority on yoga guide you on the most important journey you'll ever take. As people search for inner peace amid increasingly hectic lives, the practice of yoga continues to gain popularity. Yoga means to yoke, or to bring together, the various aspects of the self -- body, mind, and spirit -- and while the physical and mental benefits of yoga are truly astounding, to many people the idea of yoga is intimidating. In fact, nothing could be easier than starting a yoga practice, and Yoga Zone Introduction to Yoga is the perfect guide. In the first section, Yoga Master Alan Finger offers a brief history of the different types of yoga and how they are practiced in the West, including an explanation of the ISHTA yoga that Alan created and that is taught at Yoga Zone. You'll learn about the benefits of yoga and how to prepare for a practice with different breathing exercises. Next Alan outlines two series of beginner postures, accompanying each pose with detailed instructions on how to achieve it, along with tips and modifications for various fitness levels. All the exercises are fully illustrated and the text is instructional yet friendly, in the tradition of a Yoga Zone studio class. Following the postures, there's a special section on relaxation and meditation, cornerstones of any yoga practice. Packed with personality and full of valuable information, Yoga Zone Introduction to Yoga will introduce you to a life of unlimited possibilities and infinite joy.

Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone describes an original model of "Nervous System Informed, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga," (NITYA), a synthesis of classical yoga, somatic psychotherapy, and neuroscience research. It is organized around the eight branches of Raja Yoga, and includes scripts for administering NITYA chair yoga postures, breathing practices, and yoga nidra (the yogic sleep). These can be used by helping professionals with all levels of familiarity with yoga. The book is needed for several reasons: for mental health professionals, it offers a comprehensive overview of yoga philosophy and practices, as well as yoga-based options for working with the client's embodied experience, a major element in trauma healing. For yoga professionals and practitioners, it provides insight into the natural integration of yoga with polyvagal theory and other current approaches in the field of somatic psychology. Both professions are currently being enriched by data from the field of neuropsychology that describes brain function, in real time, in various mental and emotional states. This data supports yoga's effectiveness in regulating the autonomic nervous system, a key to trauma recovery.

“One of the simplest yet most comprehensive yoga books to be published in recent memory, Miller’s work could become a classic . . . appropriate for all levels.” —Publishers Weekly From the bestselling author of The Yoga Deck comes Essential Yoga—the only hatha yoga book to offer this many poses (over 100), this many illustrations (over 180), and this many suggested sequences (over 50). Focusing on the poses themselves, it provides clear, concise instructions and detailed illustrations for each. It also includes six classic moving meditations (such as Sun Salutation and Camel Vinyasa), ten beginner-to-advanced sessions, and 48 mini-sequences designed to build strength for specific activities or alleviate health problems. Essential Yoga combines physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayamas), and meditations (dhyanas) into a simple and complete reference guide for yoga practitioners of all levels. Along the way, author Olivia Miller provides guidance on proper technique and alignment; modifications for beginners or those with knee, neck, or back pain; suggestions for preventing injury; and ways to keep a regular practice interesting and active.

DIV Essential Yoga is perfect for the beginning student who wants to begin practicing yoga—and getting the benefits—immediately. Covering all of the essential skills, poses, and postures, this essential guide breaks down the practice into 24 one-hour lessons that readers can take at their own pace whether they want to do several lessons in a row orone lesson per day, week, or month. Step-by-step photos, captioning, timing instructions, and tip/caution sidebars take the guesswork out of learning and get readers up to speed in no time. /div

A discussion of yoga highlights brief overviews of different schools, tips on what to look for when selecting a class, as well as explanations of the relationship between the mind and the body that yoga draws upon. Original.