Archive for August, 2012

Relax and Unwind with Yoga by Swami Saradananda

by on Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

Relax and Unwind with Yoga will help you to discover for yourself the benefits of yoga for your physical and emotional health, giving you a daily routine that features plenty of easy to follow exercises.

Relax and Unwind with Yoga is designed to help you reap the full benefits of yoga for practical and emotional wellbeing by following a daily routine that doesn’t require a huge amount of commitment. Ideal for the beginner with no previous experience, it outlines all the basic/key exercises (asanas) you will need in addition to giving you information on how, where and when to practice them. There is plenty of insight into the philosophical background of yoga and helpful tips on diet and lifestyle. Supporting materials, including a practice diary, will allow you to record your progress, while a list of teachers and sources for taking it further will be useful to all those who wish to deepen their practice.

Book: Relax and Unwind with Yoga by Swami Saradananda
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Guidebook Yoga A Spiritual

by on Saturday, August 25th, 2012

Yoga is much more than the physical postures commonly associated with this word. Yoga is an advanced methaphysical science that has been developed over thousands of years and is designed to lead its practitioners towards enlightenment. In this book, Scott Shaw presents the reader with the historical foundations of yoga, in association with exacting methods of meditation, breath control, and spiritual practice; including detailed information on Kundalini and Tantra yoga. These techniques have traditionally only been revealed to advanced students of yoga. By practicing the techniques presented in this book, the reader may come to experience a healthier body, a calmer and more focused mind, and a deeper sense of spiritual awareness.

What can readers expect to find inside?

Scott Shaw presents the historical foundations of yoga with methods of meditation, breath control and spiritual practice, plus detailed information on Kundalini and Tantra yoga. It says the reader “may come to experience” a healthier body, a calmer and more focused mind and a deeper spiritual awareness.

Is it suitable for beginners?

The description says these techniques have traditionally only been revealed to advanced students. It does not say whether the book is suitable for beginners.

What does this book cover?

The Amazon description says yoga is much more than physical postures and is an advanced metaphysical science designed to lead practitioners towards enlightenment.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What does “spiritual” mean in a yoga context?

In yoga, “spiritual” can mean an inner discipline of ethics, attention and self-enquiry, as well as a connection to a religious tradition. The NCCIH guidance on yoga traces yoga to a spiritual practice and says the classical form goes well past physical postures. A guidebook with a spiritual focus is therefore working within a long tradition.

Readers who come for the physical side may find this a different register from the usual class. That is fine: you can choose which parts to explore. Be careful with sweeping statements, such as claims that a practice “leads to enlightenment”, which are articles of faith and cannot be tested.

If you are following a spiritual path, a trusted teacher can guide you better than a book. For physical or breathing practices, ask a qualified instructor and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition.

Related on this blog: Hatha Yoga Beyond the Workout: What “Hatha” Means, Its Traditional Aim and How to Practice Safely and A Short History of Yoga: From Ancient Texts to Hatha Classes and a Record Number of Americans

View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The Yoga of Golf by Ronald Mann

by on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

The Yoga of Golf is readable, well structured and informative for both the professional and the striving, amateur golfer. I urge all my students to read and practice the techniques clearly taught in The Yoga of Golf.

Pat is a former Hogan (Nike) Tour player and is best remembered for the years he won the Utah Open, the Northern California Open and the Alaska Open, all with course records. A holder of 19 course records nationally, Boyd is still the course record holder at these California courses; Adobe Creek in Petaluma, Bayonet Course at Fort Ord, Boundary Oak in Walnut Creek, Chardonnay Vineyards in Napa, Club Shakespeare in Napa, Fountain Grove in Santa Rosa, and Sonoma National in Sonoma California.

What does The Yoga of Golf cover?

A recommendation in the description says the techniques in the book are clearly taught, and its writer urges all of his students to read and practice them. The title names Ronald Mann as the author.

Who is the intended reader?

A recommendation in the description calls the book readable, well structured and informative for both the professional and the striving amateur golfer.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page. The description is short, so check the Amazon page for the full contents.

How can sports players use stretching and relaxation safely?

Golf and many other sports ask the body to repeat the same rotational movement, which can leave some areas tight and others overworked. Flexibility work and breathing practice are common ways players look after hips, shoulders and spine. Some of that overlaps with gentle yoga, which the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) page on yoga describes as generally safe for healthy people when performed properly.

Warm up before any stretch, hold gentle positions without bouncing and stop if you feel sharp pain. The same page says sprains and strains are the usual injuries, so treat each stretch as exercise and not a contest.

Back, knee or elbow pain that lasts more than a few days deserves a check from a doctor or physiotherapist, who can tell you whether to change your swing, your warm-up or your training load.

Related on this blog: Getting Ready for Ski Season: Why the Chair Pose and Conditioning Matter and Yoga for Tennis Players: Flexibility, Breathing and a Seated Twist

Book: The Yoga of Golf by Ronald Mann
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Yoga and Vegetarianism: The Path to Greater Health and Happiness Sharon Gannon

by on Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Book Description:
Drawing on both the author’s extensive studies of Vedic traditions and her longtime interest in animal rights, Yoga and Vegetarianism shows how the physical and spiritual practice of yoga is historically and structurally tied to a vegetarian lifestyle. When they are used in tandem, she argues, they form a strong framework for physical and spiritual attunement and promote an overall healthy life. Yoga and Vegetarianism emphasizes the importance of understanding of Ahimsa, the practice of non-harming and nonviolence, as the first step in marrying yoga and vegetarianism. All actions, says Gannon, originate as thoughts, so the “perfection of action” that yoga strives for must come from a perfect thought. What is a perfect thought? According to the book, it is a thought free of selfish desire, anger, and hate. This brings us back to Ahimsa and to vegetarianism. Freeing oneself of needless cruelty, harm, and injustice — which includes eating meat — can transform both the individual and the world. This book shows how.

Book: Yoga and Vegetarianism: The Path to Greater Health and Happiness by Sharon Gannon
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Easy Yoga Book by Marin Lee

by on Saturday, August 18th, 2012

You want a full life. You want to feel well. You want energy, vitality, staying power. All these can be yours. This system of Yoga applies age-old secrets to everyday life at the modern tempo. It tells how only a few minutes easy, practical application can restore your lost youth … put new zest into your undertakings … and enable you to enjoy to the full a sense of health, energy and creative living which will make all the difference to your future happiness.

Who is behind Easy Yoga Book?

According to the title, the book is by Marin Lee.

Is it written for beginners?

The description speaks of “only a few minutes” of “easy, practical application”.

What kind of book is Easy Yoga Book?

The Amazon description says the book presents a system of yoga that applies age-old secrets to everyday life at the modern tempo.

What does the description promise?

It says the system can restore your lost youth and give you more zest, energy and a sense of health. These are promises in the description’s sales wording and are not confirmed here.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

Can a few minutes of exercise improve energy?

Tiredness has many causes, including sleep, diet, stress and illness, so no routine gives energy to everyone. What the evidence does show is that activity tends to help sleep and mood. The National Institute on Aging exercise benefits page lists immediate gains, among them calmer mood and better sleep.

Short, regular routines are easier to keep than long ones. The WHO physical activity fact sheet adds that all physical activity counts and that some is better than none. Gentle stretches, a few slow breaths and a brisk walk can be built into the day without a special outfit.

Constant tiredness, especially with weight change, breathlessness or low mood, should be checked by a doctor, because treatable conditions such as anaemia or thyroid problems can be behind it.

Related on this blog: Basic Yoga Postures and Their Variations: Cobra, Bow and Shooting Bow Step by Step and Yoga for Women: A Gentle Morning Routine for Beginners

Book: Easy Yoga Book by Marin Lee
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)