The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness by Linda Sparrowe, Patricia Walden, Judith Hanson Lasater (Foreword by)

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Finally, a yoga regimen designed specifically for women! This guide is more than a series of poses strung together; each is carefully described and explained in terms of its effect on the mind and body. By addressing feminine issues like eating disorders, menopause, pregnancy, and fatigue in the context of yoga, Sparrowe and yoga expert Patricia Walden empower women to take control of their health. This important resource will inspire you to create a regular practice of this ancient Eastern art.

From the Publisher

The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is the first comprehensive book about women's health issues and how to treat them with yoga. The authors offer a complete yoga program for general health as well as pose sequences that address specific health problems—all in the Iyengar tradition, which targets health needs more than other forms of yoga. For example, in the first part of the book, Patricia Walden has organized three chapters showing yoga poses with clear instructions that tell how to get into each pose and describe its benefits: chapter one is the Essential Sequence for all women, and includes modifications for people who cannot or should not do all the poses; chapter two is the Restorative Sequence for stress relief and relaxation; chapter three contains advanced poses that energize and tone. The second part is presented in four sections that broadly represent the stages of a woman's life: teen years and early twenties, later twenties and thirties, midlife, and wisdom years. Each section contains chapters offering specific information about a particular health issue from author Linda Sparrowe, as well as sequences of yoga poses from Patricia Walden that address the problem. For example, the back care chapter includes information about common back problems and their causes (scoliosis, arthritis, lordosis, sciatica, kyphosis, among others) with an emphasis on: emotional and psychological roots of some back problems; physiological information about the spine and back muscles; general information about how yoga addresses different areas of the back; and finally, Patricia Walden's sequences of poses that target different back problems with the goal of not onlyrelieving back pain but of strengthening, and healing old injuries and misalignments. Sections of the book include: Teens and Early 20s: Eating disorders, menstrual health, immune support 20s and 30s: Back care, pregnancy, headaches Midlife: Depression, menopause, digestion Wisdom Years: Osteoporosis, postmenopause, the heart The final section of the book includes listings of yoga centers, instructional videos, yoga equipment, and where to go for more information about yoga.

Library Journal

These two titles explain how women can use yoga to help deal with unique female health issues as well as to relieve stress and improve the quality of their lives. In A Woman's Book of Yoga, gynecologist Seibel and yoga teacher Khalsa introduce readers to Kundalini yoga, which emphasizes the feminine energy of creation and the relationship among mind, body, and soul. Photographs illustrate the various exercises, and the text addresses such topics as menstruation, sexuality, childbearing, menopause, food and digestion, self-healing, and natural beauty. The text can be rather mystical, discussing moon centers, chakras, and "the ten bodies," so readers must pay close attention because the authors refer to these concepts when explaining how to breathe and meditate and how to perform poses and postures. An optional choice for larger collections. Written by expert yoga writer Sparrowe and leading yoga instructor Walden, The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is less mystical than A Woman's Book of Yoga and may be a more comfortable choice for beginners, thanks to its conversational style. The authors focus on Iyengar yoga, which emphasizes precise alignment and provides modifications (props like blocks, bolsters, and straps) for beginners and less flexible women. Photographs demonstrate the exercises, including modifications; the benefits of each movement, as well as cautions, are indicated. The topics covered include the menstrual cycle, the immune system, eating disorders, childbearing, back care, headache relief, depression, menopause, digestion, osteoporosis, and the heart. Highly recommended for all libraries supporting women's health.-Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

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