Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Chronic Pain (The New Harbinger Whole-Body Healing Series) [Paperback]

Kelly McGonigal (Author), Timothy McCall (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2009 | Series: The New Harbinger Whole-Body Healing Series

It's no secret that yoga increases muscular flexibility and strength, but you may not know that yoga is a proven treatment for back pain, knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic pain conditions. Yoga also helps to ease the stress, anxiety, and depression that can create and reinforce pain, making you feel more comfortable in both your mind and your body.

Written by a yoga instructor and former chronic pain sufferer, Yoga for Pain Relief is packed with gentle postures and practical strategies for ending pain. This complete mind-body tool kit for healing also includes deep relaxation practices drawn from the yogic tradition and psychological techniques for helping you make peace with your body and dissolve pain. As the ancient practice of yoga releases the hold that chronic pain has over your life, you will begin to feel more like yourself again.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“McGonigal explores the complex picture of chronic pain, recognizing the many dimensions that contribute to one’s suffering. In simple, easy-to-follow steps, she takes you on a journey, connecting your mind and body through the yoga experience. This book is very much in line with all that the American Chronic Pain Association teaches. I recommend that you relax, renew yourself, and enjoy your adventure through Yoga for Pain Relief.”
-Penney Cowan, executive director of the American Chronic Pain Association

“Yoga for Pain Relief provides accurate, easily understood principles of self-care in a user-friendly format. The book offers professionals immediate activities for clinical adaptation with the best, most up-to-date evidence. The person in pain can celebrate the artful bridging of ancient wisdom with the genius of the author in creating an easy-to-follow, personalized road map that is sure to sustain hope and allow him or her to remember joy!”
—Matthew J. Taylor, PT, Ph.D., RYT, president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and founder and owner of the Dynamic Systems Rehabilitation Clinic

“Kelly McGonigal’s Yoga for Pain Relief is easily one of the best books I have ever read on yoga therapy, and includes plenty of research and practical tips for dealing with pain. This book is perfect for anyone who lives with any kind of physical or emotional pain, as well as for those working with these conditions professionally, including both conventional and alternative health care providers and yoga teachers. The book has heart and soul, is both kind and informative, and recognizes the individual experience without being reductionist or prescriptive. This book will be required reading for all of the students in my yoga therapy training program.”
—Molly Lannon Kenny, MS-CCC, founder and director of The Samarya Center, an internationally recognized training institute for yoga and yoga therapy

“Yoga for Pain Relief will help you to find your ease, courage, and ability to transform your chronic pain. Unlike many other pain treatments, McGonigal’s book illuminates a path free of adverse side effects that is synergistic with your present pain therapy. Yoga for Pain Relief is a jewel, and its brilliance and clarity will touch the heart of healing within.”
—Julie Good, MD, DABMA, clinical assistant professor of pediatric pain and symptom management at Stanford University

“Yoga for Pain Relief is an empowering toolkit for people living with pain or illness.”
—Halle Tecco, founder and executive director of Yoga Bear, a nonprofit organization that teaches yoga to cancer patients and survivors

“In this important book, McGonigal elegantly and simply empowers us, through science and ancient practices, to compassionately transform pain and suffering into ever-present joy blossoming in our hearts. A gift for us all!”

—Nischala Joy Devi, international yoga teacher and author of The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga

“Yoga for Pain Relief is an epic book for an epic condition. McGonigal is a quintessential teacher and a brilliant author. Highly recommended for healthcare providers, yoga teachers, or anyone in pain.” —Larry Payne, Ph.D., director of the Yoga Therapy Rx Program at Loyola Marymount University and coauthor of Yoga for Dummies, Yoga Rx, and The Business of Teaching Yoga

“Whether you are in pain now or you treat those who are, Yoga for Pain Relief will broaden your view of suffering and change your life. McGonigal outlines a clear, step-by-step method, evidence-based yet ancient, to reconnect with the wisdom and joy that is your birthright—the source of wellness that is so much bigger than your pain.”
—Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500, is founder of LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute and author of Yoga for Depression

“In this book, McGonigal provides insightful pathways that can lead those with chronic pain toward a healthier life. Highly recommended for those suffering with chronic pain as well as healthcare practitioners and yoga teachers who work with people in pain.”
—Shoosh Lettick Crotzer, director of Mobility Limited and Enhancement, Inc., and author of Yoga for Fibromyalgia

From the Publisher

In Yoga for Pain Relief, Stanford psychology instructor and prominent yoga teacher Kelly McGonigal shows readers how the wisdom of yoga and the latest skills drawn from mind-body research can end the physical and emotional suffering of chronic pain.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (December 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572246898
• ISBN-13: 978-1572246898
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.5 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Pain Management

More About the Author

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert on the mind-body relationship. She teaches for the School of Medicine's Health Improvement Program and is a senior teacher/consultant for the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. Her work demonstrates the applications of psychological science to personal health and happiness, as well as organizational success and social change.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#93 in Books > Self-Help

#93 in Books > Self-Help

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga for Pain Relief is a must have. November 23, 2009

By M. Hanson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are interested in health, well-being or yoga this book is a must have. As a yoga instructor here are a few reasons why I loved it. 1. The practices and recommendations are accessible to everyone and benefit beginning to experienced practitioners. 2. The practices can be readily integrated into a group yoga class and into working one-on-one with people. 3. The recommendations are supported by both western medical evidence and the yogic tradition. 4. To reduce stress, lower back, neck and shoulder pain, I've integrated several of the recommendations into my personal practice, and have felt an immediate and positive difference.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful tool for helping my wife deal with her chronic pain November 19, 2009

By Kiyash Monsef

Format:Paperback

Dr. McGonigal's advice is inspiring, down-to-earth, and easy to put into action right away.
I have been doing the breathing exercises and meditations with my wife, who began suffering from chronic headaches after a concussion this past summer. She wanted to avoid heavy pain medications, and this book was a lifesaver. It helped both with the physical pain and also the depression and anxiety that she felt, having little control over her symptoms. I was happy to be able to work through the book with her -- it helped me better understand what she going through, and gave me concrete ways to help her: by doing breathing exercises together, and reading the meditations out loud to her.
It helps that the book is grounded in scientific research (psychology and physiology) as well as Dr. McGonigal's yoga practice, it makes for a well-grounded book that is both eye-opening and comforting.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Science + Practical Advice = Great Resource November 15, 2009

By Cookiemonster

Format:Paperback

I am a long time student of Dr. Kelly McGonigal. I found this book to be very helpful in explaining the science of pain, and how my own mental patterns in dealing with personal chronic pain were exacerbating or relieving my pain. The practical suggestions for poses to stretch and move while in pain have been useful for reducing the intensity of pain in my shoulder and neck. The gentle movements offered in this book were also helpful in recovering from a recent bout of the flu. I found the stories to be helpful in learning that I am not alone in dealing with pain and hearing strategies for how other people dealt with similar issues. Yoga is not a quick fix, but the ideas and suggestions in this book have made a real difference in handling day to day stress and pain.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable, hopeful resource for those who are suffering June 12, 2010

By Beth Cholette #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book to review for the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews; please see a more complete version of my review on that site.

Yoga for Pain Relief offers simple strategies from the mind-body approach of yoga to ease pain--both physical and emotional--and to alleviate suffering. In her Introduction, author Kelly McGonigal describes how pain itself is a mind-body experience; she notes that chronic pain in particular is a learned response. Through the regular practice of yoga strategies, including breathing techniques, befriending the body, physical exercises, and relaxation, McGonigal maintains that one can attain greater control over one's mind and body both to increase comfort and to decrease suffering.

McGonigal begins by providing an overview of the pain response. She then introduces some basic ideas from the yogic tradition that will facilitate further discussion of the yoga healing practices. These concepts are very straightforward, such as the importance of the breath and the focus on the experience of inner joy as part of the practice. At this point, McGonigal is ready to begin reviewing some actual healing practices, starting in Chapter 3 with Breath. Throughout the practice segments of the book, there are detailed descriptions of how to perform the various exercises accompanied by clear, helpful black-and-white photos of McGonigal and other models demonstrating the movements. Also, at the end of every yoga practice chapter, McGonigal includes a "Putting it All Together" section which offers suggestions for how to use the exercises/practices in different ways....

The next chapter focuses on Befriending the Body, or moving from a more adversarial relationship with oneself and one's pain to one of compassion and acceptance. For the physical exercises, McGonigal's emphasis is always on healing. She presents gentle asana (held postures) and vinyasa (movements combined with breath), many of which are performed on the floor or can be modified with use of a chair. After introducing a basic pose sequence which can be combined in many different ways, McGonigal moves on to restorative postures. These poses require props to support the body and to allow for a more complete relaxation experience. The final yoga practice chapter focuses on Meditation. As with the previous chapters, McGonigal offers several different options for establishing a meditation practice and explains each in detail.

In the final chapter of the book, McGonigal offers suggestions for developing a personal yoga program. I especially liked her encouragement to establish a "homecoming" practice--that is, choosing just one simple exercise from the book that you will commit to practicing daily. She provides various suggestions for how to incorporate the exercises from the preceding chapters into different types of practices. In addition, McGonigal notes how the short personal vignettes from her students which appear throughout the book offer examples of various yoga rituals. McGonigal concludes the book with a Resources chapter offering information on books, music, DVDs, and other resources for people with pain.

For those who are suffering from chronic pain, this book is an excellent, hopeful resource. McGonigal herself is not only a psychology, yoga, and meditation instructor but also a former chronic pain sufferer. When practiced regularly--perhaps in as little as 15 minutes per day--these easy-to-use, gentle yoga techniques can give you the tools to manage your pain and to reduce your suffering. Dr. McGonigal has written a book that is clear, well-researched, easy-to-understand, and potentially extremely valuable, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Read more ›

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands-down best book on this topic March 22, 2010

By Neil D. Pearson

Format:Paperback

yoga for pain relief is hands-down the best guidebook written on the topic of yoga and chronic pain. It is practical, compassionate, science-based and easy to understand. This is Yoga; this is science; and best of all, this is accessible to people who do not know yoga.
Three specific groups of people should read this book - people with chronic pain, practitioners who treat people in pain, and all Yoga teachers. Kelly's expertise and experiences allow her to provide hope and a realistic view that improvements are possible. Her book offers compassionate guidance, and makes it clear that chronic pain is a complex multidimensional problem requiring much more than a recipe approach or modifications of yoga postures. Many of the simple to perform techniques she describes are effectively used in multidisciplinary pain management settings. Even people with severe pain will find some assistance from this guidebook. With over 20% of the North American population reporting chronic pain, there is a huge need for greater understanding of pain self-management and the role Yoga can play in recovery.
I recommend yoga for pain relief to my patients and students for the following reasons:
* The instructions are simple and easy to follow, including powerful breathing, body awareness, relaxation and meditation techniques.
* There are no recipes provided.
* The guidance includes many aspects of Yoga, rather than a biomechanical focus on Yoga postures as physical therapy.
* Her `five guidelines for movements that heal' answer an important question about how to move in the face of ongoing pain.
* The clarity that some techniques are for immediate pain relief and others are for long last benefits....
* The integration of real-person stories to highlight key aspects of recovery from pain.
* Comments such as, "Your goal is create peace of mind even in poses that create strong sensations of stretch or require effort to hold". The same goal of course applies when one is at the edge of increased pain.

Don't be misled by the title of this book. It teaches as much about chronic pain, pain self-management and the current science of pain as it does about Yoga. There is even a citation list for those interested in delving further into the science behind Yoga practices for people in pain.
Like all guide books, you may find the best results by working with a practitioner who understands Yoga and understand chronic pain. If you cannot locate one, don't let that stop you from slowly working through these techniques. Give them enough of your attention and enough practice and they will help you towards less pain, better movement and improved quality of life.
Neil Pearson, MSc, BScPT, BA-BPHE, CYT, RYT500 is a physiotherapist, certified yoga therapist, and Clinical Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia. He is the founding chair of the Pain Science Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, and an active member of Pain BC Society. Neil travels extensively teaching pain science and pain management to health care professionals, yoga teachers and people in pain. His clinical work, in Penticton BC, is exclusively with people with complex pain problems. [...] Read more ›