Shape up as you sit, stand, walk is a small self-help fitness guide that includes an amazing way to gain energy, flexibility, strength and even self-confidence by improving your posture, no matter the age of the reader. It describes A MIRACLE DIAMOND, an instant slouch-to-stretchposture reminder that our muscles can remember! It includes a composite of sound advice relating to factors that are within our control and influence our achieving a healthy and long life. It also includes wisdom that can make a positive impact on our lives. The format of the book is easily readable and many illustrations help to make the text more cognitive. Imagery is used throughout the book to enhance better understanding of some of the text. The book focuses on three of the most critical elements that help us to live well and live longer; attitude, lifestyle and the ability to relax tension when we are under stress. The first chapter contains an overview of all elements and levels of fitness such as diet, exercise and stress management. Explains how and why we need to include in an exercise regime, specific techniques that will keep our heart strong, muscles toned and spine flexible. We can do this at home and can fit comfortably into our daily lifestyle. The information is basic, simplified and appropriate for the average readers' needs and skills. It explains why physical and mental activities influence longevity and why, as we age, we need to stretch and tone muscles that will help us to maintain balance, flexibility and agility so that we can remain active and self-reliant, even into our senior years. Spine alignment, or posture, is the theme of the second chapter called The Miracle Exercise. This chapter is what makes this book so unique. The author explains and illustrates why, without proper posture, we can't be physically fit, as it influences our health and fitness level and every move we make. Since we all have a problem focusing on our posture; remembering to sit and stand tall without slouching; in this chapter the reader will learn how and why one amazing image, called the miracle diamond will do it for us! The image describes and explains the one simple exercise, based on the principles of Yoga and Pilates that can not only eliminate slouching, but strengthen core muscles and align the spine. The Miracle Exercise image page can be cut apart and posted in places should as the car, bathroom mirror or computer as a posture-reminder. Within weeks, as posture improves, the result gained will be increased energy, vitality and flexibility. It will prove to be a gift that keeps on giving. The third chapter, called Shower Power, illustrates how the readers can include as many as eighteen simple but powerful stretching exercises while showering or after a shower with a towel. Each exercise is illustrated and can be even more effective when rhythmic breathing is included. It demonstrates how, when muscles are warm and resilient we can relax, realign and revitalize our body, preparing it for the day's activities. The book includes two meditation exercises that can be done lying down or sitting in a chair. As deep rhythmic breathing is not only used in meditation but makes every stretching exercise more powerful, the author uses imagery to describe how to deep breathe as an exercise. This book was written to help the reader understand that it's what we do consistently, as part of our lifestyle, that is the secret to successfully becoming fit and able to live a full and active life."

Explore two lives—and a relationship—that profoundly shaped American Zen. Ruth Fuller Sasaki and Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki: two pioneers of Zen in the West. Ruth was an American with a privileged life, even during the height of the Great Depression, before she went to Japan and met D. T. Suzuki. Sokei-an was one of the first Zen priests to come to America; he brought the gift of the Dharma to the United States but in 1942 was put in an internment camp. One made his way to the West and the other would find her way to the East, but together they created the First Zen Institute of America and helped birth a new generation of Zen practitioners: among them, Alan Watts, Gary Snyder, and Burton Watson. They were married less than a year before Sokei-an died, but Ruth would go on to helm trailblazing translations in his honor and to become the first foreigner to be the priest of a Rinzai Zen temple in Japan. With lyrical prose, authors Steven Schwartz and Janica Anderson bring Ruth and Sokei-an to life. Two dozen intimate photographs photos show us two people who aren’t mere historical figures, but flesh and blood people, walking their paths.

Do you secretly hate exercising? Struggle to stick with a program? Millions of people try and fail to stay fit. But what if "exercising" is the real problem, not you? Motivation scientist and behavior expert Michelle Segar?translates years of research on exercise and motivation into a simple four-point program that will empower you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. You'll discover why you should forget about willpower and stop gritting your teeth through workouts you hate. Instead, you'll become motivated from the inside out and start to crave physical activity. In No Sweat, Segar will help you find: A step-by-step program for staying encouraged to exercise Pleasure in physical activity Realistic ways to fit fitness into your life The success of the clients Segar has coached testifies to the power of her program. Their stories punctuate the book, entertaining and emboldening you to break the cycle of exercise failure once and for all. Practical, proven, and loaded with inspiring stories, No Sweat makes getting fit easier--and more fun--than you ever imagined. Get ready to embrace an active lifestyle that you'll love!

This complete guide to menopause offers effective advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle to keep you in optimum health before, during and after this change in your life. With entirely natural solutions, free from the side effects that are common to hormone replacement drug therapies, this sensitive and informative guide includes: - A 12-Step Hormone Balancing Diet - Relief from symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and weight gain - The truth about HRT, to help you make an informed decision if you consider it - How to prevent health problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease - Simple steps to good energy levels, body fitness and a fulfilling sex life beyond the menopause Understand what your body needs and you can prepare yourself for the menopause, successfully manage your symptoms and enjoy the best possible health beyond it.

For every woman who has ever been called outdoorsy comes a collection of stories that inspires unforgettable adventure. Beautiful, empowering, and exhilarating, She Explores is a spirited celebration of female bravery and courage, and an inspirational companion for any woman who wants to travel the world on her own terms. Combining breathtaking travel photography with compelling personal narratives, She Explores shares the stories of 40 diverse women on unforgettable journeys in nature: women who live out of vans, trucks, and vintage trailers, hiking the wild, cooking meals over campfires, and sleeping under the stars. Women biking through the countryside, embarking on an unknown road trip, or backpacking through the outdoors with their young children in tow. Complementing the narratives are practical tips and advice for women planning their own trips, including: • Preparing for a solo hike • Must-haves for a road-trip kitchen • Planning ahead for unknown territory • Telling your own story A visually stunning and emotionally satisfying collection for any woman craving new landscapes and adventure.

A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020 Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR “A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe—and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.

Holistic nutritionist and highly-regarded blogger Sarah Britton presents a refreshing, straight-forward approach to balancing mind, body, and spirit through a diet made up of whole foods. Sarah Britton's approach to plant-based cuisine is about satisfaction--foods that satiate on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Based on her knowledge of nutrition and her love of cooking, Sarah Britton crafts recipes made from organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. She explains how a diet based on whole foods allows the body to regulate itself, eliminating the need to count calories. My New Roots draws on the enormous appeal of Sarah Britton's blog, which strikes the perfect balance between healthy and delicious food. She is a "whole food lover," a cook who makes simple accessible plant-based meals that are a pleasure to eat and a joy to make. This book takes its cues from the rhythms of the earth, showcasing 100 seasonal recipes. Sarah simmers thinly sliced celery root until it mimics pasta for Butternut Squash Lasagna, and whips up easy raw chocolate to make homemade chocolate-nut butter candy cups. Her recipes are not about sacrifice, deprivation, or labels--they are about enjoying delicious food that's also good for you.