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Authors: Tara Stiles

Tags: #Health & Fitness, #Yoga, #Pain Management

Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free

BOOK: Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free
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file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

Copyright © 2012 by Tara Stiles

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division

of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

Three Rivers Press and the Tugboat design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

Stiles, Tara.

Yoga cures: simple routines to conquer more than 50 common ailments and live pain-free/by Tara

Stiles; foreword by Deepak Chopra.

p. cm.

1. Yoga. I. Title.

RA781.7.S754 2011

613.7046—dc23

2011034283

eISBN: 978-0-307-95486-2

Interior and jacket photographs by Justin Borucki

Jacket design by Jessie Sayward Bright

v3.1

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword by Deepak Chopra

Introduction

Part 1:
STRIKE A POSE

Chapter 1
What Is Yoga?

Chapter 2
The Mind/Body Connection and the Science Behind How Yoga Cures

Chapter 3
To Get Started, Just Follow Your Nose

Part 2:
THE CURES FROM A TO Z

Aches and Pains

Acne

ADD/ADHD

Allergies

Anxiety

Arthritis

Bingeing

Blurred Vision

Broken Heart

Bulging Belly

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Cellulite

Chill the *&@ # Out

Cold Repair

Couch-stination

Depression

Diabetes

Droopy Shoulders

Exhaustion

Fear Factor

Fibromyalgia

Flu

Foot Cramps

Hangover

High Blood Pressure

Hot Flashes

Jiggly Thighs

Killer Car Rides

Lack of Self-Esteem

Laziness

Migraine

Monkey Mind

Office Body

Office Mind

Overweight/Obesity

Party Pooper

PMS and Cramps

Pregnancy Discomfort

Procrastination

Runners’ Aches

Saggy Booty

Saggy Pecs

Scattered Mind

Shin Splints

Sugar Cravings

Tension

Thyroid Imbalance

Traveler’s Anxiety

Tummy Trouble

Under-Eye Bags and Dark Circles

Vertigo

Wrinkles

Zzzs (Getting Some)

Bonus Material: Designing Your Own
AT-HOME YOGA RETREATS

Detox and Declutter Retreat

Yoga to Declutter: Morning Routine

Yoga to Declutter: Evening Routine

Inspiration Retreat

Yoga for Inspiration: Morning Routine

Yoga for Inspiration: Evening Routine

Relax, Restore, and Rejuvenate Retreat

Yoga for Relaxation: Evening Routine

Restorative Yoga: Morning Routine

Restorative Yoga: Evening Routine

file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

Just a Few More Thoughts …

Yoga Pose Library

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Praise for Yoga Cures

Foreword by Deepak Chopra

Between work, raising a family, and coping with an uncertain economy, stress has become a “normal”

part of daily life for most people. That could explain why so many Americans—about 16 million at

latest count—have started taking yoga classes or doing yoga at home. For those seeking a lasting cure

for anxiety or health issues and a greater sense of connectedness, yoga provides real and lasting benefits

if they practice regularly. This ancient system connects mind and body through a series of postures,

breathing exercises, and meditation. By stretching and toning the muscles, flexing the spine, and

focusing the mind inward, yoga helps reduce stress. That can impact your overall health since stress

plays at least some role in many illnesses. Studies show that chronic stress doubles the risk of heart

attack, for instance.

Research into the health benefits of yoga is still in its infancy. But recent pilot studies point in

promising directions. Yoga has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, which can help

reduce a person’s risk of heart disease. There may be other heart benefits, too: a 2006 study found that

yoga helped lower cholesterol levels and improve circulation in people who have cardiovascular

disease. Some hospitals have incorporated yoga into their postcardiac rehabilitation programs.

While the evidence of yoga’s success in reducing a person’s body mass is mixed, one study did find

that yoga can help people lose weight by leading them to a healthier lifestyle. The study reported that

people who regularly practiced yoga started eating less, eating more slowly, and choosing healthier

foods. They also showed fewer symptoms of eating disorders.

Many people report that yoga gives them an overall feeling of well-being. Research shows that it may

also help alleviate specific kinds of pain, including migraine headaches, lower back problems, arthritis,

and pain during childbirth. Researchers are not sure what mechanism is at work, but one theory is that

the yoga postures work the way massage works. A yoga posture quickly sends the signal for “pressure”

to the brain via myelinated (insulated) nerve fibers, while the signal for “pain” reaches the brain more

slowly via less myelinated nerve fibers. The signal for “pressure” closes the receptor gate and shuts out

the “pain” stimulus. Another theory is that yoga causes an increase in serotonin, the body’s natural anti-

pain chemical.

While more research is needed into these areas, people who practice yoga have also reported that they

experience less insomnia and better digestive health. Pregnant women in particular seem to have an

easier time sleeping when they do yoga. They are also less likely to develop high blood pressure or

deliver prematurely.

Since yoga involves the mind as well as the body, it’s not surprising that it may help reduce anxiety

and depression, especially in people whose anxiety is related to an illness like cancer. A pilot study

suggests that yoga may influence depression by increasing the alpha waves in the brain, which are

file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

associated with relaxation. Another possibility is that yoga reduces the amount of cortisol, a hormone

that the body releases in response to stress. Some scientists think chronic high levels of cortisol may be

tied to depression, as well as impaired immune function.

If the potential health benefits of yoga aren’t enough to make you want to try it, consider this: Yoga

can also make you look more toned and fit and help you move with greater ease, especially as you grow

older. A 2007 study of the Hatha yoga style showed that it increased muscular strength, flexibility, and

endurance. It’s no wonder that many athletes use yoga to cross-train.

While yoga might not cure everything that ails you—or make your boss nicer—it will help you deal

with stress better, and find your way more easily to feeling good in your life. And that can make a big

difference in your overall health. So let’s all take a big, deep breath and get started on your best path to

overall health and happiness.

Introduction

Yoga brings you back to you … where all the good stuff is.

Anyone can do yoga and reap all its rewards. You don’t need to be able to tie yourself into a pretzel

or spend a year in silent devotion to gain all the amazing benefits of the practice. If you can breathe,

you can do yoga. It’s that simple. If you think you know yoga, or have never tried it because it seemed

too woo-woo, chant-filled, mystical, and Om-centered (translate: OMG, I’m so bored!), then you

should check out this book. Yoga is something both cooler and simpler, and it’s fierce in what it can

do for your life and health.

What do you really have to know to get started?

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

Don’t let anyone fool you. It’s not much harder than that. Once you rest your attention on your

breath, everything else begins to open up with ease. There is no need to put a great, elevated authority

between you and what you need. You can be your own great authority! I’m sure you’ve heard the old

expression “Wherever you go, there you are.” Well, it’s true. So we might as well start to make where

we are a great place to be!

Yoga can cure your body, settle your mind, and skyrocket your energy back to kindergarten levels!

And if you’re lifting an eyebrow and asking “Really?” just keep reading. How about being a

ridiculously happy person with a super-healthy body and calm, focused mind? Yoga can cure

BOOK: Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free
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