Mary Nurriestearns - Yoga for Anxiety: Meditations and Practices for Calming the Body and Mind

Mary NurrieStearns, LCSW, RYT, is a psychotherapist and yoga teacher with a counseling practice in Tulsa, OK. She is author of numerous articles on psychospiritual growth and coeditor of the book Soulful Living. She has also produced audio CDs on yoga and meditation as healing practices. She teaches yoga, mindfulness, and meditation, leads transformational meditation and yoga retreats, and teaches seminars across the United States.

Rick NurrieStearns is a meditation teacher, coeditor of the book Soulful Living, and was the publisher of Personal Transformation, a magazine on psychospiritual growth. He has been immersed in consciousness studies for more than thirty-five years, working with the countrys leading authors and healers in transpersonal psychology. With Mary, he leads transformational meditation and yoga retreats.

Visit the NurrieStearnses online at www.PersonalTransformation.com.

Photographer Kim Shetter practices yoga and photography in northern California.

Feeling anxious is so much a part of modern life that we almost forget how limiting it can be. But not these authors. They offer us clear information and techniques for dealing with anxiety on a daily basis. They teach us what the brain does when we are anxious, and what we can do about it, by changing the focus of our thinking and getting us on the yoga mat and meditation cushion for time-honored practices. But mostly they give us readers the confidence that we can transcend our anxiety and lead richer and more enjoyable lives. Highly recommended for yoga teachers and others interested in the whole picture of anxiety, including the spiritual angst that usually accompanies it. I especially enjoyed the personal stories scattered throughout the book.

Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., PT, has been teaching yoga since 1971 and is author of eight books, including Yogabody

Writing in a clear, step-by-step format, Mary and Rick NurrieStearns provide simple practices to help identify and counteract negative thoughts, induce relaxation, develop awareness, reduce stress, and heal anxiety. The authors create a connection with the reader by using images and examples from everyday life that resonate with everyones experiences. Yoga for Anxiety integrates modern psychology with basic yoga practices, including postures, breathing, mindfulness, and meditation. In the early chapters, basic information suitable for beginners provides the foundation for more advanced material as the book progresses. For anyone suffering from anxiety, Yoga for Anxiety is a great place to begin the journey to recovery.

Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD, and Richard P. Brown, MD, coauthors of How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care

Yoga is one of the best-validated therapies in the entire field of integrative medicine. It is especially valuable because it addresses all we are: body, mind, and spirit. Yoga for Anxiety is an excellent guide for anyone seeking greater serenity, peace, and fulfillmentand who isnt?

Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Words and The Power of Premonitions

By combining traditional psychology with the deep teachings of yoga, Mary and Rick NurrieStearns help you move past anxiety in order to experience your true nature. Yoga for Anxiety clearly shows that when you are willing to mindfully face and release your anxiety, it actually becomes a doorway to deep inner freedom and happiness.

Michael A. Singer, author of The Untethered Soul

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Note to the reader

While yoga practices are empowering and safe, they are not substitutes for medical care. Sometimes yoga practices are most effective as supplemental self-care to counseling and medical advice. Professional treatment, including medications, can be helpful, especially if you have a history of trauma or intense anxiety. If you are receiving treatment for anxiety, please consult with your therapist or doctor before doing the practices in this book.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2010 by Mary NurrieStearns and Rick NurrieStearns

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes

Acquired by Jess OBrien

Edited by Nelda Street

Cover photo by Kim Shetter

Interior photos by Claussen Studios

All Rights Reserved

___________

Epub ISBN: 978-1-60882-607-0

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as:

NurrieStearns, Mary.

Yoga for anxiety : meditations and practices for calming the body and mind / Mary NurrieStearns and Rick NurrieStearns.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-1-57224-651-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-57224-651-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Stress management. 2. Yoga. 3. Anxiety. I. NurrieStearns, Rick, 1953- II. Title.

RA785.N87 2010

616.98--dc22

2009044376