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advanced poses are challenging and fun, most
people who come to the mat do so comfort-
ably and safely. No ego. No expectations. No
judgments. Breathe in, breathe out.
Okay, back to India. Although it was
magical, the first few weeks were definitely a
challenge. Power outages were commonplace;
the air was difficult to breathe because of
burning trash; scooters shouted their passing
incessantly with horns blaring all day and all
night; and when the horns did finally cease,
then the dogs began their noisy dialogue. And
don’t forget about the sacred cows wandering
along at the most inopportune moments!
Then one day, on a particularly scary
rickshaw ride, the words “surrender and
accept” popped into my head. I grabbed on
to them as my personal words of wisdom
and everything changed. During that 20-
minute ride, all I wanted to do was flee. In
fact, I documented the ride in a short video
because I wanted proof that I was actually
living this unbelievably frightening yet
exhilarating adventure.
BREATHE WRIGHT
Roni Wright recommends these books for the mind, body and soul:
66 •
PPB
• MAY 2015
THINK
The Healing Power of the Breath:
Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress
and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration,
and Balance Your Emotions
Softcover, 240 pages
List price: $17.95
Here’s a drug-free, side-effect free
solution to common stress and mood
problems—developed by two physi-
cians. Millions of Americans suffer from
mood problems and stress-related issues
including anxiety, depression, insomnia,
and trauma-induced emotions and
behaviors; and most would prefer not to
take medication for their conditions due
to troublesome side effects, withdrawal
symptoms, and disappointing success
rates. Drs. Richard P. Brown and Patricia
L. Gerbarg provide a drug-free alterna-
tive that works through a range of sim-
ple breathing techniques drawn from
yoga, Buddhist meditation, the Chinese
practice of qigong, Orthodox Christian
monks and other sources. These meth-
ods have been scientifically shown to be
effective in alleviating specific stress and
mood challenges such as anxiety, insom-
nia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
many others. The authors explain how
breathing practices activate communica-
tion pathways between the mind and
the body, positively impacting the brain
and calming the stress response. The
enclosed audio program guides readers
through the techniques and helps make
these breathing practices an ongoing
part of daily life.
Yoga for Life: A Journey to Inner
Peace and Freedom
Softcover, 272 pages
List price: $22.99
Available June 2, 2015
“I’ve learned how to extract the
beauty of an ordinary day. I’ve learned
that the best high exists in the joy—or
the sadness—of the present moment.
Yoga allows me to surf the ripples and
sit with the mud, while catching
glimpses of the clarity of my home at
the bottom of the lake: my true self.”
The very first time Saidman Yee took
a yoga class, she left feeling inexplicably
different—something inside had shifted.
She felt alive—so alive that yoga became
the center of her life, helping her come to
terms with her insecurities and find her
true identity and voice. Approachable,
sympathetic, funny, and candid, Saidman
Yee shares personal anecdotes along with
her compassionate insights and practical
instructions for applying yoga to everyday
issues and anxieties. Specific yoga
sequences accompany each chapter and
address everything from hormonal mood
swings to detoxing, depression, stress,
and increased confidence and energy.
Step-by-step instructions and photo-
graphs demonstrate her signature flow of
poses so you can follow them effortlessly.
Yoga for Life
offers techniques to
bring awareness to every part of your
physical and spiritual being, allowing
you to feel truly alive and to embody
the peace of the present moment.
Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys
to Energizing Your Work and Life
Hardcover, 240 pages
List price: $22.95
Available May 5, 2015
Tom Rath, author of five influential
bestsellers, reveals the three keys that
matter most for our daily health and
well-being, as well as our engagement in
our work. Drawing on the latest and
most practical research from health, psy-
chology, and economics, this book
focuses on changes we can make to cre-
ate better days for ourselves and others.
Are You Fully Charged?
will challenge
you to stop pursuing happiness and start
creating meaning instead, lead you to
rethink your daily interactions with the
people who matter most, and show you
how to put your own health first in order
to be your best every day.
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