Olivia H. Miller - Essential Yoga: An Illustrated Guide to Over 100 Yoga Poses and Meditations

ESSENTIAL YOGA

An ILLUSTRATED GUIDE to Over 100 Yoga Poses and Meditationsby OLIVIA H. MILLER illustrations by NICOLE KAUFMAN To Rusty, who led the way... Text copyright 2003 Ohm Works
Illustrations copyright 2003 Nicole Kaufman
All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from
the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2567-1 Design by Chen Design
Illustrations by Nicole Kaufman Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com MANIFEST PLAINNESS, EMBRACE SIMPLICITY, REDUCE SELFISHNESS, HAVE FEW DESIRES. Lao-tzuTheodore Roethke Have you ever noticed that when you open a book about yoga, you often end up just reading about yoga instead of doing yoga? Many yoga books offer important and interesting information about the history of yoga, the philosophy of yoga, dietary regimesbasically everything you might have ever wanted to know about yoga. But when it comes to actually practicing yoga regularly, all that information tends to be less than useful.

This is where Essential Yoga comes in. It focuses on doing yoga. Designed specifically to get you up (or down!) on the mat, this reference guide is packed with over 100 poses and warm-ups as well as the basic information you need to do them. Detailed illustrations accompany concise, bulleted instructions, along with descriptions of the many physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits you will reap from a regular yoga practice. The simple instructions are accessible and easy to read, and you wont find lots of extraneous information. Essential Yoga focuses solely on hatha yoga, known as the yoga of activity. Essential Yoga focuses solely on hatha yoga, known as the yoga of activity.

Hatha yoga is one of the most well-known and useful forms of yoga; it is the basis of many other styles of yoga such as Iyengar, Kripalu, Kundalini, Ashtanga, and Bikram, to name just a few. Hatha yoga originally developed as a way for ancient yogis (dedicated yoga practitioners) to prepare body and mind for the stillness, strength, and control required for a meditation practice. However, anyone can practice yoga, a system of personal growth and development achieved through postures, breathing, and concentration. A regular yoga practice promotes and helps maintain physical health, flexibility, and youthfulness as well as mental and emotional well-being. Literally translated, the word yoga means yoke or unite and represents the union of mind and body. The Sanskrit word hatha means union of the opposites: ha means sun, while tha means moon.

It can also be translated as determined effort, which is helpful not only when were holding a pose but whenever determination and perseverance are required in other areas of our lives. Note that these and many other terms used in this book are in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language that forms the basis of yogic literature. A typical hatha yoga practice combines physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayamas), and meditations (dhyanas) as the pathways to balancing body, mind, and spirit. Essential Yoga takes these three key elementspostures, breathing, and meditationand brings them together into a simple and complete reference guide for yoga practitioners and enthusiasts. The book is perfect for those who are new to yoga and want to learn more, for those who havent done yoga in a while and need a refresher, and for seasoned practitioners who might want a review. Essential Yoga is divided into 7 chapters: Breathing Exercises, Warm-Ups, Yoga Poses, Meditations, Flowing Routines, Yoga Sessions, and Recommended Sequences.

You may wish to start with a breathing exercise or two, choose a few warm-up exercises and as many yoga poses as you want, then wind down with a relaxing meditation and end by chanting the sound of Om. Or you can flip to the last chapter and follow any of the recommended sequences that fit your schedule, interest, and energy level.

features 12 breathing exercises, or pranayamas, designed to help decrease tension, increase energy, improve concentration, and promote physical and mental health. You may be familiar with the term prana, a Sanskrit word that translates as life force energy, what is known in Chinese as chi. Prana rides the wave of the breath; it is distilled from the air that we breathe. Pranayama, then, is a means of controlling and extending the breath to regulate your physical and/or emotional state.

Through yogic breathing, we can learn how to observe and become mindful of our breathing patterns. Because breathing is so automatic, we rarely pay attention to it. Unfortunately, most of us have developed poor breathing habits over the years, only using a small percentage of our 5-quart lung capacity, leading to loss of energy, respiratory problems, mental confusion, and increased tension. If you really pay attention, chances are youll find your inhalations and exhalations are shallow and that you tend to breathe high up in your chest. Shallow breathing doesnt properly oxygenate the system, allowing toxins to build up. No wonder we often feel tired and sluggish by the end of the day.

Full, deep breathingalso known as diaphragmatic breathingfloods the system with oxygen, nourishes the blood cells, and removes harmful toxins. The result is enhanced skin tone, better posture, fewer respiratory problems, higher levels of energy, improved concentration, and a feeling of overall well-being and health. Our breath also controls our emotions. As we breathe, so we live. When we are angry or stressed, we breathe rapidly or may even hold our breath, which increases our tension level. and on it goes. and on it goes.

The next time you are tense, try to breathe deeply. With each slow, even breath, feel the tension begin to dissipate as your muscles relax. It is nearly impossible to remain in a state of heightened tension if your breath follows a long, rhythmic pattern. The breathing exercises in will help promote this even, healthful breathing. Some exerciseslike Complete Breath or Sufi Mothers Breathcan be done throughout the day: while youre waiting in line, working at your computer, or sitting in rush-hour traffic (breathe, breathe!). Dont wait to get onto the yoga mat to breathe correctly.

Incorporate deep breathing into your daily routine and reap the benefits of increased metabolism, improved complexion, healthier lungs, a stronger immune system, better concentration, and reduced levels of stress.

mind for the upcoming yoga session, helping you benefit more fully from your routine. Think of it as setting the mood. Each page of this chapter features an illustration of the warm-up along with clear instructions and a list of benefits, including which parts of the body are targeted. Plan to do at least a few warm-ups before you start doing poses. Begin with your neck and shoulders, the places where we so often store tension.Next page