A longtime yoga instructor reveals how to manage pain, relieve stress, and promote relaxation through the gentle and meditative practices of restorative yoga
Whether you have five minutes or an hour, taking time out of each day to relax and renew is essential to living well. This book presents nurturing physical postures and breathing techniques called restorative yoga. When practiced regularly, they will help you heal the effects of chronic stress, recover from illness or injury, balance energy, and quiet the mind.
With clear instructions and photographs, Relax and Renew gently guides the experienced practitioner and enthusiastic beginner—regardless of age, flexibility, or strength—in techniques that will ease your way through this hectic world. Judith Lasater draws from decades of experience to provide readers with:
• A general restorative sequence
• Programs for back pain, headaches, insomnia, jet lag, and breathing problems
• Guidance for women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause
• Routines for when time is limited, including one for the office
• Practical suggestions that help you prevent stress and live more fully in the present moment
And much more!
My work as a yoga therapist is greatly influenced by the author's books and knowledge. This particular book is great as it breaks out different needs for different people.
Libro davvero bellissimo.
Understanding that these forms help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system [PSNS] and thus counter the overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system [SNS] that is a chronic problem in our stressful society has given me added incentive to do these forms. And I enjoy them, too.
I am so grateful for this book! The author says she was inspired to write this book after a person close to her died, and when she had insomnia.I believe she put her heart into it, because the book is really fantastic.
I use it every day, and it covers the most important issues related to stress that you may have problem with.
I use the basic routine with chosen 4-5 poses every day right after work. Sometimes, as today, I felt my breath was a little bit disrupted, and I did some poses from the routine for difficulties in breathing. It really worked miracles!
I got rid of this heavy feeling in my chest, my eyes don't hurt anymore and energy level is so much higher, just after about 20 minutes!
The poses are thoroughly explained and the pictures show the poses. You don't need a lot of props, but you should have basic ones like yoga bolster or strap. Although, Judith has som alternative ideas if you don't have them.
The only drawback is that some pages fell out quite soon after I started using the book. But this is the publisher's fault, so it is still 5 stars, and I would give 10 if I could! This book helps me to mantain mental balance and renew my body every day. Thank you Judith...
It is easy to follow and is well written.
If you are interested in restorative yoga, buy this book.
Like most (younger) folks, I didn't pay much attention to Restorative Yoga ... that was, until I came across this book & tested out a few of the poses for myself.
First, Lasater's writing style is very informative without being complicated. You feel supported & encouraged by her simply intelligent choice of words.
Second, though most of the poses in the various chapters are just slightly different versions of the ones before it, the variety of sequences & their supportive purposes are good for a lifetime.
Third, the poses work, plain & simple. Try them all & I'm sure you will find a favorite (mine is Supported Bound-Angle Pose using sandbags instead of a strap). Whether you are used to practicing with a live Yoga teacher or not, Lasater's details for setting up, moving into, settling into, and coming out of each pose leave you confident that you can practice any restorative sequence on your own.
I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of Lasater's other 7 books, but I certainly want to read them all after my delightful experience with this tome. This is one of those books that you keep on your shelf for life, re-reading & using it more than often.
She is extremely detailed about use of props (and how to make your own), how to safely get into the position; what to pay attention to, how to breathe while in the position, how to vary it for various needs, and the length of time to spend in it; and how to get safely out of the position. She puts the asanas together in various workouts (which I tend to ignore), and notes which ones are key and can be used on their own as a relaxation yoga session (which I appreciate!).
The whole book can be viewed as relaxation poses, for those who want something more than corpse pose! I HIGHLY recommend this to friends and relatives, especially those who cannot handle the type of exercise (yoga or otherwise) that they used to.
So, perfect!!
And the book is great.
Thank you!