Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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.

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.

"Thank you for the rapid shipping, such a great price for this excellent brand new book.I will definately buy from you again!"