Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the Medical Benefits of Yoga (Yoga for Health) [Paperback]

Nirmala Heriza (Author), C. Noel Bairey Merz (Preface), Dean Ornish (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Yoga for Health | Publication Date: September 9, 2004

From the Integral Yoga Cardiac specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center and president of the United Yoga Council-a complete program for discovering the specific head-to-toe, health-issue-by-health-issue benefits of yoga.

Anyone who has experienced the deep mind-body satisfaction that regular yoga practice instills will tell you: Yoga is good for your health. Yet, as Nirmala Heriza reveals in this guide to the health benefits of yoga, the rewards are far more deeply grounded in medical science than has previously been understood.

Drawing from her work with doctors and cardiac patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as from her extensive experience as a yoga therapist working with people of all ages recovering from a wide array of illnesses, Heriza provides a total program for preventing and treating disease through the practice of yoga. With detailed photos and instructions for all of the major yoga poses, Dr. Yoga is an essential health resource for anyone with specific health issues or just the desire to nurture and maintain a balanced, healthy body.

Dr. Yoga includes:

* two doctor-approved, 30-minute "Yoga for Health" practice sets, one for prevention and one for rehabilitation; * a physician and therapist referral directory; and * from the dietitian for Cedars-Sinai Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center, a cookbook of healthful recipes to support your yoga regime.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Heriza offers a comprehensive scientifically documented program for preventing and treating disease, based on hatha yoga postures, relaxation techniques and diet."
Library Journal

"Heriza's remarkable book helps reaffirm the role of  yoga as a serious therapeutic modality."  
P.K Shah, M.D.,  Dir of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

"Dr. Yoga is a wonderful guide to both preventing the most common diseases and as an adjunct treatment to conventional medicine. It will be a great service to so many people."  
Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D.;  Bestselling author of "Reversing Heart Disease and "The Spectrum".


"While filming "Dragnet" I would do the 10 minute microsession that Nirmala recommended for my lungs and back and I would feel better. Really better". Her Integral Yoga based Yoga Therapy described in her book, "Dr. Yoga" helped me recover from debilitating plantar fasciitis.   Lindsay Crouse, Oscar nominated actress

"I used the programs in  Dr. Yoga  to overcome two brain tumors and colon cancer. They saved my life.
"  Buffy Ford  Stewart  ( John Stewart, Kingston Trio) Folksinger, poet, dancer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Nirmala Heriza is an Integral Yoga cardiac specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center in Los Angeles. President of the United Yoga Council and director of the Los Angeles Integral Yoga Center, she is a senior disciple of the renowned yoga master and founder of Integral Yoga, H.H. Sri Swami Satchidananda. Heriza is also a personal yoga therapist for many celebrities in the film, television, and music industries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: PenguinTarcher (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585422924
• ISBN-13: 978-1585422920
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #841,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"DR YOGA" IS PREPPING FOR SECOND PRINTING and e-book versions. STAY TUNED.
DR YOGA,(Penguin/Tarcher)by Nirmala Heriza BA,CYT-f'wd Dean Ornish. Nautilus Awd finalist,top five w Deepak Chopra.

DR YOGA is a CL of adapt of SwamiSatchidananda's Integral Yoga Teachings. Author of the bestsellng "INTEGRAL YOGA HATHA". Available on Amazon.

Preface of "Dr Yoga" by C.Noel Bairey Merz,M.D. Women's Guild endowed Chair in Women's Health, CSMC ; Consulting medical contributor: Sandra McClanahan, M.D. (Author; Alternatives to Surgery)

Check back here for updates on "DR YOGA" it's second printing and electronic versions. For articles and media ventures click on to my www.nheriza.wordpress.com and www.dryoga.wordpress.com blog links.

For updates on 'Fixers with Dr.Yoga' Reality TV Show go to
http://nheriza.wordpress.com/the-fixers-with-dr-yoga-health-show/

ENDORSEMENTS:

Heriza's remarkable book helps reaffirm the role of yoga as a serious therapeutic modality."
P.K Shah, M.D., Director of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

"Nirmala Heriza is one of the country's leading practitioners of yoga for heart disease. I have been referring patients to her for more than 20 years. I highly recommend her and her unique approach to yoga." Dean Ornish, MD, Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute

About the Author:

Nirmala Heriza received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Immaculate Heart College and has completed post graduate studies in Yoga, clinical acupressure, and myofascial therapy. She is currently a doctoral candidate with her dissertation in Theology and Science. She developed and implemented the Yoga Cardiac program for Cedars-Sinai's Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center and has served on CSMC staff for over 15 years. Her book, Dr. Yoga documents her medically endorsed work at CSMC as Yoga Cardiac Therapist and in her private practice at "The Dr.Yoga Health and Wellness Center". In addition, she is President of the United Yoga Council for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and President of the Los Angeles Integral Yoga Center, http://iycla.wordpress.com. She is a senior disciple of the renowned Yoga Master and founder of Integral Yoga International, H.H. Sri Swami Satchidananda. In her private clinical Yoga, stress management and myofascial practice, her celebrity clientele has included, Oliver Stone, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Laura Dern and Diane Ladd. She is the Los Angeles collegue and referring therapist for Dean Ornish, author of the best selling book, Program for Reversing Heart Disease. She has published numerous articles and served as expert consultant in mainstream magazines and high profile news venues including Glamour, Fitness, the Washington Post, Time Magazine and the New York Daily News. For additional information regarding her diverse professional credentials log on to www.imdb.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yogi, Heal Thyself!, November 24, 2004

By 

Meera Patricia Kerr - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the Medical Benefits of Yoga (Yoga for Health) (Paperback)

If you'd like to try yoga, but you think it's a lot of hooey, you should read this book, especially if you have a specific condition which probably yoga can benefit. You can just look up your disease, and find out what yoga poses can benefit you. It even describes HOW the different poses work on the body and what the health effect is. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and there are even pictures!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice survey of the medical benefits of Asana, August 31, 2007

By 

G. Miller (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the Medical Benefits of Yoga (Yoga for Health) (Paperback)

Summary, helpful addition to the library of someone with a little experience, but not recommended for true beginners.

Details:

This book provides two pre-sequenced yoga series and a large number of "case studies" regarding some way that yoga has helped various medical issues. In many cases, it also suggests several asana that may assist in those medical issues. The goal is to show people how yoga can impact the overall health, rather than just being a tool for flexibility.

I found this approach useful given a reasonable background in yoga, but do not recommend it for a beginner. For someone with background in the Asana, it can help to provide a broader view of the potential benefits of each asana. I have found this useful for adjusting my home practice, particularly to make adjustments around current flucations in my health (for example, if my asthma is flaring up). While you may get some of this information in a group class, my experience is that it tends to come in a haphazard manner (e.g. "your ashtma is bad today? Well, the forward bends should help."). This book allows me to build a more comprehensive and systematic understanding. Also, it frequently states that its arguements are from medical studies, which makes me feel a little better than when the comment is based on something my teacher heard from another guy who once had a similar problem sort of approach. It would have been nice to have references to the studies, but at least I feel like there is some basis here.
As far as not recommending the book for beginners - I don't think the description of the asana are complete enough to really help get you there with the form. Also, there is generally only one picture of each asana, so you are limited to seeing it fully applied and from only one angle. This is helpful if you have already learned it from another source (for example, some of the names where different but once I saw the picture I was on board). But it really want get you there if you are not already familiar with the pose. Also, I believe you are better off having some idea of sequencing prior to starting with the book. That will make sure that you are well balanced in choosing your routine.

5.0 out of 5 stars good+interesting, April 12, 2010

By 

Giuseppe Clemente "spitfire" (Norman, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dr. Yoga: A Complete Guide to the Medical Benefits of Yoga (Yoga for Health) (Paperback)

I'm practicing ashtanga yoga almost 1 year, it is very interesting reading the medical benefits on your body from the perspective of a physician. Every pose has a list of the affected organs, plus a small list of dis-eases or physical conditions that can use the ashtanga yoga as a good help. Yoga is around since 5000 years, there must be somehing very good in it.