The Runner's Yoga Book: A Balanced Approach to Fitness

an excellent introduction to yoga asanas... i always find myself going back to this book when i am trying a new pose and want to learn the basics of the pose... a must for anyone who has a yoga library...

Jean Couch gets you off of the mat and into the tight spaces of your body in a way that really works. This book was first published in 1979 and later revised in 1990 to incorporate additional insights Ms Couch had gathered after practicing Iyengar yoga for another decade. I found the informaton timeless and believe the book to be useful for all active people, not just runners. As a serious practitioner and a teacher of yoga, this book has become an important reference guide to help me release the tightness in my and my students' bodies in a safe and effective way. I highly recommend it to students of all levels as a must have for their yoga reference library.

Other books on Hatha Yoga in the Iyengar style have prettier pictures, but this one is extraordinary in describing the essential poses clearly and precisely, with careful instructions on how to enter and maintain the pose, and with suggestions on how to modify the poses in the beginning, before you are flexible and strong enough to perform them in the ideal form. It also outlines suggestions for anyone pursuing other sports besides running, but that is a bonus. I have gone overboard on buying instructional books about Iyengar yoga, since I live in a small town with no easy access to trained teachers, but this is the single best one I have (until I get to the point in a few years when I can understand Light on Yoga). Other supplementary resources I have found valuable are The New Yoga for People over 50 (by S. Francina - and for beginners of any age), and the Yoga Journal videotapes, especially the ones with Patricia Walden.

This is a must book for all runners who seek an understanding of safe, quality running. The information is very easy to understand and use. The key here is "use", and that is just what I did. I am very happy with the results and I share this book with all my runner friends. If you run regularly, GET this book. It has helped me improve and get more joy from running.

After reading this book I was spiritually up-lifted.I improve my timre for the 5k by 6 seconds.I owe it to this book.It has changed the way at which I look at running.