Skill in Action


Book Description

Transform your yoga practice into a force for creating social change with this concise, eloquent manual of social justice tools and skills. Skill in Action asks you to explore the deeply transformational practice of yoga as a way to become an agent of social change and work toward a just world. Through yoga practices and philosophy, this book explores liberation for ourselves and others, while asking us to engage in our own agency—whether that manifests as activism, volunteer work, or changing our relationships with others and ourselves. To provide a strong foundation to begin this work, Michelle Cassandra Johnson clearly defines power and privilege, oppression, liberation, and suffering, and invites you to make changes in your life that promote equality and freedom for all. This revised and expanded edition offers journaling practices and prompts in each chapter; includes more material on how power and privilege inform the yoga industry; explains how to integrate justice into teaching the eight limbs of yoga; and offers ways to support people as they move through their resistance and discomfort in the face of injustice. This edition also offers a fuller look at how the yamas and niyamas—the ethical precepts of yoga—can be studied in order to create a more just world, and it offers more support for yoga teachers seeking to radicalize their yoga.




The Heart of Yoga


Book Description

The first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga--yoga adapted to the needs of the individual. • A contemporary classic by a world-renowned teacher. • This new edition adds thirty-two poems by Krishnamacharya that capture the essence of his teachings. Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value. In The Heart of Yoga Desikachar offers a distillation of his father's system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as "a program for the spine at every level--physical, mental, and spiritual." This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga--poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy--and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is a revised edition of The Heart of Yoga.




Accessible Yoga


Book Description

“A treasure trove . . . what Yoga, capital Y, is all about.” —Donna Farhi “Nothing less than a gem.” —Judith Lasater “A vital tool.” —Book Riot This daring, visionary book revolutionizes yoga practice, making it truly accessible to everyone—in every body, at any age, and in any state of health Yoga practice has so much to offer us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. But many of us feel discouraged to practice because we see young, slim, flexible, well, and able-bodied people dominating yoga spaces. Yet, yoga is truly a practice for all—conferring enormous benefits to our overall well-being as our bodies change, age, and navigate various health challenges. Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, views yoga as a basic human right—saying we all deserve to practice it in whatever state we find our body or mind. Accessible Yoga offers a simple, clear, and wonderfully adaptable practice for all people regardless of ability, health, and body type. Heyman has spent over twenty years sharing yoga with people of all abilities and backgrounds, and in this book, he shares his knowledge by breaking down complex yoga poses, breathing practices, meditation techniques, and yoga teachings into clearly understandable and practical tools we can use every day, regardless of our limitations or challenges.




My Mindful Walk with Grandma


Book Description

STARRED REVIEW! "The illustrations, awash in green and somewhat nostalgic in styling, complement the narrative and successfully transport readers to a lush forest brimming with life. Clearly demonstrates the sense of connectedness—to nature, others, and self—that mindfulness practice can bring."—Kirkus Reviews starred review A lovely intergenerational tale of mindfulness in nature. When a girl walks through the woods with her grandma, she's so excited about reaching their destination that she misses out on what's around her. But with Grandma's help, she learns how to breathe, be peaceful, and notice the little surprises along the way. Find mindfulness in nature through this gentle story.




Being Mindful Like Grandpa


Book Description

When worrying takes over, a boy uses mindfulness to calm down, just like Grandpa taught him. Every fall a boy hikes up the mountain with his grandpa and parents. Except this year he and his parents moved to a new place, and Grandpa's back home. As the boy sets out on a new mountain trail with his parents, he begins to worry about everything that's different. But he remembers that when Grandpa needs to calm his worries, he uses mindfulness. So the boy does too.




BLOCKASANAS


Book Description

This book is a guide, for both students and teachers, on the many ways you can utilize blocks in your yoga practice. You can expect 80 pages that will offer block variations in common yoga postures that will support, deepen, and challenge your practice. This book not only fulfills a nerdy yoga dream of mine, but - in its rawest form - it's also a book about shifting perspectives. There are endless blockabilities, but this should be a good start!




Yoga Sequencing


Book Description

The yoga teacher’s guide to planning and sequencing yoga classes—with over 2,000 instructional photos and 67 yoga pose sequences for students of all skill levels. Also features additional resources, including yoga class planning worksheets, comprehensive glossaries, and much more! Addressing one of the most popular topics in the yoga profession, this book offers 67 model sequences of yoga poses (asanas) that cover the broad range of yoga student experience. Inside, established and aspiring yoga teachers will find: • Over 2,000 instructional photos and guide to over 150 yoga asanas • Multiple sequences for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students • Yoga sequences for kids, teens, seniors, and women across their life cycle • Yoga classes designed for relieving depression and anxiety • Sequences for each of the major chakras and ayurvedic constitutions • Guidance for teaching breathing (pranayama) and meditation techniques • Glossary of terms and alphabetical asana index with thumbnail photographs • Yoga class planning worksheets • Representative sequences from several popular styles of hatha yoga • And many more resources for further reading! Drawing on ancient yoga philosophy and contemporary insights into functional anatomy, biomechanics, and kinesiology, Yoga Sequencing is the ultimate guide teachers looking to bring the transformative power of yoga into their practice and classes.




Jivamukti Yoga


Book Description

The long-awaited, complete guide to the popular, vigorous American method of yoga that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom and scriptures “In this day and age of health and fitness trends, it is assuring to know that Sharon and David encourage their students to draw inspiration from the classical texts of Yoga and timeless scriptural sources. ”—Sri Swami Satchidananda Creators of the extremely popular Jivamukti Yoga method and cofounders of the New York City studios where it is taught, Sharon Gannon and David Life present their unique style of yoga for the first time in book form. As they explain their intensely physical and spiritual system of flowing postures, they provide inspiring expert instruction to guide you in your practice. Unlike many books about yoga, Jivamukti Yoga focuses not only on the physical postures but also on how they evolved—the origins of the practices in yoga’s ancient sacred texts and five-thousand-year-old traditions—the psychotherapeutic benefits that accrue with a steady practice, and the spiritual power that is set free when energy flows throughout the mind and body. Jivamukti Yoga, which means “soul liberation,” guides your body and soul into spiritual freedom, physical strength, peace of mind, better health, and Self-realization–the ultimate goal of any practice. Gannon and Life help you understand each of the practices that comprise the yoga path to enlightenment: AHIMSA–The Way of Compassion: choosing nonviolence, respecting all life, practicing vegetarianism, living free of prejudice ASANA–The Way of Connection to the Earth: postures and sequences, breathing, transforming energy, understanding the bandhas KARMA–The Way of Action: creating good karma, giving thanks NADAM–The Way of Sacred Music: appreciating the sacred sounds of yoga MEDITATION–The Way of the Witness: how to sit still and move inward BHAKTI–The Way of Devotion to God: living with love, grace, and peace Whatever yoga you practice, Jivamukti Yoga will help you to strengthen and deepen that practice and lead you onto a path of spiritual clarity and self-discovery. “If there is only one book you read about the practice of Yoga, this should be the one. . . . This book is for anyone who wishes to find transformation through Yoga. I’m grateful for their work and teaching.”—Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, Co-founder & CEO, Omega Institute




Enlightened End


Book Description




Spiritually Fly


Book Description

From next-generation yoga teacher Faith Hunter comes a real-world guide to feeling more worthy, vibrant, and alive. “You were born with the fullness of your most epic life within you. Knowing your true worth. Feeling vibrant with each breath and magically alive as you navigate the unexpected. When you peel back the layers of crusty emotional baggage and old subconscious loops that keep you small, you are able to step into the brilliance of who you are in your soul, and that makes you Spiritually FlyTM.” —Faith Hunter Global yoga and meditation teacher Faith Hunter is known for her ability to help others remember their inherent worth and live more soulful, joyful lives. Here, Faith shares the seven principles behind her life philosophy—the “Spiritually Fly Sutras”—inspiring each of us to embrace our unique flow, on and off the mat. The Spiritually Fly Sutras are dynamic, sacred principles grounded in movement, breathwork, sound, and self-reflection. When practiced together, Faith teaches, “They have the ability to inspire and ignite an inner revolution.” Throughout Spiritually Fly, Faith shares the stories that led to each sutra with raw vulnerability. A young Black girl in the South whose brother was dying of AIDS contracted from a blood transfusion, she often struggled to trust in spirit and God. Her own spiritual journey brings a fresh, grounded vibe to her teachings, as she seamlessly blends classic yoga wisdom with modern-day living. To help you integrate each sutra into your life, Faith provides a wealth of “SoulPrints”—exercises and reflections including yoga asanas and kriyas, journaling prompts, pranayama, chakra explorations, and practices for each of the “three Ms”: mantra, mudra, and meditation. For anyone ready to live their most epic lives, Spiritually Fly offers a radical guide to shift unhealthy patterns, recharge your soul, and fly.