Description
Book SynopsisIn this book, Lee Majewski and Ananda Bhavanani define yoga and yoga therapy as a whole person practice, demonstrating how it can help the individual to heal through their own mechanisms. The authors bring yogic concepts from theory into everyday life, exploring how yoga therapy can work with all levels of a human being at the same time (physical, energetic, emotional, intellectual and spiritual) and demonstrating that, when applied correctly, it can assist healing and facilitate an improved quality of life.
The book covers deep yogic work and how it applies to cancer patients, as well as a range of other chronic conditions including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. For each of these conditions the authors explore how yoga therapy can go beyond alleviating symptoms and work to heal the whole person.
Trade ReviewYoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health is a text that should be part of every yoga teacher and therapist's professional library. Ananda and Lee bring together their decades of personal and professional wisdom and experience to create a comprehensive guide suited to both novices and the more experienced practitioner. The text acknowledges the many traditions that inform contemporary yoga therapy and is replete with extensive appendices of suggested practices including yoga nidra and mudras. This is a must have! -- Leigh Blashki, Board of Directors IAYT
This book is the collaborative effort of well-known yoga therapists and practitioners Lee Majewski and Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. Their intensive research and clinical experience working with persons afflicted with non-communicable disease (NCD) conditions have contributed to the development of a comprehensive, authoritative work on the process of yoga therapy. I consider this book to be valuable and timely to those who work in clinical and non-clinical set up in providing yoga support to people with NCD as well as those who work in preventive processes. -- Dr Latha Satish, Psychologist and Yoga Therapist and Researcher Chairman, Research Council Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai
As yoga rapidly gains popularity in the general population internationally, its use as a therapeutic intervention for diseases has grown apace. The authors, who are both deeply ingrained personally and professionally in the practice and application of yoga for health and healing, have delivered a comprehensive text on the theory, science and application of yoga therapy. Their emphasis on the importance of the application of yoga practices in an integrative and holistic manner to address the whole person and not simply the disease or its symptoms is highly crucial to the success of yoga as therapy. -- Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Editor in Chief, International Journal of Yoga Therapy
I have been reading the book for the past few days and my heart is singing. It was so good to see words declaring the sophistication and intelligence of yoga therapy as the holistic science that it undoubtedly is. This book helps to empower yoga therapists to stay true to our teachings and not feel that we need to break yoga into compartments of western scientific models, to feel that it is valid. May all yoga therapists behold this book as a reference in contemporary times to practice with full confidence this traditional science. -- Leanne Davis, Founder of Viniyoga Australia, Past President, Council of Advisors for Yoga Australia, Council of Teachers for Yoga New Zealand, Certification Committee member for IAYT
A brilliant healing paradigm! Majewski and Bhavanani have presented a wealth of accessible information for holistic healing through applied yoga philosophy. Their comprehensive approach offers accessible practices for enhancing spiritual health and empowering patients towards improved health and well-being. Be it the history of Yoga or the many practical tools offered in this book,
Yoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health is surely an invaluable resource for all yoga therapists. -- Yogachemmal Dr. Lori Rubenstein Fazzio, DPT, PT, MAppSc, C-IAYT
Lee Majewski and Ananda Bhavanani have unique strengths, with their years of intensive yoga practice, informed, empathetic use of yoga as a therapy and a blend of medical with traditional wisdom. These combined strengths are apparent in their book
Yoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health. Here they take the reader through details of yoga therapy and unique concepts such as the role of spirituality in yoga therapy, 'yogapathy', a yoga diagnosis to complement conventional diagnoses and what makes a good yoga therapist. This informative and very readable book - which has well thought illustrations and compelling case histories - is a must read for everyone involved in holistic healing. -- Shirley Telles MBBS, Ph.D. Director, Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, India
If you only read one book on yoga therapy, it should be this one. This book is what the field of yoga therapy needs to help us explain "what is yoga therapy?" to the rest of the world. The book begins by outlining the historical background of yoga therapy and clearly states that this is India's gift to the world. The book helps us to refine the language to describe what we do as yoga therapists. It clearly outlines how we assess the client or student from a yoga perspective and that we have a unique scope of practice and specialised skill set. The book reviews the science on the physiological effects of yoga practice and how these simple practices can reduce the symptoms of chronic disease. -- Amy Wheeler, Ph.D. President of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (2018-2020)
Yoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health provides a comprehensive overview of the history of yoga therapy and its many applications for optimizing health of mind, body and spirit. Patients, health care practitioners and yoga professionals alike can learn much from this book, which details the vast scope of yoga therapy and its evidence-based benefits. The authors include many healing tools and techniques to maximize the integration of the individual and lead them on a path to health and wholeness. -- Marianne Cirone, Founder, Editor, Integrative Cancer Review
Our lives today are progressing at a rapid pace. So also various aspects related to our existence, including health. Largely, when we speak of health, the prime focus is on the physical aspect. Which of course is important. However, somewhere, we miss out on the mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions.
This book written by Lee and Ananda, portrays and reflects the symphony of various dimensions of Yoga and its application as a therupatic tool. It is very rich in content, since it is a reflection of authors who have immersed themselves in the practice whicih they preach. This book is manifestation of the success of Ms.Lee to have overcome helth conditions herselves and healed many others, of Dr.Ananda , who as a medical doctor and born in a Yoga family has been able to look at the patients and provide them with answers for their holistic wellbeing.
I find this book to be a valuable source of an experiential information towards better health at all levels.
-- Subodh Tiwari, CEO, Kaivalyadhama Lonavla India
This is an exceptionally engaging, comprehensive and indeed inspiring guide to the theory and practice Yoga therapy, well supported by the authors' depth and breadth of experience, as well as their extensive review of relevant modern Yoga research. Cautions about an allopathic, symptomatic management approach to Yoga therapy - called yogopathy - are balanced with principles and multiple examples for taking a whole person approach to addressing the root causes of an individual's dis-ease. There is a practical focus on four major non communicable disease areas Yoga therapists work with; chronic respiratory diseases, cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and cancer. Their articulation of how and why to adopt a holistic approach to each individual's personal situation will be quite helpful to the Yoga therapist trying to explain what they do and why in conventional healthcare context. Being able to express the whole person approach of this emerging discipline may be especially important these days, as various physical and mental health disciplines are seeking to incorporate Yoga into their therapeutic practices, but too often without deep personal training and experience in Yoga and Yoga therapy, and hence there can be a tendency to simply fall back upon general protocols as opposed to a incorporating a wide range of unique individual considerations needed for healing. -- John Kepner, Executive Director, the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)
Yoga Therapy as a Whole-Person Approach to Health is a beautifully written and masterful guidebook that eloquently shows us how to embody health and wholeness at every level of our body, mind and spirit. A joy to read, Majewski and Bhavanani's book offers us an information rich resource guide of yoga therapy wisdom that weaves together easy to understand, health-focused practices rooted in time-tested interventions that reveal our underlying nature as already whole and healthy. Their book offers us practical and inspired lifestyle interventions to heal our personal imbalances and dis-eases that enable us to restore boundless health and vitality to our daily lives. This is a must read for everyone who wants to lead a natural healthy and joy-filled life. Both profound and practical, this seminal work reveals the road we all must travel to embody our potential as fully alive, healthy and authentic human beings. -- Richard Miller, PhD, co-founder: the International Association of Yoga Therapy; author: iRest Meditation, The iRest Program for Healing PTSD, and Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing.
'Yoga
Therapy
as
a
Whole---Person
Approach
to
Health
by
Lee
Majewski
and
Ananda
Balyogi
Bhavanani
is
elegant,
concise
and
accessible
book
that
brings
to
light
not
only
the
history
of
yoga
therapy
and
its
applications
but
also
the
very
specific
techniques
required
for
integrative
interventions
for
the
modern
world.
This
is
a
book
for
every
person
-
it
empowers
the
individual
by
elucidating
age---tempered
tools
and
templates
that
can
be
adopted
in
everyday
life.
At
the
same
time,
it
balances
intellectual
yogic
concepts
into
distinct
experiential
modes
both
in
terms
of
health
and
disease
weaving
in
a
holistic
spiritual
approach.
Through
the
three
distinct
parts
of
their
book,
the
authors
have
presented
a
singular
and
distinct
intellectual
framework
which
addresses
"the
cultural
paradigm
of
our
understanding
of
what
it
is
to
heal
and
how
to
go
about
it",
the
significant
opportunities
that
yoga
therapy
can
bring
in
the
field
of
health
care,
specifically
for
chronic
and
widespread
diseases
while
providing
the
"detailed
protocol,
practices
and
yogic
tools"
that
can
be
used
by
practitioners
and
therapists.
The
book
distinguishes
itself
to
be
the
textbook
for
the
training
of
yoga
teachers
and
yoga
therapists.
The
book
draws
out
the
impactful
and
significant
correlation
between
the
spiritual,
mental
and
emotional
alongside
the
physical
(i.e.
the
"mind---body"
connect)
versus
simply
the
traditional
physical
health
care
construct.
It
parses
the
common
misconception
of
mistaking
for
spirituality
and
religiosity.
It
provides
a
road
map
on
how
to
implement
yogic
practices
and
tools
alongside
spirituality
in
order
to
transform
one's
own
self
as
well
as
heal.
Yoga
Therapy
as
a
Whole---Person
Approach
to
Health
by
experienced
yoga
therapists
Lee
Majewski
and
Ananda
Balyogi
Bhavanani
is
a
book
to
read
over
and
over
again.
Reading
the
book
promises
"ananda"
to
all
those
who
are
interested
in
developing
conscious
connection
with
our
source
and
find
attainable
results
for
health
and
happiness!'
-- Usha S Nayar Ph.D., Tata Chair Professor & Fmr. Deputy Director,, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India
This
book
takes
Yoga
Therapy
to
the
next
level
where
it
deserves
to
be.
It
explores
its
roots,
depth
and
potential
as
a
powerful
healing
art
that
is
complete
in
its
approach.
It
treats
with
the
whole
person
focusing
on
dealing
with
root
issues
and
not
just
the
relief
of
symptoms.
It
is
a
must
read
for
all
those
seeking
to
understand
the
field,
to
appreciate
the
amazing
science
that
underlies
it
and
to
be
a
master
of
the
art.
-- Sri Vasudeva -- Spiritual Head of the Blue Star Yoga Ashram Claxton Bay, Trinidad, West Indies.
