Payne Larry - Yoga for Dummies

Yoga For Dummies, 4th Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023931516

ISBN: 978-1-119-98906-6 (pbk); 978-1-119-98907-3 (ebk); 978-1-119-98908-0 (ebk)

1. Chapter 3
2. Chapter 4
3. Chapter 5
4. Chapter 6
5. Chapter 7
6. Chapter 8
7. Chapter 9
8. Chapter 10
9. Chapter 11
10. Chapter 12
11. Chapter 13
12. Chapter 14
13. Chapter 15
14. Chapter 16
15. Chapter 17
16. Chapter 18
17. Chapter 19
18. Chapter 20
19. Chapter 21
20. Chapter 24
21. Chapter 25

More than 35 million Americans practice Yoga of some kind, and many more millions of Yoga practitioners live in other parts of the world. Yoga isnt a fad. It has a history of approximately five millennia and has been around in the West for much more than a hundred years. Though ancient, its especially relevant to todays hectic and stressful way of life.

By its very nature, Yoga leads you toward greater balance and relaxation. Its the ultimate mind-body practice. A Yoga practice brings a balanced mixture of alertness and relaxation with each pose. The physical movements coordinated with the breath bring bodily and mental relaxation, and the serene mind brings further relaxation to stressed and tight muscles. What results is a welcome dose of enhanced well-being. These benefits draw millions to the practice of this ancient tradition. And indeed, Yoga has never been more important. In our hectic 24/7 way of life, loaded with opportunities for constant stimulation and accumulation of stress, Yoga brings balance to all who take the time to welcome it into their lives.

Yoga has brought health and peace of mind to millions of people, and it can do the same for you. We invite you to explore Yoga in depth with Yoga For Dummies, 4th Edition as your guide. The yogic postures are an excellent starting point, but theyre merely the outermost shell of a multilayered tradition. At its core, Yoga is a timeless answer for anyone seeking deeper meaning in life and the elusive treasures of peace and contentment.

Perhaps Yoga For Dummies, 4th Edition, is the first book on Yoga youve ever held in your hands. In this case, we can definitely say that youre starting at the right place. More likely, however, youve leafed through quite a few other books, including some that are neither sound nor helpful. How, then, is this book different? We have a two-part answer for you.

First, the information you find in Yoga For Dummies, 4th Edition, is based on our extensive study and practice of Yoga. Between us, we have more than 100 years of experience with Yoga. One author (Larry Payne) directs a university-based Yoga therapy training program for Yoga teachers at Loyola Marymount University; has a thriving practice as a Yoga therapist and Yoga teacher in Los Angeles, where he adapts Yoga to his clients' specific needs and health challenges (especially back problems); and has produced a popular series of Yoga DVDs. The other authors are the late Georg Feuerstein and Brenda Feuerstein. Georg was internationally recognized as a leading expert on the Yoga tradition, authored many seminal works on it, and created a teacher training manual on Yoga philosophy that Yoga teachers in 11 countries refer to. Brenda is an internationally recognized Yoga teacher who leads workshops, retreats, and trainings worldwide and is the director of Traditional Yoga Studies, which offers online Yoga programs. In this book, we merge our respective areas of expertise to create a reliable and user-friendly introductory book that can also serve you as a reference work on an ongoing basis.