In this essential guide for the 10 million Americans who practice yoga and for the many more who begin every day, each of the five parts contains a series of fully illustrated yoga poses, with benefits that stretch beyond mere fitness.

Let the modern authority on yoga guide you on the most important journey you'll ever take. As people search for inner peace amid increasingly hectic lives, the practice of yoga continues to gain popularity. Yoga means to yoke, or to bring together, the various aspects of the self -- body, mind, and spirit -- and while the physical and mental benefits of yoga are truly astounding, to many people the idea of yoga is intimidating. In fact, nothing could be easier than starting a yoga practice, and Yoga Zone Introduction to Yoga is the perfect guide. In the first section, Yoga Master Alan Finger offers a brief history of the different types of yoga and how they are practiced in the West, including an explanation of the ISHTA yoga that Alan created and that is taught at Yoga Zone. You'll learn about the benefits of yoga and how to prepare for a practice with different breathing exercises. Next Alan outlines two series of beginner postures, accompanying each pose with detailed instructions on how to achieve it, along with tips and modifications for various fitness levels. All the exercises are fully illustrated and the text is instructional yet friendly, in the tradition of a Yoga Zone studio class. Following the postures, there's a special section on relaxation and meditation, cornerstones of any yoga practice. Packed with personality and full of valuable information, Yoga Zone Introduction to Yoga will introduce you to a life of unlimited possibilities and infinite joy.

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.

Millions of people practice some form of yoga, but they often do so without a clear understanding of its history, traditions, and purposes. This comprehensive bibliography, designed to assist researchers, practitioners, and general readers in navigating the extensive yoga literature, lists and comments upon English-language yoga texts published since 1981. It includes entries for more than 2,400 scholarly as well as popular works, manuals, original Sanskrit source text translations, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author for easy access, while thorough author, title, and subject indexes will help readers find books of interest.

As one of the largest and most successful yoga-based retreat and education centers in the world, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, attracts many of the leading teachers of yoga and Buddhist meditation to its annual retreat, East meets East: Yoga & Buddhism. In Will Yoga & Meditation Really Change My Life? Stephen Cope brings to the printed page the fascinating dialogue that he has fostered in these retreats. Cope asks participating teachers to share their Tales from the Path, stories of how the long-term practice of these ancient traditions has changed their lives. The result is an inspirational volume featuring 26 distinct voices telling their stories, how they became interested in these traditions, the teachers who inspired them, and how the practice of yoga and meditation has shaped their lives and perspectives. The contributors, many of whom are authors of well-known books on these topics, speak of their experiences as real people living in our complex world, complete with spouses, children, aging parents, financial demands, illnesses, injuries, and all of the ordinary aggravations of everyday life. Many of these teachers have studied and explored the practice of yoga or meditation over the course of 30 years and have been pivotal in creating retreat centers, styles of yoga, and teaching techniques that have contributed to the widespread popularity of these practices in mainstream culture. The stories of these teachers ask the questions, What is possible for me, in my life, right now? How can my practice of yoga and meditation help me lead a more satisfying life? These are questions on which every spiritual seeker and practitioner of yoga and meditation inevitably must reflect.

A comprehensive introduction to yoga geared to men of all ages and backgrounds—whether they're athletic or sedentary, young or old, devotees of yoga seek new information to enhance their existing practices or neophytes just starting out of their yoga journals.

For more than 30 years, Yoga Journal has been helping readers achieve the balance and well-being they seek in their everyday lives. With every issue,Yoga Journal strives to inform and empower readers to make lifestyle choices that are healthy for their bodies and minds. We are dedicated to providing in-depth, thoughtful editorial on topics such as yoga, food, nutrition, fitness, wellness, travel, and fashion and beauty.