Jivana Heyman Livres

“A treasure trove . . . what Yoga, capital Y, is all about.” —Donna Farhi “Nothing less than a gem.” —Judith Lasater “A vital tool.” —Book Riot This daring, visionary book revolutionizes yoga practice, making it truly accessible to everyone—in every body, at any age, and in any state of health Yoga practice has so much to offer us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. But many of us feel discouraged to practice because we see young, slim, flexible, well, and able-bodied people dominating yoga spaces. Yet, yoga is truly a practice for all—conferring enormous benefits to our overall well-being as our bodies change, age, and navigate various health challenges. Jivana Heyman, founder of Accessible Yoga, views yoga as a basic human right—saying we all deserve to practice it in whatever state we find our body or mind. Accessible Yoga offers a simple, clear, and wonderfully adaptable practice for all people regardless of ability, health, and body type. Heyman has spent over twenty years sharing yoga with people of all abilities and backgrounds, and in this book, he shares his knowledge by breaking down complex yoga poses, breathing practices, meditation techniques, and yoga teachings into clearly understandable and practical tools we can use every day, regardless of our limitations or challenges.

It is time to address the dissonance between the often superficial way yoga is currently being practiced and the depth of yoga’s ancient universal spiritual teachings. In this clarion call to action, Jivana Heyman offers a blueprint for cultivating a practice based in the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras in service of those experiencing exclusion and oppression. Heyman illuminates the yogic mandate of seva—or acts of service that see, care for, and uplift those around us—as a way to serve the world without losing your way. Through pose sequences, practice prompts such as “Embracing Failure,” and stories from yoga teachers who are implementing seva in their classes, Heyman shows you what it means to serve, how to serve, and how to promote inclusivity through your service. Our job, says Heyman, is not to clear our mind through yoga practice, but rather to expand it so widely that it can embrace the entire universe.

This practical guide offers a pioneering method of chair yoga for every body: a full practice of asana, breathing, and meditation with 250 instructional photos. Lakshmi Voelker’s Chair Yoga™ method upends the myth that yoga is only for the flexible, strong, balanced, thin, and conventionally able-bodied. Whether you need or want chair support, or you would like to get in some yoga practice while you sit at your work desk, Get Fit Where You Sit offers 40 active and restorative poses, illustrated with 250 photos, along with breathing techniques and meditation practices—all adapted so that you don’t have to leave your chair. Poses include: Tree Pose—for a flexible spine and to combat the “slump” we often get with a sedentary lifestyle Eagle Pose—for healthy joints Squat Pose—to relax the lower back Knee-to-Chest Pose—to support good digestion Coherent breathing—to bring the body’s systems into balance And much more Lakshmi Voelker and Liz Oppedijk offer a powerful, inclusive practice that is appropriate for new students or longtime practitioners and can easily be implemented by yoga instructors, educators, medical professionals, exercise professionals, or caretakers for work with their clients.