Dawn Groves - Yoga for Busy People: Increase Energy and Reduce Stress in Minutes a Day

New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949

1995 Dawn Groves

Cover design: Greg Wittrock
Text design: TBH Typecast, Inc.
Typesetting: Stephanie Eichleay
Editorial: Gina Misiroglu
Illustrations: Marilynn Grant Barr

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, or transmitted in any form, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Groves, Dawn, 1955
Yoga for busy people : increase energy and reduce stress in
minutes a day / Dawn Groves.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-880032-47-3 : $10.95
1. Yoga, Hatha. I. Title.

RA781.7G76 1995 94-40501

613.7'046--dc20 CIP

First Printing, February, 1995
ISBN 1-880032-47-3
Printed in Canada on acid-free paper
Distributed by Publishers Group West
10 9 8

A completed book is a compendium of interest and effort from a number of important contributors. Thank you Alamaia, my first yoga teacher, not only for offering your vast knowledge, but for instilling in me a deep respect and love for yoga. Heartfelt thanks go to the sensitive, skilled yoga instructors who unselfishly reviewed and commented on the postures and techniques described in this text. Specifically, thank you Joan Bauer for your generous commentary and thoughtful support. Thank you Dr. Marilyn Hall-Day, founding minister at the New Thought Center for Creative Living, for your wholehearted belief in my work. And last but not least, thank you Janet Mills and Gina Misiroglu for your editorial instincts, insight, patience, and attention to detail. You make being edited almost pleasant.

The Sun Salutation

W hen I first heard about yoga, I was probably like most of the Western population. A part of me dwelled on the image of half-naked yogis folding themselves into human pretzels, another part conjured up serene thoughts of modern-day swamis, incense, and a kind of New Age spirituality. Through experience and discovery I quickly realized that neither of these images was correct. Yoga may be a centuries-old Eastern philosophy and art practiced by a variety of cultures, but it is also the finest, most adaptable form of combined physical and mental refreshment available today.

No longer confined to the realm of the mystic, yoga is shedding its exotic image and becoming recognized as a practical, powerful system of mind/body exercise appropriate for any age, any time frame. Medical establishments are using yoga to help prevent heart disease and treat injuries. Conservative businesses are integrating yoga into their daily course of events to manage stress and improve workplace productivity. Fitness instructors and mental health experts are advocating yoga as the practice of choice for busy business people who want to calm their minds, regenerate their bodies, and manage their lives with greater ease and joy. Yoga has taken its rightful place at the helm of todays busy and sophisticated lifestyle. And for good reason it works.

After sitting in front of a computer all day, you probably feel like your neck and shoulders could use some unwinding. Your mind could use a mental reprieve, because those ten-minute coffee breaks just dont seem to de-stress you anymore. And your back is so knotted that even a hot bath wont ease the ache. With just fifteen minutes of dedication a day, youll learn how yoga can help even the tightest neck and pinching lower back feel good again. The practice is explained in simple, no-nonsense terms, and illustrated with two posture sequences that take into account your many roles and packed schedule. A variety of suggestions is included to keep your motivation high and help you maintain your practice schedule. At the end of the book, youll find a list of excellent reading material for further study and a table of commonly asked questions with associated page references. Gurus, swamis, and the pop counterculture aside, yoga will help you increase your energy and revive your bodys youthful flexibility like no other form of exercise.

Despite its Indian roots, yoga is basically a non-denominational, holistic practice, made-to-order for the busy Western persona. Yoga is a Sanskrit term, roughly meaning yoke, or union. Its definition implies its purpose: to unite the mind, body, and spirit to enhance health and improve the overall quality of life. This book is about the most recognizable form of yoga practice, Hatha yoga. Hatha means sun and moon, suggesting that the healthy union of opposites in this case, the mind and body lead to strength, vitality, and peace of mind. Hatha yoga is concerned less with the quantity of physical movement than its quality. By regularly combining precise, sustained stretches with mental focus and deep breathing, you quiet your mind and refresh your body. This in turn frees your spirit, making you not only healthier and more relaxed, but also genuinely happier.

Yoga has long been known to calm and quiet the mind, yet few people understand the physiological basis for this effect. Fear and its surrogate, anxiety, release hormones that perpetuate stress reactions such as shallow breathing, muscle tension, dilated pupils, and other aspects of the fight-or-flight response. These physiological responses in turn reinforce the catalyst, fear, perpetuating a cycle of stress. Yoga is a powerful counteragent to this troublesome buildup because it breaks the cycle, helping your busy mind to quiet its agitation. This emotionally stabilizing influence is making yoga the core of stress-management programs offered throughout the United States.

In a way, yoga is a style of meditation. Meditation is a mental discipline of focusing the mind upon one thing or activity, the purpose of which is to develop a transcendent sense of peace and a mindful clarity of thought. Meditation teaches you how to efficiently think and act without the burden of reactive thinking. People who meditate regularly are light of heart, not oppressed by the crescendo of self-doubt that plagues Western culture. They listen to their thoughts but arent trapped by them. They become objective, creative thinkers with excellent concentration skills. As you quiet your mind through yoga postures, youre exercising a form of this mental discipline.

Contrary to a common notion that yoga simply twists your body into obscure, meaningless shapes, its combination of physical postures, breathing methods, and awareness practices are exquisitely natural. They harmonize with your bodys unique structure and fundamental physical capabilities. Yoga practitioners will tell you that they experience greatly increased mental and physical energy after a posture sequence.