Hines Paula - Rest + Calm: Gentle yoga and mindful practices to nurture and restore yourself

GREEN TREE

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in Great Britain 2022

Paula Hines, 2022

Instagram: @ucanyoga1 / Website: ucanyoga.co.uk

Illustrations Chloe Smart, 2022

Instagram: @chloesmartprint / Website: chloesmartprint.com

Paula Hines has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work

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ISBN: 978-1-4729-9369-4 (PB)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-9368-7 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-9367-0 (ePDF)

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The information contained in this book is provided by way of general guidance in relation to the specific subject matters addressed herein, but it is not a substitute for specialist advice. It should not be relied on for medical, health-care, pharmaceutical or other professional advice on specific dietary or health needs, including pregnancy. This book is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health or any other kind of personal or professional services. The reader should consult a competent medical or health professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inference for it. The author and publisher specifically disclaim, as far as the law allows, any responsibility from any liability, loss or risk (personal or otherwise) that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and applications of any of the contents of this book.

For Mum, my brother and my grandmothers.

CONTENTS

I first met Paula Hines in 2017, while teaching a workshop in London. We had the chance to enjoy several conversations throughout the three-day weekend; I was struck by her vibrant dedication to the therapeutic applications of yoga for physical, emotional and social well-being. In the years since, I have had more opportunities to learn with Paula and to appreciate her contributions to the field of yoga.

A hallmark of Paulas body of work is its indivisibility from who she is personally and from the issues that matter to her, such as womens health and social justice. In an age where it is perhaps easy to be buffeted about by the interests of the moment, Paula has shown a steady allegiance to the dissemination of yogas deeper teachings. And despite the myriad pressures that modern Western yoga instructors face to teach physically challenging forms of yoga, Paula concentrates her energy on practices imbued with rest, self-care and restoration.

Paula has steeped in the traditions of yoga and mindfulness in a deep and meaningful way. Her other offerings are outgrowths of this: her passion for writing and regular column (Teachers Tales) in Om Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine. Her weekly Switch Off Sundays that encourage people to unplug from social media. Her workshops on menopause and perimenopause. Her communications on social justice.

Rest + Calm is a beautiful book, an extension of Paulas direct experience with contemplative practice in a rapidly changing world. Her 365 Savasana Project bears testimony to the fact that she has earned her teaching credibility through personal suffering, thoughtful reflection and breakthroughs. She has committed to the practices in this book in an ongoing and meaningful way. She has reflected upon them in her own svadhyaya (self-study). And she has adapted them for multiple needs and real-life demands so she can offer them to others. Paula is not simply a good writer; her experience weaves a tangible web of safety around the reader, a holding environment for growth and transformation.

Paula artfully integrates important background and context with key elements of yoga philosophy, such as the eight limbs of yoga and the koshas. She weaves in mindfulness philosophy and practices such as loving kindness meditation. She offers therapeutic sequences for a number of conditions and experiences, from insomnia and anxiety to grief and exhaustion and parenting all in a down-to-earth, accessible way.

of the book, Calm, offers an intricate and comprehensive section of pranayama and key additional practices: mudras, yoga nidra (yogic sleep), a body scan and a wonderful section on creating strong boundaries.

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown, the modern Western way of life is unsustainable. Anxiety, depression and PTSD are becoming pandemics of their own. We are in the midst of a global racial reckoning. Climate crisis and its resulting inequities are upon us. Authoritarianism is rising in multiple democratic countries.

The forces of dominant culture white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism exert on us a pressure to move faster, produce better, demand more from ourselves and others. As Paula poignantly shares, neither yoga teachers nor practitioners are immune to these forces. This gem of a book is a guide to powerful practices for rest, reflection, self-care and the tending of community. The insight it contains is not a luxury, but a physical, emotional and spiritual imperative.

Bo Forbes, Psy.D., E-RYT, C-IAYT

Boston, Massachusetts

September, 2021

You deserve rest even when especially when it feels like you have no time for it. And even when it feels like you have no time there are still ways to invite some calm into your day and improve your well-being.

Youve probably heard the phrase You cant pour from an empty cup. Thats true. Its hard to be at your best and give your best if youre not rested. If productivity is your goal, then yes, rest will help you to be more productive and efficient. But the purpose of rest is not to be more productive.

So often our value is tied to our productivity, but you are worthy regardless of how productive you are. Rest is essential, not just for our individual selves, but also for each other for our collective well-being. When we are not rested it is so much easier to go on autopilot and sleepwalk through life.

You deserve rest simply because you were born. Yes, you. Really.

Hands up if you have been socialised to believe that resting is lazy or only for when you have completed everything on your to-do list (newsflash: the to-do list never