Yoga for Dummies (ISBN - 0470502029)

411 Pages·2021·8.49 MB·English

Georg Feuerstein, PhD
Author of more than 40 books, including
The Yoga Tradition
Larry Payne, PhD
Internationally renowned Yoga teacher,
author, and Yoga therapy pioneer

Learn to:
• Design and follow your own personal
Yoga program

• Choose specialized instruction by
age — from children to teens to seniors

• Integrate the health benefits of Yoga
into a complete wellness and exercise
program

• Practice Yoga during pregnancy

Yoga

2nd Edition

Making Everything Easier!™

Open the book and find:

• Info on the primary branches and
styles of Yoga

• How Yoga helps maintain health
and happiness

• Advice on how to practice Yoga
safely

• Techniques for breathing properly

• Step-by-step instructions and
photos for Yoga poses

• How to design your own Yoga
program

• The use of props in your Yoga
routine

Georg Feuerstein, PhD, offers distance-learning courses on Yoga philosophy
and history through Traditional Yoga Studies. Larry Payne, PhD, is founding
director of the Yoga Therapy Rx curriculum at Loyola Marymount University
and was named one of America’s most respected Yoga teachers by the Los
Angeles Times.

$19.99 US / $23.99 CN / £14.99 UK

ISBN 978-0-470-50202-0

Health & Fitness/Exercise/Yoga

Go to Dummies.com®
for videos, step-by-step photos,
how-to articles, or to shop!

The safe and easy way
to benefit from the
practice of Yoga

Yoga has been bringing health and peace of mind to millions
of people for five millennia — and it can do the same for you.
Whether you’re a beginner or a Yoga teacher, turn to Yoga
For Dummies, 2nd Edition to find out how to unlock your
body’s extraordinary potential, while strengthening your
mind as well.

• Yoga 101 — get up to speed on the fundamentals of Yoga, whether
you’ll be participating in a class or practicing it on your own

• Learn the basic postures — follow along with helpful photos and
illustrations to learn the proper sitting postures, standing pos-
tures, balancing exercises, bends, twists, and more

• The art (and exercise) of R&R — get relaxation techniques that
work and discover how having a healthy attitude and practicing
Yoga safely can relieve stress

• Yoga through the ages — bring balance to kids and teens, find
user-friendly routines for midlifers, and adapt Yoga for the prime
of life

• Yoga and pregnancy — equip yourself with the latest (and safest)
techniques for Yoga during and after pregnancy

Yoga

Feuerstein
Payne

2nd Edition

spine=.8160”

Start with FREE Cheat Sheets

Cheat Sheets include

• Checklists

• Charts

• Common Instructions

• And Other Good Stuff!

Get Smart at Dummies.com
Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s
of answers on everything from removing wallpaper
to using the latest version of Windows.

Check out our

• Videos

• Illustrated Articles

• Step-by-Step Instructions

Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering
our Dummies.com sweepstakes. *

Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on

• Digital Photography

• Microsoft Windows & Office

• Personal Finance & Investing

• Health & Wellness

• Computing, iPods & Cell Phones

• eBay

• Internet

• Food, Home & Garden

Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com

*Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules.

Get More and Do More at Dummies.com®

To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/yoga

spine=.8160”

by Georg Feuerstein, PhD
and Larry Payne, PhD

Yoga

FOR
DUMmIES

‰

2ND EDITION

01_502020-ffirs.indd i
01_502020-ffirs.indd i
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

Yoga For Dummies,® 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit-
ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written
permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the
Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone].
Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://
www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the
Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything
Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/
or its affi liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITH-
OUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE
CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES
CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR
OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF
A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE
AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZA-
TION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF
FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE
INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY
MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK
MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN
IT IS READ. SOME OF THE EXERCISES AND DIETARY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS WORK MAY
NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, AND READERS SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN
BEFORE COMMENCING ANY EXERCISE OR DIETARY PROGRAM.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care
Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may
not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010921241

ISBN: 978-0-470-50202-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

01_502020-ffirs.indd ii
01_502020-ffirs.indd ii
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

About the Authors

Georg Feuerstein, PhD, has been studying and practicing Yoga since his
early teens and is a practitioner of Buddhist Yoga. He is internationally
respected for his contribution to Yoga research and the history of conscious-
ness and has been featured in many national magazines both in the United
States and abroad. He has authored over 40 books, including The Yoga
Tradition, The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga, and Yoga Morality, which
have been translated into eight languages. Since his retirement in 2004, he
has designed and tutored several distance-learning courses on Yoga philoso-
phy for Traditional Yoga Studies, a Canadian company founded and directed
by his wife, Brenda (see www.traditionalyogastudies.com).

Larry Payne, PhD, is an internationally prominent Yoga teacher, author,
workshop leader, and pioneer in the fi eld of Yoga therapy since 1980. He dis-
covered Yoga when he was challenged by his own serious back problems and
injuries from numerous competitive sports played in his youth.

Larry is co-founder of the Yoga curriculum at the UCLA School of Medicine.
He was named “One of America’s most respected Yoga teachers” by the Los
Angeles Times, and was selected as a leading Yoga expert by Dr. Mehmet Oz,
Reader’s Digest, Web-MD, Rodale Press, and the Yoga Journal.

In Los Angeles, Larry is founding director of the Yoga Therapy Rx and Prime
of Life Yoga certifi cation programs at Loyola Marymount University and has a
thriving private practice in Yoga therapy as a back specialist. He is coauthor
of fi ve books and is featured in the DVD series Yoga Therapy Rx and Prime of
Life Yoga. His Web site is www.samata.com.

01_502020-ffirs.indd iii
01_502020-ffirs.indd iii
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

01_502020-ffirs.indd iv
01_502020-ffirs.indd iv
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

Dedication

From Larry: My contribution to this book is dedicated to the love of my life
Merry Aronson, my beloved family, Dolly, Harry in heaven, Chris, Harold,
Susan, Lisa, Natale, Maria, and my students who have been my greatest
teachers.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

From Georg: I would like to cordially thank Larry for graciously shouldering
the main burden of preparing this new edition for the press. My thanks also
go to the For Dummies staff for their essential behind-the-scenes work done.

From Larry: Unless you are truly gifted like my coauthor Georg, writing
a book takes a village, and I have many people to thank in mine. Merry of
MerryMedia fi rst encouraged me to do this revision. Sri TKV Desikachar
and his family have inspired my Yoga path since 1980. My editor, Deborah
Myers, was simply grand. My council of advisors is always there for me: Prof.
Zhuo-Yi Qiu, OMD; David Allen, MD; Richard Usatine, MD; Rick Morris, DC;
Richard Miller, PhD; Art Brownstein, MD; Mike Sinel, MD; Prof. Sasi Velupillai,
Steve Ostrow, JD; and my personal assistant, Jenna Entwistle.

Michael Lewis at Wiley initiated this revision project, and his patience and
persistence made it happen. Thanks also go to Carol Susan Roth, our book
agent, and our editorial team at Wiley, led by Chrissy Guthrie and Megan
Knoll who are both talented and compassionate.

I am very grateful to our photographer, Adam Latham, and our 21 models
starring Jeffrey Aronson, Michael Aronson, Deborah Barry, Holly Beaty, Anna
Brown, Chauncey Dennis, Lili Foster, Mia Foster, Terra Gold, Eden Goldman,
Anna Inferrera, Marvin Jordana, Chris Joseph, the Ketterhagen family:
Kourtney, Luke, Mangala, and Prakash, Dolly Payne, Tony Ransdell, Heidi
Rayden, and Vivian Richman.

01_502020-ffirs.indd v
01_502020-ffirs.indd v
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com.
For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974,
outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and
Media Development

Senior Project Editor: Christina Guthrie
(Previous Edition: Jennifer Ehrlich)

Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis

Copy Editor: Megan Knoll

Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

Technical Editor: Jen Xanders

Editorial Manager: Christine Meloy Beck

Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katherine Crocker

Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers,
Joyce Haughey, Brent Savage,
Christine Williams

Proofreaders: John Greenough, Betty Kish

Indexer: Cheryl Duksta

Special Art: Interior photos by Adam Latham

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

01_502020-ffirs.indd vi
01_502020-ffirs.indd vi
2/26/10 2:27 PM
2/26/10 2:27 PM

Contents at a Glance

Introduction ................................................................ 1

Part I: Off to a Good Start with Yoga ............................ 7

Chapter 1: Yoga 101: What You Need to Know ..............................................................9
Chapter 2: Ready, Set, Yoga! ...........................................................................................27
Chapter 3: Prep Before Pep: Ensuring a Fruitful Yoga Practice .................................39
Chapter 4: Relaxed Like a Noodle: The Fine Art of Letting Go of Stress ..................47
Chapter 5: Breath and Movement Simplifi ed ...............................................................61

Part II: Postures for Health Maintenance
and Restoration ......................................................... 83

Chapter 6: Please Be Seated ...........................................................................................85
Chapter 7: Standing Tall ..................................................................................................95
Chapter 8: Steady as a Tree: Mastering Balance ........................................................113
Chapter 9: Absolutely Abs ............................................................................................121
Chapter 10: Looking at the World Upside Down ........................................................129
Chapter 11: Easy ’round the Bends .............................................................................139
Chapter 12: Several Twists on the Yoga Twist ...........................................................157
Chapter 13: Dynamic Posture: The Rejuvenation Sequence and Sun Salutation ....167
Chapter 14: A Recommended Beginners’ Routine for Men and Women ................175

Part III: Creative Yoga ............................................. 185

Chapter 15: Designing Your Own Yoga Program .......................................................187
Chapter 16: It’s Never Too Soon: Pre- and Postnatal Yoga.......................................223
Chapter 17: Yoga for Kids and Teens ..........................................................................235
Chapter 18: It’s Never Too Late: Yoga for Midlifers and Older Adults ...................257
Chapter 19: Prop Art: The Why and How of Simple Props .......................................279

Part IV: Yoga as a Lifestyle ...................................... 287

Chapter 20: Yoga Throughout the Day .......................................................................289
Chapter 21: Meditation and the Higher Reaches of Yoga .........................................307
Chapter 22: Yoga Therapy: The (Yoga) Doctor Will See You Now..........................321

02_502020-ftoc.indd vii
02_502020-ftoc.indd vii
2/26/10 2:28 PM
2/26/10 2:28 PM

Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................... 351

Chapter 23: Ten Tips for a Great Yoga Practice ........................................................353
Chapter 24: Ten Good Reasons to Practice Yoga ......................................................357
Appendix: Additional Yoga Resources ........................................................................361

Index ...................................................................... 373

02_502020-ftoc.indd viii
02_502020-ftoc.indd viii
2/26/10 2:28 PM
2/26/10 2:28 PM