The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness [Paperback]

Linda Sparrowe (Author), Patricia Walden (Author), Judith Hanson Lasater (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2002

The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is the first comprehensive book about women's health issues and how to treat them with yoga. The authors offer a complete yoga program for general health as well as pose sequences that address specific health problems—all in the Iyengar tradition, which targets health needs more than other forms of yoga. For example, in the first part of the book, Patricia Walden has organized three chapters showing yoga poses with clear instructions that tell how to get into each pose and describe its benefits: chapter one is the Essential Sequence for all women, and includes modifications for people who cannot or should not do all the poses; chapter two is the Restorative Sequence for stress relief and relaxation; chapter three contains advanced poses that energize and tone.

The second part is presented in four sections that broadly represent the stages of a woman's life: teen years and early twenties, later twenties and thirties, midlife, and wisdom years. Each section contains chapters offering specific information about a particular health issue from author Linda Sparrowe, as well as sequences of yoga poses from Patricia Walden that address the problem. For example, the back care chapter includes information about common back problems and their causes (scoliosis, arthritis, lordosis, sciatica, kyphosis, among others) with an emphasis on: emotional and psychological roots of some back problems; physiological information about the spine and back muscles; general information about how yoga addresses different areas of the back; and finally, Patricia Walden's sequences of poses that target different back problems with the goal of not only relieving back pain but of strengthening, and healing old injuries and misalignments.



Sections of the book include:

   •  Teens and Early 20s: Eating disorders, menstrual health, immune support
   •  20s and 30s: Back care, pregnancy, headaches
   •  Midlife: Depression, menopause, digestion
   •  Wisdom Years: Osteoporosis, postmenopause, the heart




The final section of the book includes listings of yoga centers, instructional videos, yoga equipment, and where to go for more information about yoga.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sparrowe, former editor of Yoga Journal, has teamed up with one of the most preeminent yoga instructors in the country, Walden, to put together a comprehensive guide to yoga for women. The book contains numerous yoga sequences and photos and is designed to be a lifelong reference guide for female practitioners. Basic sequences for women are covered as well as recommended sequences for pregnancy and menstruation. The chapters for later stages of life are particularly helpful, with sequences addressing such issues as erratic mood swings and hot flashes. Sparrowe and Walden are frank about their own experiences with aging and also draw on the experiences of other seasoned yoga practitioners to provide honest, practical advice. The book covers many other health issues, with relevance to both men and women, such as eating disorders, back problems, depression, and immune system disorders. Jane Tuma
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"You'll find an amazing range of women's health concerns addressed here. . . . It deserves a spot on your bookshelf next to other well-worn health references."—Natural Health



"The definitive guide to yoga and women's health."—Yoga Journal

"Linda and Patricia have compiled an essential book—both for women who practice yoga and for all yoga teachers. The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health is a vital, inspiring guide for women in all stages of life."—Rodney Yee, author of Yoga: The Poetry of the Body



"A thorough and compassionate guide to achieving a healthy, balanced life for women of all ages—inspiring and empowering."—Kathryn Arnold, Editor-in-Chief, Yoga Journal



"A magnificent invitation for all to enjoy the many levels of hatha yoga. Both clear and creative, this book is a must for all students and teachers."—Lilias Folan, host of the groundbreaking PBS series Lilias, Yoga and You



"In The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health, Linda and Patricia give us practical methods for developing a steady and joyous relationship to our own feminine bodies, to the earth, and to the Divine Mother. These are the voices of two ordinary women who have done extraordinary things and who are sharing their findings without pretension. They speak from the heart."—Sharon Cannon, creator of Jivamukti Yoga



"Women everywhere will be grateful for this book. It's immensely practical, user friendly, and yet it still manages to reverberate with the central mystery of yoga: the possibility of living authentically, wildly, and passionately in our resilient, powerful, at times frail, and always aging bodies."—Stephen Cope, Senior Scholar in Residence, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570624704
• ISBN-13: 978-1570624704
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.8 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Yoga

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have, January 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness (Paperback)

As a long time practioner of Pilates, a relative newcomer to traditional yoga, and a woman who has, and will, experience some of the health issues, I found this book a great source of reference. What I found most useful, aside from Patricia's yoga poses & Linda Sparrowe's easy-to-read writing style, are the suggested herbal & dietary alternatives throughout the book. Not only do I have a copy, I bought one for all my closest girlfriends!! This book is a definate must-have in any woman's bookcase!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A excellent book on wellness throughout a woman's lifetime, August 12, 2004

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness (Paperback)

This book is written by long-time yoga practitioner Linda Sparrowe in conjunction with Patricia Walden, a world-renowned yogi. They have created a unique manual on health and wellness throughout the lifespan which is designed specifically for women. Although the main focus is on yoga sequences, the book also includes general information on various health-related issues faced by women as well as tips and strategies for maintaining health.

The book is organized into sections which correspond to each phase of a woman's life. For example, Part Two, The Time of Awakening, is geared towards teenaged/young adult women and focuses on menstrual health and immune system support, whereas the final section, Wisdom from the Heart, is designed with older women in mind and concentrates on minimizing postmenopausal symptoms and other similar conditions. Although each section does have an intended age audience, women of all ages are likely to find something of use in every chapter--for example, a younger woman struggling with depression might benefit from the depression chapter geared to postpartum women, whereas an older woman who suffers from headaches could obtain assistance from the "Relieving Headaches" chapter written as part of the Coming Into Fullness section. There are also three general yoga sequences at the start of the book which are intended for all women; these sequences revolve around essential, energizing, and restorative themes.

Beginning yoga practitioners will find the short introduction on how to use the book to be helpful. Patricia Walden's training is in Iyengar yoga, which means that she utilizes a variety of props to make the poses more accessible. Props are particularly recommended for restorative postures, as they allow you to relax more fully into the pose. Easy-to-understand, detailed instructions and clear, precise photographs are used to describe every yoga pose. Many of the poses also include information about positive effects, potential modifications, and any cautions. Some sequences detail shorter practices with only 6 or so postures included, but others offer longer practices of up to 26 postures.

This book is appropriate for female yogis of all levels, from beginning to advanced (although I should note that many of the sequences include headstand and/or shouldstand, postures that shouldn't be attempted by beginners without the aid of a yoga instructor). The book would make a wonderful gift for any woman with an interest in wellness issues, and I highly recommend it!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars who knew?, January 4, 2003

By 

Sarah Forbes Keough "simonfk" (new york, ny 10003) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness (Paperback)

... this book reminded me how easy it was to get back in touch with myself, to relax and to understand what my body was up to. i really like sparrowe's almost conversational tone. it is accessible, and kind of fun to read as well as being full of useful information. i have a feeling i'll refer to this book for the rest of my life.