Be Healthy With Yin Yoga (eBook)

lt;b>2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Health (Alternative Medicine)

“Stefanie Arend’s book is a great introduction to Yin Yoga. She outlines meridian theory and then outlines specific routines. After each routine, she suggests what inner behaviors to reflect upon and the relevant traditional Chinese medical theories. I believe this book will help aspiring yoginis systematically explore their mind-body interconnection.”


—Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and author of Yin Yoga: Outline of a quiet practice and Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice



“Stefanie Arend’s book is a wonderful exploration of a wide variety of Yin yoga postures, offering plenty of options for students at all levels with an in-depth look at energy from a traditional Eastern perspective, combined with several stimulating exercises. This book will complement any yogi's library and practice. There are now several books available about Yin Yoga, but Stefanie Arend’s is the best look at energy from the Daoist perspective. She not only explains these Eastern concepts in depth but also writes about several ways to put theory into practice. She offers unique views on the physical practice of Yin Yoga.”


—Bernie Clark, author of Your Body, Your Yoga, Yinsights and The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga



“Yin Yoga is a simple practice. At the same time, it is a functional and individualized practice that can be challenging to teach. It takes a skillful Yin teacher to guide a large group of students, each into their own exploration of their unique body parts, while providing them with the internal tools to address individual mental/emotional patterns. Stefanie Arend’s skills are clear in her latest book Be Healthy with Yin Yoga. She presents a comprehensive inquiry into the Yin poses, thoughtful sequences, meridian massages, and deep contemplations in a way that clearly and systematically guides its readers through different possible paths of practice. Stefanie is a skilled and graceful guide through the myriad of options presented by this work’s various topics. Be Healthy with Yin Yoga is accessible to lay yoga practitioners, while simultaneously offering an interesting approach that I encourage all Yoga Teachers (Yin or otherwise) to consider.”


—Joe Barnett, assistant to Paul Grilley, Senior Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer



“Be Healthy with Yin Yoga is a fusion of Yin Yoga practice with Chinese medicine moving towards healthy techniques breathing and meditations. The aim of applying this knowledge is like all spiritual paths, is to guide the practitioner to align one's own wisdom with the natural cosmic forces of the universe. Stefanie Arend has created a comprehensive and inspiring guide for yoga teachers and practitioners alike. In these pages, she offers us the fruit of her years of study and practice combined with her own personal perspective, this book is a brilliant merger of traditional wisdom with contemporary approach and insight. Arend is making a real offering to the yoga community, providing practical tools and inspiration for the path that embraces yoga and energetics, written in an accessible and easy way to understand. It is a pleasure to have all of this information in one place.”


—Sebastian & Murielle Pucelle, assistants to Paul Grilley, Senior Yin Yoga Teacher Trainers



“I’m delighted by Stefanie Arend’s welcome addition to the literature on the theory and practice of Yin Yoga. As a Yin Yoga teacher and practicing acupuncturist, I have a longstanding interest in the energetic effects that Yin Yoga has upon the practioner. In essence, Chinese Medicine is a system that comprehends the individual holistically—taking into account their symptoms, lifestyle, diet, relationships, work, and environment. Within Chinese Medicine, one symptom tells the acupuncturist very little. A trained acupuncturist must contextualize that one symptom into a larger pattern of signs and symptoms and then seek to rectify that unique pattern of imbalance. Yin Yoga—along with Qi Gong, meditation, acupuncture, herbs, bodywork, and dietary therapy—is a fantastic tool for supporting the harmonization of various patterns of imbalance. Stefanie’s book is a wonderful, non-reductive manual and map of the Chinese energetic system and how Yin Yoga can support health and thriving. Like all good maps, they should not be confused with the territory. And Be Healthy with Yin Yoga will help guide you to a deeper understanding of your own inner terrain, whereupon your own wisdom will then serve as your reliable guide.”


—Josh Summers, licensed acupuncturist, Yin Yoga and meditation teacher and trainer, and host of the “Everyday Sublime” podcast



“I am so appreciative of Stefanie's well-thought sequences for different health conditions. Finally, an easy go-to book for the layman who seeks self-practice at the comfort of the home without being led by a teacher in class. This book outlines the purpose of each pose alongside easy-to-follow illustrations. I call this the Dummy's Guide to Yin Yoga 101.”


—Jo Phee, assistant to Paul Grilley, Senior Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer



“Exercise is essential for good health, and yoga is certainly one of the best ways to keep your body fit. Be Healthy with Yin Yoga offers far more than poses and sequences to help strengthen our bodies; Arend does a superb job of synthesizing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which I have used in my more than 40 years of practice as a family physician. Her understanding of chi, meridians, and anatomy is impressive, and her presentation of sequences for specific physical issues, accentuated by offering holistic and TCM perspectives, allows readers a multidimensional opportunity to look at their issues. In our busy world, it is also extremely helpful to reflect on what is happening rather than just simply looking for quick solutions. I highly recommend Arend’s book for those who are a seeking an integrated approach to healing.”


—Elson Haas, MD, is founder and director of Preventive Medical Center of Marin, and author of a dozen books on health and nutrition, including Staying Healthy with NEW Medicine: Integrating Natural, Eastern, and Western Approaches for Optimal Health and Staying Healthy with the Seasons



“Be Healthy with Yin Yoga is a great read for both new and advanced yoga practitioners as well as yin yoga teachers. Stefanie provides a comprehensible description of Yin Yoga as well as its connection to Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern meridian theory. I especially enjoyed the section on health and well-being where Stefanie describes a series of common complaints from anxiety to skin problems, what energy channels are affected by these complaints, and then detailed yin yang sequences designed to stimulate the flow of energy through these channels. A must have book for your Yin Yoga library!“


—Alan E. Mileham, ERYT500 and YACEP Yoga Alliance (USA), Yin Yoga teacher and trainer



“Stefanie’s work is remarkable for many reasons: it showcases a solid and widespread knowledge of Yin Yoga, fascia, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and much more. It reveals deep wisdom on how to weave this knowledge with sensitivity and compassion to help us recover and heal. More than anything, it applies this wisdom to offer practical, nourishing, and regenerating practices accessible to everyone. I am sure this book can sustain and help many through their self-healing processes. Impressive.“


—Anat Geiger, assistant to Paul Grilley, Senior Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer



“Yin Yoga is explained in this book in a format that beautifully blends Western Science and Eastern tradition. I think that anyone who is interested in this healing practice, whether beginners or experienced practitioners, will benefit from the well laid out format that seamlessly weaves the author’s story through the pages pulling you into the text. The most impressive aspect of the writing is it’s ability to succinctly present the evidence based knowledge of Yin Yoga’s’ healing capacity in combination with a pragmatic explanation of the ancient tradition that ultimately creates a unique and important lenses into the world of Yin Yoga.“


—Tyler Maltman, MD, Medicinal Yoga teacher



“Once again Stefanie Arends brings her wisdom to the practice of Yin Yoga. The skill in which she compassionately guides students toward the depth of their uniqueness is a reflection of her many years of dedicated practice and study.”


—Tracee Stanley, Owner, Pranamaya



“Arend’s encyclopedic approach is satisfying, exploring the concepts behind Yin Yoga in a deep fashion.”


—Foreword Reviews



“In this fast-paced modern world, many yoga classes fall into the trap of moving too quickly from pose to pose, and therefore miss out on some of the more profound benefits of yoga that come from slowing down. Yin Yoga takes us far deeper into the body to expand the consciousness that dwells within. Stefanie Arend has created a go-to book on the subject, a reference for yoga teachers and students for years to come.”


—Anodea Judith, PhD, author of Chakra Yoga, Wheels of Life, and Eastern Body, Western Mind