Product Description

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 only relieving 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40673 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-03
• Released on: 2002-12-03
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, 1.98 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From Booklist
Sparrowe, former editor of Yoga Journal, has teamed up with one of the most preeminent yoga instructors in the country, Walden, to put together a comprehensive guide to yoga for women. The book contains numerous yoga sequences and photos and is designed to be a lifelong reference guide for female practitioners. Basic sequences for women are covered as well as recommended sequences for pregnancy and menstruation. The chapters for later stages of life are particularly helpful, with sequences addressing such issues as erratic mood swings and hot flashes. Sparrowe and Walden are frank about their own experiences with aging and also draw on the experiences of other seasoned yoga practitioners to provide honest, practical advice. The book covers many other health issues, with relevance to both men and women, such as eating disorders, back problems, depression, and immune system disorders. Jane Tuma
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"You'll find an amazing range of women's health concerns addressed here. . . . It deserves a spot on your bookshelf next to other well-worn health references."—Natural Health



"The definitive guide to yoga and women's health."—Yoga Journal

"Linda and Patricia have compiled an essential book—both for women who practice yoga and for all yoga teachers. The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is a vital, inspiring guide for women in all stages of life."—Rodney Yee, author of Yoga: The Poetry of the Body



"A thorough and compassionate guide to achieving a healthy, balanced life for women of all ages—inspiring and empowering."—Kathryn Arnold, Editor-in-Chief, Yoga Journal



"A magnificent invitation for all to enjoy the many levels of hatha yoga. Both clear and creative, this book is a must for all students and teachers."—Lilias Folan, host of the groundbreaking PBS series Lilias, Yoga and You



"In The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health, Linda and Patricia give us practical methods for developing a steady and joyous relationship to our own feminine bodies, to the earth, and to the Divine Mother. These are the voices of two ordinary women who have done extraordinary things and who are sharing their findings without pretension. They speak from the heart."—Sharon Cannon, creator of Jivamukti Yoga



"Women everywhere will be grateful for this book. It's immensely practical, user friendly, and yet it still manages to reverberate with the central mystery of yoga: the possibility of living authentically, wildly, and passionately in our resilient, powerful, at times frail, and always aging bodies."—Stephen Cope, Senior Scholar in Residence, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self

About the Author
Linda Sparrowe has written numerous articles on women's health, herbs, and complementary medicine, as well as on yoga and Pilates. She is the former managing editor of Yoga Journal and is now a contributing editor. She is also author of Yoga Journal's book, Yoga, featuring the beauty of yoga poses.

Customer Reviews

who knew?
... this book reminded me how easy it was to get back in touch with myself, to relax and to understand what my body was up to. i really like sparrowe's almost conversational tone. it is accessible, and kind of fun to read as well as being full of useful information. i have a feeling i'll refer to this book for the rest of my life.

A worthy, commendable and unique effort
A yoga book focusing on women hasn't been that many in the past. This book solely focuses on women, the various phases in life of a women, the problems (and pleasures) in those phases. Studying Yoga and applying to these various phases is a commendable and worthy effort. The authors have done a great job overall.

As a Yoga Teacher I find this book indispensible considering the fact 90% of yoga students are women. It helped me understand many aspects of the women's body as one ages.

Each phase in a women's life is analyzed and appropriate yoga postures and practices are recommended. There is three main sequences of postures applicable generally to women of all ages - essential, energizing and restorative.

If you read the book in one go you may walk away with the impression that there isn't much difference; but where this book will be more useful is for the women who looks to Yoga to address the particular phase she is in.

If you are a woman starting yoga or a yoga teacher, you want to have this book in your library.

a guide for women that works
I teach yoga in a high school and also in a private studio. The majority of my students are female and I have found this book to be a wealth of information. I have developed a curriculum that meets the needs of all my women, from teens with PMS to seniors with arthritis. No, you don't need to invest in lots of props, pillows, blankets, men's ties, all these work in lieu of (purchasing) props. I have seen how my students have come to appreciate and respect their bodies. Thank you Linda and Patricia.