Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga

This book is a must for any Yoga instructor. One of the reasons people begin learning Yoga is because they have back pain, knee pain, or some physical injury and have not found relief through other methods. "Yoga for Wellness" addresses many of the more common "aches and pains" as well as chronic illness and stress related problems. If you are a Yoga instructor, this book will help you help your students.

As a yoga instructor, I use many yoga books for reference. After taking a workshop with Kraftsow, I bought this book and have not been disappointed. I find that I refer to this book over and over again, even over my Iyengar books.Kraftsow's advice on modifying asanas for health reasons or physical limitations is right-on. Too many yoga classes nowadays are seen purely as another type of aerobics class with no value placed on "honoring the body". In my opinion, too many yoga teachers nowadays are approaching asanas from the "one size fits all" perspective, without taking into account an individual's capabilities or limitations. I believe that Kraftsow's advice and the photos on how to modify asanas to prevent or help injuries is invaluable. This book should be required reading in every yoga teacher training class.

While OTHER how-to yoga publications or videos present an overwhelming (for me) amount of information in limited [beginner, intermediate, advanced]or unrealistic ways [20 poses in illogical sequences, with no indication of how they're affecting one's body], Kraftow here provides intelligent, logically organized and physically manageable information. He includes photos of most of the full sequences as well as what the poses look like when done inattentively [increasing the potential for injury]. Along with these, details on how to use each posture for individual comfort and maximum benefit are listed. I like the fact that the asanas are grouped by the major movement emphasized (forward bends, backward bends, twists, lateral bends), which provides a variety of options for daily/weekly practice; also, the sequences make sense and provide enough of a workout without exhausting the practitioner. I especially appreciate the inclusion of recommended sequences for particular ailments, both physical and psychological.I have two criticisms: the first is that the directive captions (inhale, exhale, # of reps, etc.) for the photos have been put in confusing locations and are not large enough to be viewed clearly during practice. I've gone through all the illustrations whiting out (corrective tape is most efficient)the existing captions, printing clearly the directions in the spots where they are most easily seen, and adding more arrows or lines of demarcation so that I have a visual aid to grouping the sequences as intended. It has been worth the effort! Second criticism: Kraftow urges the reader to use the book as a supplement to supervised practice, but of the yoga practitioners in my area, the ones I'm aware of teach Kripalu or Iyengar-style. I've sent one e-mail to Kraftow's address about this, but have not yet received a response.

The breadth and depth of information in this book will appeal to everyone from the beginning student to the most advanced practioner. It is a book that will be a reference for a lifetime of work in yoga. The photographs and sequences will change the way people think and practice, being a model for all different levels of practioners. I am most grateful to Gary Kraftsow for writing this book and putting down on paper his vast experience in this rich tradition we call Viniyoga.

I was fortunate to obtain an advance copy of this book at the recent SouthWest Yoga Conference. Over 100 copies sold out in 3 days. No wonder, for in a crowded field, this is a landmark book. Not only yoga therapy, but also for yoga practice in general. Based upon deep understanding of the principles of movement, breath and adaptation, many principles and illustrative examples of therapeutic yoga applications are presented for common aches and pains, chronic disease and emotional health. These sections are preceeded by short, relevant discussions of the anatomy and physiology involved. It is worthwhile to stress that the therapeutic applications are not isolated or stand alone examples but rather logically derive from the Viniyoga principles which are clearly, if succinctly presented in the first two chapters; Principles of Practice and Biomechanics of Movement. These explanations alone may be worth the price of the book for serious yoga students, for the Viniyoga principles are somewhat revolutionary from the perspective of many contemporary yoga practices in America. Yet, when well presented, they are eye opening, intuitive and persuasive, as I am sure many attendees of Gary's popular lecture "Reading the Body for Yoga Therapy" will attest.