Conscious Moving


Book Description

Conscious Moving extends from one transformative belief: we feel more human, more empowered, and more ourselves when we live from that place within us—and all around us—that simply moves. And when we examine and trust in the emerging and evolving movement of our minds and bodies, we can better harness the tools needed to expand our creativity, wellbeing, and learning. Body-based psychotherapist, movement specialist, and renowned author-educator Christine Caldwell (Oppression and the Body) offers a radically ambitious mode of somatic awareness and inquiry—and shows how designing our own conscious movement practices can improve not only our own lives, but our relationships, communities, and culture. This anthology explores how movement practices can help us be more present; more grounded and intentional in responding to and working with experiences in the moment; and claim our own bodily autonomy. Caldwell and contributors explore these key benefits and applications in four critical areas: Creativity Contemplation Healing Learning Rooted in both ancient and modern scientific ways of knowing, Conscious Moving imparts fundamental principles and tools applicable to a broad spectrum of fields and professions. Topics explored in partnership with conscious movement practice include: Trauma and Oppression, Isolation and Loneliness, Addiction, Group Therapy, Sexuality, Creative Arts, and Grief. Encouraging each reader to pay attention to—and honor—their own embodied intuition, Conscious Moving is a non-prescriptive guide to accessing body-based wisdom for personal growth, community impact, and widespread social change.




Simply One Breath at a Time


Book Description

Learn how to bring balance, relaxation, breath, and meditation into your life. Simply One Breath at a Time offers you sixty-five different titles full of words, thoughts, and visualizations to linger on, explore, and experience. Dona grew up with open spaces and throughout the pages of this book she will help you to open up space to relax, breathe better, and stretch out past the limits in your daily lives even if it is only for a few minutes. Whether youre new to relaxation techniques or are practicing and sharing, you will find the variety and ease of these gentle relaxations inviting, refreshing, and nurturing. Become a better you! Make yourself a priority and use Simply One Breath at a Time for your own self-healing and share it to help improve the lives of others! Simply One Breath at a Time offers us such simple truths of how to live this life with presence and ease. This book is both practical and beautiful in its expression ... recommended for everyone. - Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT, yoga teacher since 1971 and author of eight books, the latest What We Say Matters Page after page we are reminded of that place of healing and inspiration found in silence, in relaxation, in breath. - Kathy Beliveau, author of The Yoga Game Love your book. Thank you for creating a source of inspiration to experience and share. I love the simplistic approach. Life is not as complicated as most people choose it to be. - Hazel Butterworth, Alberta Reiki Center




The Compassionate Mind Approach to Recovering from Trauma


Book Description

Terrible events are very hard to deal with and those who go through a trauma often feel permanently changed by it. Grief, numbness, anger, anxiety and shame are all very common emotional reactions to traumatic incidents such as an accident or death of a loved one, and ongoing traumatic events such as domestic abuse. How we deal with the aftermath of trauma and our own emotional response can determine how quickly we are able to 'move on' and get back to 'normality' once more. An integral part of the recovery process is not only recognising and accepting how our lives may have been changed but also learning to deal with feelings of shame - an extremely common reaction to trauma. 'Recovering from Trauma' uses the groundbreaking Compassion Focused Therapy to help the reader to not only develop a fuller understanding of how we react to trauma, but also to deal with any feelings of shame and start to overcome any trauma-related difficulties.




Letters to Vanessa


Book Description

The world we inhabit is enchanted—every tree, rock, and star, and even "empty" space itself, is teeming with living energy and awareness. And it's all nearer to us than our own breath. Why, then, can't we see it? Because, according to Jeremy Hayward, we are taught not to. And because our cultural conditioning keeps us in denial about the fact that a strictly scientific worldview provides only a partial, and unsatisfactory, view of reality. Letters to Vanessa is the guidebook for a generation caught in the crunch between the hard realities of science and the genuine yearning for an experience of the sacred. In a series of letters addressed to his teenage daughter, Dr. Hayward points the way past the limits of science and shows how we can connect with the magical, multidimensional universe of soul. Along the way he presents the most recent findings of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, new biology, and physics in a most engaging and understandable way. He also provides practical meditation instructions that will enable everyone to reconnect with the joyous reality of ordinary life.




Anxiety-Free Kids


Book Description

Anxiety-Free Kids (2nd ed.) offers parents strategies that help children become happy and worry-free, methods that relieve a child's excessive anxieties and phobias, and tools for fostering interaction and family-oriented solutions. Using a unique companion approach that offers two books in one—a practical, reader-friendly book for parents and a fun workbook for kids—this solutions-oriented guide utilizes the cognitive-behavioral approach to therapy and integrates the parent in the child's self-help process. Research has shown that if left untreated, children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, to have less-developed social skills, and to be more vulnerable to substance abuse. Covering the six most commonly occurring anxiety disorders—generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, specific phobias, social phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder—this book gives kids and parents successful strategies for achieving relaxation, conquering worries, challenging faulty thinking patterns, developing positive self-talk, and facing one's fears. Educational Resource




Behavioral Therapy for Rural Substance Abusers


Book Description

The problems and needs of rural substance abusers vary from those of abusers in urban areas. Accordingly, the means of treatment must acknowledge and address these differences. Despite this call for specialized care, no theoretically grounded therapy has yet been made available to rural patients. Behavioral Therapy for Rural Substance Abusers, developed and piloted over three years by University of Kentucky faculty and staff and substance abuse counselors in rural eastern Kentucky, provides a model for effective treatment for this segment of the population. A two-phase outpatient treatment, this approach combines group and individual sessions in an environment that is both comfortable and useful for the client. The success of this method lies in its regional approach to therapy. Rather than using role-playing techniques to examine old behaviors, therapy is designed around storytelling activities. Rural patients respond more positively to such time-honored traditions and thus become active participants in their own treatment. This manual offers a clear and well-constructed guide through the strategies of Structured Behavioral Outpatient Rural Therapy (SBORT). Supplemented with illustrations, sample exercises, and case studies, Behavioral Therapy for Rural Substance Abusers is a vital tool in meeting the treatment needs of an otherwise ignored rural population.




Mindfulness for Insomnia


Book Description

Break the cycle of anxious thinking and rumination that keeps you up at night. With this much-needed guide, you’ll learn to quiet your mind, relax your body, feel less tense, and finally get the sleep you need. Sleep plays a crucial role in our waking lives. While we sleep, our bodies are recharging with energy, damaged tissue is repaired, and our memories are stored. When we don't get enough sleep, we are tired, less positive, less motivated, less focused, and more likely to feel depressed. We may even experience more intense cravings for high-fat, sugar-rich foods. And yet, despite the myriad advantages of getting a good night's sleep, countless people suffer from chronic insomnia. If you’re one of them, this book can help. In this guide, a trained mindfulness expert teams up with a behavioral sleep specialist to offer evidence-based meditations and an innovative four-week protocol to address the emotional stresses and anxieties that lie at the root of sleep issues. You’ll learn practices grounded in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindful self-compassion (MSC), and guided mindfulness and acceptance for insomnia (GMATI) to alleviate the mental, emotional, and physical suffering caused by insomnia. You’ll also learn to identify both internal and external factors that may be compromising your sleep, and develop a plan to address these issues. There is nothing we can do to “make” ourselves fall asleep. In many ways, this is why insomnia can be so maddening. But what we can do is help create the conditions necessary for healthy slumber. The mindfulness tools in this book will help you do exactly that.




Awake at 3 a.m.


Book Description

A women's mental health specialist introduces yoga therapy techniques to provide solace, steadiness, and ease during the difficult stages of pregnancy and new motherhood Pregnancy and new motherhood are often thought of as the most joyful, exciting, and blissful times in your life—but they can also be difficult and overwhelming. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the number one “complication” of birth. They not only affect the mothers who suffer but also the families who care about and rely on them. While there is robust support and treatment options for other illnesses, moms who suffer emotionally are rarely acknowledged and often handed platitudes like, “Sleep when the baby sleeps,” and, “Just enjoy every minute because it goes by so fast.” This can be a lonely and confusing place to be—suffering profound fear or sadness at a time when your friends and family expect you to be happy, radiant, and beatifically calm. As a therapist supporting women's mental health and recovery from PMADs since 2003, SuzannahNeufeld is keenly aware of the special needs of women during pregnancy and the first year of motherhood. Synthesizing modern psychotherapeutic research with practical yoga therapy, Neufeldoffers a compassionate, acceptance-based approach that meets women (and their partners) wherever they are. Awake at 3 a.m. contains short, digestible chapters that are perfect for when you are feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. Neufeld skillfully dismantles the myths and internal beliefs that contribute to the suffering of new mothers and tells her own story with honesty and humor. From breathing techniques to mindfulness exercises, the yoga practices here are designed to fit into your life as it is now—no flexibility, mat, special clothes, or 90-minute yoga class required.







Walking the Path of Love


Book Description

The Path of Love is a way of living where love is the foundation of every thought and action—a way of being taught and embodied by Swami Kripalu. In a book that is as accessible as it is inspirational, Anandamai Charlyn integrates her life stories with the teaching stories of Swami Kripalu to provide powerful insight and transformative practices for walking this path. Twelve chapters lead you through the profound teachings of the Path of Love, including lessons on truth, service, self-observation, struggle, and compassion. The book gently guides you to discover your stories and your truth and provides practical tools and exercises to integrate these practices into your life and your yoga and meditation classes. “To read Walking the Path of Love is to be swept up in a blanket of generosity and grace .... If you want to know the stories of real-life alchemy and how to tap into the best of what is possible for you, let Charlyn be your guide. The trail that she illuminates in this book leads us home to ourselves, to each other, and to the love waiting to hold us.” —Karlee Fain, Celebrity Coach, Author, & Kripalu Resident “This is a wonderful, inspirational, and practical guide for keeping the timeless teachings of Swami Kripalu alive in your life .... Love and devotion shine through this book and will awaken their power in your life.” —Kamini Desai, PhD, Executive Director, Amrit Yoga Institute “What you are holding in your hand is a journey into your heart. Walking the Path of Love is the best title as that is exactly what you will do when reading this book.” —Erin Casperson, Dean, Kripalu School of Ayurveda “A guidebook for the soul. Anandamai Charlyn Reihman has crafted an essential, practical, and loving companion for anyone ready (or not) to have their life changed forever by yoga and the inspiring teachings of Swami Kripalu.” —Jurian Hughes, Senior Faculty Member, Kripalu School of Yoga