An innovative yoga manual for teachers, trainers, and advanced students—craft a safer, more effective yoga practice informed by anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics.Supplemented with more than 100 illustrations and photos, The Yoga Engineer’s Manual makes yoga anatomy simple, clear, and accessible. With tips, tools, and practical advice for on-the-mat applications, this essential resource is written for yoga teachers and practitioners of all traditions. It offers a step-by-step, layer-by-layer examination of the connection between our physical and energetic bodies, their activation through finding one’s best personal alignment, and methods for utilizing asana practice to explore the deeper nature of the Self. To experience the full benefits of yoga, author and yoga teacher trainer Richelle Ricard explains that we need to start with understanding the body: its mechanics, physiology, and our own individual strengths and limitations. Too often, outdated yoga modalities and rote memorization fail trainers and students with a one-size-fits-all approach. The Yoga Engineer’s Manual introduces the functional anatomy, postures, asanas, and yoga-classroom skills that teachers need to confidently lead safeand effective classes that work for all students. Ricard also includes exercises, study guides, and supplemental materials for an interactive and continuous learning experience.
What can any one of us--as ordinary citizens--really do about climate change? A lot!Advocating for the Environment is based on a vision where all life is respected, revered, and nurtured. The shifts we need to achieve this vision are profound--from how we do business to how we educate, govern, and care--for all people and life on the planet. Written by environmental policy expert Susan B. Inches, Advocating for the Environment is an easy-to-understand, empowering guide to help you take action and enact environmental change.Part I begins with how we must learn to think differently in order to achieve this vision and heal the planet. It discusses storytelling, empathy, worldviews, and how understanding and effective communication can help us collaborate with others--even those with opposing views. And it shows the important role that citizen advocates play in achieving a healthy future.Part II of the book is all about action. How to use power for good, work with decision-makers, organize events, manage a coalition, communicate with the public, and work with the media are all laid out in an easy-to-read and easy-to-reference format. The book also includes case studies, research, and templates to deepen learning. Professors and teachers, students, legislators, environmental clubs, and church groups will also find useful ideas and strategies on every page. Advocating for the Environment is a guide to environmental action that readers will want to read and keep for reference for years to come.
A spiritual, political, and interdisciplinary anthology of wisdom stories from Black liberation leaders and teachers.Afrikan Wisdom represents an intersectional, cross-pollinated exploration of Black life--past, present, and future. Award-winning author and editor Valerie Mason-John (Vimalasara)''s collection of 34 essays--written by an eclectic and inspirational group of Black thought leaders and teachers--reflects on the unique and multilayered experience of being Black in the world today. This anthology instills in readers the knowledge, awareness, validation, and spiritual tools necessary to nurture both individual and collective liberation. It is both an inspiration and a motivation for Black readers, as well as anyone else interested in reading about emerging spiritual voices. Topics include: • African and Afro-Diasporan cultures, histories, spiritualities, art, music, and literature • Black radical traditions of liberation and consciousness • Anticolonialism and antislavery • Buddhist philosophy • Social and environmental justice • The prison industrial complex and mass incarceration • (Kemetic) yoga, healing, and mindfulness • Intersections with Indigenous cultures • Addiction and recovery • Transgenerational trauma
This clear, step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of Bagua Zhang lays out the principles, practices, and underlying philosophy of this cerebral and sophisticated Chinese internal martial art. Leading readers from the most basic precepts of Bagua Zhang practice to advanced techniques, Kent Howard draws on his deep understanding of the art and his decades of teaching to set students on a path toward mastery. While Bagua Zhang is often perceived as a complex martial art that is difficult to learn, Howard breaks it down into clear and easily absorbed principles and exercises that beginners can master and incorporate into higher levels of practice at their own pace. Numerous easy-to-follow photographs illustrate core practices such as circle-walking, post standing, and palm changes, as well as foundandational techniques of posture and alignment, fluid motion, generating whole-body power, absorbing and redirecting energy, striking while in motion, and much more. In addition to providing a solid foundation for a lifetime practice, Bagua Zhang Fundamentals also offers more advanced practitioners valuable tips on how to increase their knowledge and understanding of this multifaceted martial art.
A holistic method for practicing hot yoga that offers a new series of postures based on a modern understanding of anatomy and movement.Hot Yoga for Human Beings is a bold new book for ritualized hot yoga practice that is built on a 21st century understanding of bodily movement, a love of the natural world, hard work, and a whole lot of sweat! It also shines light on the vital though often-ignored questions at the very heart of every yoga practice: Why should we do it in the first place? And how does such an ancient system fit into our modern world? Author, practitioner, and teacher Kyle Ferguson has created a new sequence of forty hot yoga postures that reflects contemporary medical science and embraces evolution, both biological and technological. The poses described in this book are accompanied by photos, illustrations, and instructions, as well as a deep exploration into their anatomical and philosophical foundations. Ferguson challenges the long-held belief that all yoga poses are good for all people. He also opens up a vital conversation regarding the principles of embodiment and interconnectedness in yoga. More than just a practice guide, Hot Yoga for Human Beings is an investigation of ideas. It encourages a new exploration of the social nature of human beings, emphasizes the harmony between physical design and mental process, and explores the philosophy of embodiment and the spiritual value of practice.
An inspirational argument for the creation of a new pilgrimage tradition in the United States.Pilgrimage is a sacred tradition that has existed around the world for centuries. Every year, hundreds of thousands of devotees from different cultures and faiths around the world embark on journeys to such holy sites as Santiago de Compostela, Mecca, or Benares, each with different intentions or goals in mind. For some making a pilgrimage is an act of devotion, while for others it is a more secular experience of personal restoration, time spent in nature, and a chance to experience community. And yet, while pilgrimage sites have long existed in other countries, there has never existed a tradition of pilgrimage within the United States.In this book, James E. Mills makes the inspiring case for the creation of a network of walking pilgrimage routes across the country. As more personalized spiritual beliefs emerge today, American pilgrimage routes offer the potential to heal societal divisions while also fostering a new ethos of humanitarianism and environmentalism. Those of us who are concerned about our future will discover that pilgrimage holds the potential for connecting and protecting our natural world. The author also addresses the many practical considerations for future American pilgrimage routes, including their creation, development, ownership and administration. Pilgrimage Pathways for the United States will appeal to anyone considering a personal pilgrimage, whether for spiritual or secular reasons. Environmentalists, religious officials, interfaith clergy, political leaders, community developers and activists will find both inspiration and motivation in Mills's thought provoking discussion.
Harnessing the power of fandom--from Game of Thrones to The Legend of Zelda--to conquer anxiety, heal from depression, and reclaim balance in mental and emotional health.Modern mythologies are everywhere--from the Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the dragons of Game of Thrones. Where once geek culture was niche and hidden, fandom characters and stories have blasted their way into our cineplexes, bookstores, and streaming systems. They help us make sense of our daily lives--and they can also help us heal. Mental health therapists and Starship Therapise podcast hosts Larisa A. Garski and Justine Mastin offer a self-help guide to the mental health galaxy for those who have been left out in more traditional therapy spaces: geeks, nerds, gamers, cosplayers, introverts, and all of their friends.Starship Therapise explores the ways in which narratives and play inform the shape of our lives, inviting readers to embrace radical self-care with lessons from Westworld's Maeve and Dolores, explore anxiety with Miyazaki, and understand narrative therapy with Arya Stark. Spanning fandom from Star Wars to Harry Potter, The Legend of Zelda to Steven Universe, and everywhere in between, Starship Therapise is an invitation to explore mental health and emotional wellness without conforming to mainstream social constructions.Insights from comics like Uncanny X-Men, Black Panther, Akira, Bitch Planet, The Wicked + Divine, and Batman offer avenues to growth and self-discovery alongside explorations of the triumphs and trials of heroes, heroines, and beloved characters from Star Wars, Wuthering Heights, The Lord of the Rings, The Broken Earth trilogy, Mass Effect, Fortnite, Minecraft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Star Trek. Each chapter closes with a hands-on mindfulness, meditation, or yoga exercise to inspire reflection, growth, and the mind-body-fandom connection.
Tapping into the political power of magic and astrology for social, community, and personal transformation.In a cross-cultural approach to understanding astrology as a magical language, Alice Sparkly Kat unmasks the political power of astrology, showing how it can be channeled as a force for collective healing and liberation.Too often, magic and astrology are divorced from their potency and cultural contexts: co-opted by neoliberalism, used as a force of oppression, or distilled beyond recognition into applications that belie their individual and collective power. By looking at the symbolic and etymological histories of the sun, moon, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, we can trace and understand the politics of magic--and challenge our own practices, interrogate our truths, and reshape our institutions to build better frameworks for communities of care.Fearless, radical, and fresh, Sparkly Kat's Postcolonial Astrology ushers in a new wave of astrology revival, refusing to apologize for its magickism and connecting its power to the spirituality and politics we need now. Intersectional, inclusive, and geared towards queer and POC communities, it uses our historical and collective constructs of the planets, sun, and moon to re-chart our subconscious history, redefine the body in the world, and assert our politics of the personal, in astrology and all things.
The definitive guide to the medicinal plant knowledge of Ashkenazi herbal healers--from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.Until now, the herbal traditions of the Ashkenazi people have remained unexplored and shrouded in mystery. Ashkenazi Herbalism rediscovers the forgotten legacy of the Jewish medicinal plant healers who thrived in Eastern Europe''s Pale of Settlement, from their beginnings in the Middle Ages through the modern era.Including the first materia medica of 26 plants and herbs essential to Ashkenazi folk medicine, Ashkenazi Herbalism sheds light on the preparations, medicinal profiles, and applications of a rich but previously unknown herbal tradition--one hidden by language barriers, obscured by cultural misunderstandings, and nearly lost to history. Written for new and established practitioners, it offers illustrations, provides information on comparative medicinal practices, and illuminates the important historical and cultural contexts that gave rise to Eastern European Jewish herbalism.Part I introduces a brief history of the Ashkenazim and provides an overview of traditional medicine among Eastern European Jews. Part II offers a comparative overview of healing customs among Jews of the Pale of Settlement, their many native plants, and the remedies applied by local healers to treat a range of illnesses. This materia medica names each plant in Yiddish, English, Latin, and other relevant languages, and the book also details a brief history of medicine; the roles of the ba''alei shem, feldshers, opshprekherins, midwives, and brewers; and the remedy books used by Jewish healers.
An illustrated guide to the core design principles of the body’s musculoskeletal system—for kinesiologists, movement therapists, yoga teachers, dancers, and bodyworkers of all kindsWhat does knowledge of anatomical structure have to do with preventing everyday muscular aches, pains, and injuries? According to Dr. Theodore Dimon, everything!Our bodies are designed to work holistically, supported by an intelligently organized system of muscles, bones, and connective tissue. So when we target problem spots by stretching, relaxing, or strengthening individual muscles, we bypass the dynamic, interconnected network that enables healthy functioning and injury prevention. Understanding how this system works in action is the key.In this groundbreaking guide, Dr. Dimon describes the basic principles that govern our bodies’ musculoskeletal architecture and provides practical exercises to activate specific muscle groups and demonstrate our bodies’ efficient holistic function. Readers will learn about dynamic design and the body in action, including: How the musculoskeletal system works as a wholeThe relationship between proprioception and muscle lengthAbout maximizing spinal, shoulder, hip, arm, and leg stability and healthThe important role of breath and breathingAbout posture and musculoskeletal support With more than 300 illustrations, this is an ideal resource for students and practitioners of kinesiology, bodywork, movement, sport kinesiology, dance, and all readers searching for a dynamic guide to the human body.
A must-read for modern sanghas--Asian American Buddhists in their own words, on their own terms.Despite the fact that two thirds of U.S. Buddhists identify as Asian American, mainstream perceptions about what it means to be Buddhist in America often whitewash and invisibilize the diverse, inclusive, and intersectional communities that lie at the heart of American Buddhism.Be the Refuge is both critique and celebration, calling out the erasure of Asian American Buddhists while uplifting the complexity and nuance of their authentic stories and vital, thriving communities. Drawn from in-depth interviews with a pan-ethnic, pan-Buddhist group, Be the Refuge is the first book to center young Asian American Buddhists'' own voices. With insights from multi-generational, second-generation, convert, and socially engaged Asian American Buddhists, Be the Refuge includes the stories of trailblazers, bridge-builders, integrators, and refuge-makers who hail from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds.Championing nuanced representation over stale stereotypes, Han and the 89 interviewees in Be the Refuge push back against false narratives like the Oriental monk, the superstitious immigrant, and the banana Buddhist--typecasting that collapses the multivocality of Asian American Buddhists into tired, essentialized tropes. Encouraging frank conversations about race, representation, and inclusivity among Buddhists of all backgrounds, Be the Refuge embodies the spirit of interconnection that glows at the heart of American Buddhism.
Meet Sippy, the world''s last plastic strawSippy, a plastic straw who was used once and then discarded, worries what will happen to him when he realizes he can''t be recycled. As he flies, floats, and flutters around the planet, he meets animals who are struggling with the plastic problem. He chats with a raccoon with a six-pack ring around his neck, a cardinal whose nest is made entirely of junk, turtles who confuse grocery bags with food, a hermit crab forced to live in a plastic cap, and a startled duck who runs around with a chip bag on her head. Finally, Sippy is swallowed by a hungry whale who is dining on ocean trash! Just when all hope seems lost, he skyrockets to freedom and calls out "Together we can fix this! Let''s clean our world--let''s try!"Parents and teachers of children 7 to 10 years old can use Sippy''s colorful adventure--based on real examples of animals in our environment--to raise awareness about the impacts of plastics on nature and to teach children about alternatives to single-use plastics.
An intersectional guide to building resilience and reclaiming joyWith so much information available on how to build resilience--from meditation, exercise, and time in nature, to the latest neuroscience-backed studies--have you ever wondered what''s holding you back? If you commit to self-care but find yourself exhausted, unhappy, or anxious, do you wonder what''s missing?The fact is, we are all navigating an exhausting, disconnecting, do-more-buy-more culture that disproportionately harms those with marginalized identities and leads us to believe that our thriving depends solely on individual effort. Mainstream wellness culture doesn''t account for the ways that social oppression and economic injustice intersect to make resilience diffi cult for many of us to access in the first place. So, where do we begin? In this warm and accessible guide, Pakistani American therapist Anjuli Sherin provides a healing path to make thriving possible for everyone. Through compelling client stories and reflective exercises, she offers a culturally informed, body -centered model that shows us how cultivating self-nurturance, healthy boundaries, pleasure, and a soulful connection to the natural world can give us the generative energy needed to heal individual and collective trauma and shape our world from an inner magic called joyous resilience.
The Concise Book of Yoga Anatomy is the definitive guide to the study of yoga anatomy--a perfect companion book for any yoga teacher or practitioner seeking to understand the biomechanics of the body as it applies to yoga practice. The book is visually designed in quick reference format to offer useful information about the main skeletal muscles that are central to yoga, with asanas to demonstrate the particular muscles and muscle groups. Over 230 full color illustrations detail each muscle's origin, insertion, and action in order to clearly reveal how the muscles come into play in the movements and postures of yoga. Knowledge of yoga anatomy is paramount to the ability to teach or practice with no injury to oneself or others. With this foundation in place, it is possible to focus on the spiritual element of yoga as well as the physical. Yoga is a union of the two, so where appropriate, the more profound side of the practice is mentioned as it relates to the body. The Concise Book of Yoga Anatomy illustrates the form and function of the muscles first, then interlays the muscles into the yoga posture for full understanding in a clear and integrated way, explaining the technique of the asanas, as well as other important aspects of yoga: pranayamas, the bandhas, and chakras. Table of Contents About This Book 1 Anatomical Orientation 2 Muscles of Respiration 3 Muscles of the Face and Neck 4 Muscles of the Spine 5 The Deep Core and Pelvic Floor 6 Muscles of the Shoulder and Upper Arm 7 Muscles of the Forearm and Hand 8 Muscles of the Hip 9 Muscles of the Knee 10 Muscles of the Ankle/Foot Resources General Index Index of Muscles
Trigger points-tender, painful knots that develop in muscles and tissues-are a common cause of chronic pain. With more than a quarter of all Americans suffering from various types of daily chronic pain, it's estimated that these hyper-irritated hardened masses are the primary cause of pain 75 percent of the time. Sustained self-treatment is by far the most effective trigger point therapy. Pain Relief with Trigger Point Self-Help helps you understand and then treat your condition, leading to rapid, effective, and lasting pain relief. With full-color photos and illustrations throughout, it explains the physiology of trigger points and teaches you how to: • Locate your trigger points and understand "referred pain"• Prevent trigger points from forming by making simple lifestyle changes, practicing proper body mechanics, and addressing nutritional deficiencies • Treat trigger points by applying pressure and doing simple stretches• Understand common pain conditions for each area of the body Written for anyone wishing to successfully treat his or her own pain, the book is also an invaluable reference for any health-care provider whose patients suffer from either chronic or acute pain.
A never-before-seen volume of poetry by the preeminent poet laureate Herman Hesse--a beautiful companion to Seasons of the Soul and the author's better-known prose work.Organized into four parts--spring, summer, autumn, and winter--The Seasons of Life relates the transitions in nature to the organic progressions of human life from birth through death. From the mundane to the sublime, the spiritual to the political, and private feeling to expressed opinion, Hesse touches on the range of human experience, inviting the reader to consider both the beauty and what Hesse called the "adversities of life."Beloved by readers as a wise and open friend, Hesse offers in this never-before-translated volume an honest portrayal of a whole life: its lessons and mysteries, its glories and despairs. The poet's voice--so treasured in his novels among a worldwide English-speaking audience--can now be enjoyed through this new translation in the follow-up to Seasons of the Soul.
Discover the joys of mindful walking to find balance, build awareness, and engage body and mind.In 35 guided mindfulness walks, Glenn Berkenkamp invites us to discover how we sense, move, think, and feel in our bodies--and engage a greater sense of presence and being in our lives. Like any contemplative practice, through walking we can quiet our minds and come to know ourselves better, both within our bodies and the greater world outside ourselves. But with limitless competing demands on our time and energy, and hours spent in cars, walking (other than getting us from point A to point B, often while looking at a screen) has fallen by the wayside. Because of this, many profound opportunities for increased awareness and vitality are missed. By reframing the joys and opportunities presented to us by the act of walking, Glenn shows us how to become reflective and inwardly directed, even as we take in the world around us. Tuning into our muscles, movement patterns, and the way we hold our bodies and even our thoughts, we'll learn to develop greater bodily awareness for our walks and our walk through life, cultivating key mindfulness meditation skills. With the help of a Which Walks to Do When user guide that features walks for every occasion and emotion, Berkenkamp guides us on walks for expressing gratitude and affirmation; listening, grounding, and grieving walks; mindful dog walks; and more. He includes walks for any fitness level and walking ability, including children (and those who need assistance walking.With practical check-ins, guidance on which walks to do when, pre-walk checklists, and invitations to reflect and respond, walking becomes an approachable and fun activity for all. As we walk with Glenn, we walk to settle, clarify, and balance our bodies, minds, and spirits--and become more receptive and open to new perspectives and possibilities we didn't know were there.
An experiential guide to re-orienting our understanding of late adulthood as one of life's most meaningful and transformative stagesAging can bring new fears, challenges, and concerns. Loss of career, loved ones, or changing physical and cognitive abilities can leave us feeling isolated and scared. Sandi Peters shows us that growing older need not mean the end of personal growth. In fact, late adulthood can prove to be the most meaningful and transformative period of one's life. The key, says Peters, is the development of one's inner life, and with it a shift in one's relation to the aging process. The book draws on history, philosophy, psychology, gerontology, and spirituality to deepen and expand our understanding of what it means to grow old in the twenty-first century. Peters shares time-tested contemplative practices such as meditation, active imagination, dream work, and creative writing designed to enhance one's inner worlds and enable us to face life's inevitable changes with equanimity and insight. She offers practical advice on issues such as assisted living and home care, and a refreshingly new perspective on matters of memory and cognitive change.
An integrative approach to support your health and well-beingWhile Western medicine often relies on a one-size-size-fits-all approach to treating depression, Ayurveda offers an individualized, holistic model that draws upon five thousand years of scientific knowledge and practice to address depression systemically--restoring balance and nourishing mind, body, and spirit. The Ayurvedic anti-depression protocols outlined in this book can work alone or in concert with conventional therapies to help you develop a tailored plan that meets your unique needs. You'll learn how to identify your inborn and mental constitutions (prakruti and manas prakruti) to better understand the root causes of your condition. This book will empower you to create daily and seasonal routines using dietary adjustments, mind-body training, and herbal remedies to reawaken your body and cultivate the wisdom needed to heal from depression.
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