Table of Contents
Introduction
Easy Pose
Breathing
- Introduction
- Breathing Primer
- Alternating Breath
- Breath of Fire
- Cooling Breath
- Lion Breath
Warm-Ups
- Introduction
- Mountain
- Flower
- Neck Rolls
- Eye Exercises
- Ear Massage
- Leg Exercises
Postures
- Introduction
- Seated Relaxation
- Cow
- Fish
- Seated Cobra
- Forward Bend
- Spinal Twist
- Triangle
Mediation
- Introduction
- Breathing
- Sound
- Visual
Out of Chair Experience
- Introduction
- Cobra
- Standing Bend
- Warrior
- Tree
Menus
Recommended Reading
Forewords & Introductions
Introduction
If you think yoga is weird positions and threading string up your nose, you're only partly right. It's true that many of yoga's more advanced postures may seem slightly strange, what with legs wrapped around the body and arms every which way -- and there is an exercise to clear the nose that does involve string. (We're not going to teach you that one, though.) Generally, yoga is a system of physical and mental exercises designed to balance and unite the body and mind. Anyone can do it. We thought it would be great to combine yoga with the unique design of a Adirondack chair. So with just a little bit of a stretch, nirvana will be yours.
Yoga started somewhere in India about 6,000 years ago. The most popular type of yoga in the West and the focus of this book is Hatha yoga, which combines breathing, postures and concentration exercises. Although the Adirondack chair hasn't been around anywhere near as long (less than 100 years), its design principles are perfectly suited to yoga. With its slightly sloping back and its wide Popeye-like arms, the Adirondack chair provides an ideal starting point. The stillness and stability that are the essence of an effective yoga practice can be experienced perfectly in the grounded and comfortable Adirondack chair. Of course, the postures can be easily modified for any chair, but we recommend that you first try the Adirondack chair if you can.
In this little book, you'll find a breath for when you're feeling unhinged and lots of warm-up exercises, including one of our favorites, an ear arousal that's guaranteed to get you going. Traditional yoga postures such as the Fish and Cobra are here, except you get todo them in a chair. There's a candle-gazing meditation, and if you're inclined to get up there's an Out of Chair Experience chapter with exercises that can be done standing or lying on the cottage dock. There's even a section of Menus, specially designed routines including Energizer, Relaxer and Quickie. Self-explanatory, no?
If you're interested in maintaining good physical health and calming a busy mind, follow the simple routine in this guide. You'll see definite improvement after only a short time of practice. All of the exercises have been reviewed for accuracy and safety by a certified yoga teacher with 15 years of experience. Whatever your goal -- toning your body, relieving stress or gaining peace of mind -- yoga will help you attain it. So take a deep breath, sit back and begin. The benefits are amazing.
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