Riverdale Library Blog

I don't know about the other paren'ts out there, but when I had my children, I cut down on self-care quite a bit.  My first child didn't sleep through the night until she was two and a half, and by the time my second was born, I was close to forty and carrying a few too many pounds.  Compound that with a chronic back problem, kids that never wanted to lose sight of me and a busy work schedule and somehow negotiating exercise into my life became more than I could manage. Fast-forward a few years and here I am–out-of-shape.  Yoga to the rescue!

TPL has some great yoga material aimed at easing newbies like me into a safe yoga practise.  One of my favourites is Lilias!  Yoga Gets Better With Age by Lillias Folan.  With clear pictures and instructions, a friendly voice and an emphasis on safety, Lilias makes me feel like I am in good hands. 

Another writer I find useful is Miriam Austin.  Her Cool Yoga Tricks shows you how to use simple props like belts, yoga blocks, a rolled-up blanket or even a wall to successfully support your body in poses that can be challenging for those of us just starting out.  I haven't read her earlier book, Yoga for Wimps:  Poses for the Flexibly Impaired, but I plan to check it out soon.  O Magazine says that Austin "knows how to coax flexibility from a steel girder".  That would be me! 

Sarah Power's Insight Yoga is a little more philosophical and explores the ideas of chi and energy meridians as they relate to yoga.  She is a practitioner of the yin style of yoga, in which poses are held for longer periods in order to stretch tendons as well as muscle groups. 

A relatively new book, Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body Yoga by Emily Slonina, aims to help people fit yoga into their daily lives without necessarily carving out long blocks of time to do so.  Her book features many  poses that can be done in chairs, including office chairs or wheelchairs, as well as more traditional standing poses.  She uses models of  all ages and body types, and reminds us that "a few minutes here and a few minutes there will add up and can make a difference in the quality of our lives." 

It's embarrassing to admit, but I often have trouble with poses that involve forward bends because my belly is on the round side and tends to crush my diaphragm if I go too far forward.  Mega Yoga:  The First Yoga Program for Curvy Women is written by Megan Garcia,  an experienced yoga teacher who is also a plus-size model.   She has modified many classic poses to accomodate bodies like mine.  More power to her! 

I can't help but notice a new trend in yoga–paren't and child yoga practise.  I wish I'd gotten into this when my kids were young.  If I could turn back time, I'd check out titles like Baby Massage and Yoga by Anita Epple or Yoga for Mother and Baby by Francoise Barbira-Freedman. 

For those of us who want to capture the experience of being in class rather than making up our own routines, a yoga DVD might be the way to go.  I recommend Yoga for Wimps or Yin and Yang Yoga;  I'm also planning to check out Yoga in Bed:  20 Asanas to do in Pyjamas.  Sounds relaxing!

What are your favourite yoga books or DVDs?