“A brilliant illumination of how the ancient wisdom of the yogic tradition can penetrate the often-intractable challenges of depression.”—Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal Take the natural path to mental wellness. More than twenty-five million Americans are treated with antidepressants each year, at a cost in excess of $50 billion. But the side effects of popular prescription drugs may seem nearly as depressing as the symptoms they’re meant to treat. Veteran yoga instructor Amy Weintraub offers a better solution—one that taps the scientifically proven link between yoga and emotional well-being as well as the beauty of ancient approaches to inner peace. Addressing a range of diagnoses, including dysthymia, anxiety-based depression, and bipolar disorder, Yoga for Depression reveals why specific postures, breathing practices, and meditation techniques can ease suffering and release life’s traumas and losses. Weintraub also reflects on her own experience with severe depression, from which she recovered through immersing herself in a daily yoga routine. Yoga for Depression is the first yoga book devoted exclusively to the treatment of these debilitating conditions. Amy Weintraub will help readers see their suffering and themselves in a vibrant new light.

A toolkit of “no mat” yoga strategies for you and your clients. Drawing on her study of multiple traditions and lineages—from ancient yoga practices to current neuroscientific research on yoga benefits and contraindications—Weintraub presents a compendium of guided breathing exercises, meditations, self-inquiry practices, relaxation exercises, and simple postural adjustments that can readily accompany and complement psychotherapy—no mat or difficult postures required! Therapists learn exactly how to introduce these simple practices into a session, all within the comfort of their therapy room, no prior yoga training or experience necessary. Weintraub shows therapists how to introduce and apply a full range of yogic approaches: targeted breathing practices called pranayama that meet the present mood and bring it into balance; healing hand gestures called mudras; special sounds and tones called mantras; guided imagery and affirmation; yogic self-inquiry, and much more. Clinical stories and anecdotes explore how these yoga-based interventions, rooted in a firm, evidence-based foundation, can be used as effective treatments for a particular mood or mental state. With over 50 photographs that clearly illustrate the practices and gestures, detailed, step-by-step instructions, and scripts for guided relaxation and meditations, Yoga Skills for Therapists is a practical, hands-on guide that teaches the power of basic yoga techniques to bring great self-awareness, balance, and lasting well-being to you and your clients.

Now beginners, experts, and teachers alike can make rejuvenating meditations part of daily life with this beautifully illustrated deck of fifty yoga poses and meditations. Each easy-to-use card gives detailed instructions, benefits, and an affirmation. If you're short on time, you can pick just a single card, or for a more guided experience, follow one of the sequences provided. Create an exercise routine that focuses on your specific needs. In the park or at the office, these portable cards are perfect for stress relief, promoting strength and energy, and relaxation--anytime, anywhere.

Stretch the mindful way with this all-encompassing guide to Yin Yoga. In today's fast-paced world it's easy to lose the balance in our lives and the connection with our bodies. DK believes it's time to change that! Yin Yoga offers a remedy to the stress and hustle of everyday life. Heard of the term but don't know where to begin? No worries, we've got you covered! The same way that Yin balances Yang in ancient philosophies, the slower yin-style yoga featured in this yoga book offers an alternative to the faster more active forms of yoga. Instead, Yin yoga concentrates on holding and breathing through floor-based poses, awarding you with the time and space to clear both your mind and body. Dive straight in to discover: -Over 50 poses focusing on specific areas of the body -Each yoga pose is demonstrated with photographic step-by-step detail -20 sequences linking the poses, tailored to your physical and emotional targets -Introductory spreads covering the basic techniques behind Yin Yoga The first full-coloured step-by-step Yin yoga book on the market, this all-encompassing yoga guide is a must-have volume for individuals seeking a mindful and meditative approach to their yoga practice, as well as beginners and older yoga practitioners who are looking to adopt a slower-paced approach to yoga. You can explore gentle variations to much-loved yoga poses, from the comfort of your own home. Every exercise utilises the essential elements of Yin yoga to ensure you can gain all the physical and mental benefits, and will also allow you to perform all 20 sequences, which combine over 50 different poses into one singular experience and focus on specific health benefits each pose has on your body. For years, books on yoga have asked readers to bend over backwards (literally!) to conform to their physical demands. At DK, we believe it's time to change that! Why not allow for readers to demand that yoga conform to their individual needs instead? This is gentle yoga for the mind, body and soul. A must-have volume for those who want to take up Yoga but don't know where to begin, or simply those seeking to start a gentle low-impact exercise whilst encouraging mindfulness, Yin Yoga can be tailored to your individual fitness needs, so you make the most out of your poses! Why not stretch yourself, literally, this New Year and try something new? Perhaps your mind, body and soul will thank you!

Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone describes an original model of "Nervous System Informed, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga," (NITYA), a synthesis of classical yoga, somatic psychotherapy, and neuroscience research. It is organized around the eight branches of Raja Yoga, and includes scripts for administering NITYA chair yoga postures, breathing practices, and yoga nidra (the yogic sleep). These can be used by helping professionals with all levels of familiarity with yoga. The book is needed for several reasons: for mental health professionals, it offers a comprehensive overview of yoga philosophy and practices, as well as yoga-based options for working with the client's embodied experience, a major element in trauma healing. For yoga professionals and practitioners, it provides insight into the natural integration of yoga with polyvagal theory and other current approaches in the field of somatic psychology. Both professions are currently being enriched by data from the field of neuropsychology that describes brain function, in real time, in various mental and emotional states. This data supports yoga's effectiveness in regulating the autonomic nervous system, a key to trauma recovery.

"Simple yoga practices to help kids move through big emotions"--Container