Yoga Student Handbook

An accessible guide on the history, anatomy and philosophy behind yoga, showing how yoga students can develop and grow their personal practice. By offering students and teacher trainees guidance on how to move on to the next stage in their learning, this practical companion helps to deepen their understanding of holistic yoga practice. Including insights from renowned yoga professionals, including Lizzie Lasater, Andrew McGonigle, Graham Burns, Tarik Dervish and more, this book offers practical ways to hone yoga skills and knowledge. Covering everything from how to use your breath and the different styles of yoga, to what to expect from yoga teacher training, this is an essential handbook for all students and trainee teachers of yoga.

An excellent resource for teachers and students of yogasana, medical professionals, and bodywork practitioners, A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers presents novel aspects of physiology and neuroscience as they apply to the practice of yoga. If you have ever wondered why we do yogasana as we do, you will likely find the answers within these pages. Endorsements "A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers provides a lucid blending of Eastern and Western science that helps us understand the human body from both perspectives! It is a major contribution to both medicine and yoga." Rajvi Mehta, editor, Yoga Rahasya, Mumbai "This book is quite obviously the result of extensive thought and effort on the part of the author. It contains a wide range of information, blending present-day anatomy and physiology with knowledge of yoga from ancient texts." Dr. Shirley Telles, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore "There is a paucity of books such as this handbook ... I liked the colorful descriptions and stories interspersed throughout." Lois Steinberg, teacher and therapist, Iyengar Yoga Institute of Champaign-Urbana "The book is unique in its mixture of scientific explanation and practical application ... As a practicing Iyengar teacher with no medical background, I have had little choice but to accept the words of B. K. S. and Geeta Iyengar in their description of the effects and benefits of poses ... I have had no reason to doubt them, but when teaching students with a Western mind, it helps to present them with a 'scientific reason' why." Renata Cardinal, certified Iyengar yoga teacher, Watchung Yoga Arts Center, New Jersey "Mel Robin's labor of love has combined his knowledge of modern anatomy and physiology and traditional yoga beliefs (mostly in the Iyengar tradition) together with personal opinion and analysis based on years of teaching and practice within this tradition. By painstakingly collecting this material together, he has done a great service to the yoga community, especially those with an interest in yoga therapy and the intersection between yoga and Western medicine." Dr. Ruth Gilmore, faculty, Yoga Therapy Centre, London "A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers is useful for yoga teachers and serious yoga students who wish to bridge their understanding of Western and Eastern concepts. It may help practitioners of other Eastern methods of healing find ways to explain what they are doing to Western students or clients. Western doctors who want to understand Eastern healing methods will find the book extremely beneficial." Jessie Thompson, director, the Yoga Loft of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

This trusted companion offers help and guidance on the day-to-day practicalities of teaching and running a yoga business. Including insights from renowned yoga professionals, including Liz Lark, Lizzie Lasater, Andrew McGonigle, Katy Appleton and Tarik Dervish and more, this book offers practical ways to hone teaching skills. It features topics such as working with common injuries and conditions, breath, sequencing, incorporating philosophy and myth into class, and the links between yoga and Qigong and Ayurveda. It also provides key information on how to get the most out of a yoga business, with advice on setting up and running a studio, and planning and leading retreats.

The Student's Manual of Yoga Anatomy is the essential guide for anyone looking to understand the importance of doing yoga poses correctly in order to maximize the benefit and avoid pain and injury. With the guidance of Sally Parkes and Joanna Culley, students and instructors glean a simple and clear understanding of the practice of yoga. Work through 50 step-by-step illustrated poses (asanas) that are perfect for working through each section of the body. Including an overview of the musculoskeletal system to explain the body systems and terminology discussed. Then it deeply introduces yoga, looking at the styles of Hatha yoga, movements of the spine and its axis points, how levers change the intensity of each asana, types of muscle activity, and the science of breathing. Full-color anatomical illustrations and clear, concise text of 50 common yoga asanas make the science easy to understand, and allow a deeper understanding of yoga and how it works with the body, allowing readers to easily apply what they learn to their own practice. Clear notes describe the type of muscle activation, plane of movement, axis of the spine, and options for practical modifications to allow for individual ability and injury rehabilitation. You'll also discover a list of sequences to link the asanas together to form a complete workout routine for a healthy lifestyle.

THIS IS THE BLACK AND WHITE EDITION. There are a lot of yoga books available today. Some focus on anatomy, some on philosophy, and some on teaching. However, none of them cover it all. Until now. Deepening Your Practice pulls the most critical information from more than 50 of the best books and teachers I've found, combined with thousands of hours of experience as a yoga teacher and studio owner to create the only yoga book many students will ever need.

The sacrum, or lower back, is an incredibly powerful part of the human anatomy. It’s what enables you to stand upright and tall, it unites your upper and lower body, it roots you to the earth—and it is one of the most common areas where people experience chronic pain and discomfort. Yoga practice can have a transformative effect on lower back problems: it allows the body to gain the range of movement and flexibility that short-circuits the mind’s perception of limitation and pain. Yoga for a Healthy Lower Back will help you understand lower back pain and heal it through gentle exercises that can be done even by those with no previous yoga experience. Liz Owen describes the anatomy of the sacrum and the region around it, including the hips and lumbar spine, and illuminates both the Western and Eastern approaches to understanding back pain. She then provides simple, easy-to-learn sequences of yoga poses for general sacrum health and then for specific issues or conditions such as pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and arthritis, among others.

This handbook guides yoga teachers and trainees in how to approach teaching students with common injuries and health conditions safely, confidently, and in a manner that empowers students. Dr Andrew McGonigle combines his medical background with extensive knowledge of yoga to address common injuries in detail with an in-depth review of anatomy. The book describes the psychology of pain and injury with reference to the latest research on pain and biomechanics. It also provides advice and tips on how to modify yoga techniques to suit the needs of students with injuries. Detailed illustrations throughout the book provide a visual guide to support understanding. This book is part of the series 'Yoga Teaching Guides', which provides expert information on essential topics as well as ideas for creative teaching.