Authors: Megan Scott (With), Sherri Baptiste
ISBN-13: 9780471749370, ISBN-10: 0471749370
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: January 2006
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Sherri Baptiste is an inspirational teacher at the forefront of yoga training in the United States. She was born into a rich heritage and family of pioneering teachers; her parents, Magaña and Walt Baptiste, established yoga on the West Coast in the mid-1950s. Her brother, Baron Baptiste, authored the book Journey into Power: How to Sculpt Your Ideal Body, Free Your True Self, and Transform Your Life With Yoga (Fireside). Sherri has been teaching yoga since her teens and is the founder of “Baptiste Power of Yoga,” a nationally recognized yoga method, as well as a yoga-with-weights teacher-training program and a yoga teacher certification and advancing studies program recognized by Yoga Alliance. Sherri presents classes and workshops throughout the United States; she’s a presenter for Western Athletics’ Bay Clubs, Gold’s Gym, Nautilus, Equinox, IDEA World Fitness, Body Mind Spirit, ECA; and she offers many yoga retreats, including retreats at Kripalu, Omega, Haramara, Green Gulch Zen Center, Rancho La Puerta Spa, and Feathered Pipe Ranch. A radio and television personality, she’s featured in video, DVD, and CD “Power of Yoga” and “Power of Meditation” programs. You can learn more about Sherri at the following Web sites: www.powerofyoga.com and www.yogawithweights.com.
Megan Scott, PhD, is a doctor of integrative medicine, sports rehabilitation, and clinical psychology specializing in advanced healing techniques. She has 20 years of training and practice in mind-body, self-regulation techniques. Dr. Scott combines her knowledge of science and self-healing in her clinicalsettings, highlighted by using the left/right brain neuro rebalancing technique for self-healing. She teaches at California Pacific Medical Center, the Institute for Health and Healing, and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. She’s also a founder, director, and contributing researcher at the Chronic Pain Institute. In her private practice, she teaches Anusara yoga and yoga therapy classes, biofeedback training, and alternative psychotherapy. Her mission is to assist her students in discovering their own greatness and to awaken her students’ passion for yoga and all its gifts.
An easy-to-follow guide to a hot new form of yoga
Yoga with Weights is the latest breakthrough in mind-body exercise, integrating the mindfulness of yoga with the physical culture of body-building. Building on the strengths of both disciplines, this friendly guide shows readers how to safely combine yoga postures while simultaneously working out with lightweight hand-held free weights. It features customizable exercises that target specific areas of the body, each illustrated with multiple photos, and provides guidelines for combining healthy eating with workouts.
Sherri Baptiste (Marin County, CA) is the founder of Baptiste Power of Yoga, a nationally recognized method of yoga offered throughout the United States. She teaches yoga classes throughout the United States and hosts retreats around the world.
Introduction | 1 | |
About This Book | 1 | |
Conventions Used in This Book | 2 | |
Foolish Assumptions | 3 | |
How This Book Is Organized | 4 | |
Icons Used in This Book | 5 | |
Where to Go from Here | 6 | |
Part I | Getting Started | 7 |
Chapter 1 | Introducing Yoga with Weights | 9 |
In the Beginning, There Was Yoga | 9 | |
... And Now There's Yoga with Weights | 12 | |
Weighing the Benefits of Yoga with Weights | 14 | |
Making you stronger | 14 | |
Building your core strength | 14 | |
Toning your muscles | 15 | |
Being more beautiful | 15 | |
Addressing your flexibility and range of motion | 16 | |
Improving your circulation | 17 | |
Creating body awareness | 17 | |
Focusing on your balance and coordination | 18 | |
Building bone density | 18 | |
Finding out the correct way to breathe | 19 | |
Squeezing and soaking | 19 | |
Developing the quality of self-awareness | 19 | |
Evaluating Your Readiness | 20 | |
You haven't studied yoga | 20 | |
You haven't had weight training (or you lift weights on the regular) | 21 | |
You're really out of shape | 21 | |
You're stiff as a board | 22 | |
You're loose as a goose | 22 | |
You're pregnant or have a preexisting medical condition | 23 | |
What You Need to Get Started | 24 | |
Mastering Posture Alignment Techniques | 24 | |
Heeding the All-Important Safety Issues | 26 | |
Listen to your breathing | 26 | |
Be aware of your discomfort level | 26 | |
Be aware of any pain you feel | 28 | |
Practice at a slow but steady pace | 28 | |
Chapter 2 | Gearing Up | 29 |
Weighing Your Hand- and Ankle-Weight Options | 30 | |
Investing in weights of different sizes | 30 | |
Knowing which size weight to use | 31 | |
Shopping for hand and ankle weights | 32 | |
Settling on the Right Yoga Mat | 33 | |
Assembling Your Workout Ensemble | 34 | |
Shopping for Shoes | 35 | |
Keeping Water on Hand to Stay Hydrated | 36 | |
Chapter 3 | Preparing for Your First Workout | 37 |
Finding the Time to Exercise | 37 | |
Because minimal space (and equipment) is required | 38 | |
Because it's a quick workout | 38 | |
Because it replaces snacking | 39 | |
Creating Your Workout Sanctuary at Home | 40 | |
Setting aside some space | 40 | |
Exercising in front of a mirror | 41 | |
Turning up (or turning down) the heat | 43 | |
Jazzing up your workout with music | 44 | |
Working Out in a Group Setting | 46 | |
Getting help from an athletic trainer or yoga instructor | 46 | |
Finding the right instructor for you | 47 | |
Considering the cost of taking yoga classes | 48 | |
Brushing up on your yoga-with-weights etiquette | 49 | |
Part II | Mastering the Basics | 51 |
Chapter 4 | A Breath of Fresh Air: Yoga Breathing Techniques | 53 |
Exploring the Breath-Mind Connection | 54 | |
Considering the Health Benefits of Yoga Breathing | 55 | |
Practicing Yoga Breathing Techniques | 56 | |
Following a few guidelines | 56 | |
The Complete Breath | 57 | |
The Abdominal Breath | 58 | |
The Ocean Breath | 60 | |
The Balancing Breath | 61 | |
The Alternate Nostril Breath | 62 | |
The Cleansing Breath | 63 | |
The Vitality Breath | 64 | |
Chapter 5 | Making the Mind and Body Connection | 65 |
Taming the Monkey Mind | 65 | |
Focusing on the Transitions | 66 | |
Exercising from the Inside Out | 67 | |
Letting Go of "I Can't Do It" | 67 | |
Bringing Your Mind into the Present Moment | 68 | |
Visualizing a calmer mind | 68 | |
Releasing tension with a contract-and-release exercise | 69 | |
Chapter 6 | Warming Up and Cooling Down | 73 |
Reaping the Benefits of Warming Up | 73 | |
Walking to Warm Up | 75 | |
Improving your mindfulness | 75 | |
Preparing for a workout | 76 | |
Adding a Handful of Warm-Up Exercises to Your Walk | 76 | |
Chin-Chest Tuck | 77 | |
Head Turner | 78 | |
Lateral Neck Release | 79 | |
Backward Shoulder Roll | 80 | |
Forward Shoulder Roll | 81 | |
Side Bender | 83 | |
Body Twister | 84 | |
Wrist Rotator | 85 | |
Big Shoulder Release | 86 | |
Y Shoulder Release | 87 | |
Quad Stretcher | 88 | |
Back and Hamstring Stretcher | 89 | |
All-Out Hamstring Stretcher | 90 | |
The Big Stretcher | 91 | |
Marching Legs | 93 | |
Hip Opener | 94 | |
Lower Back Release | 95 | |
Knowing the Benefits of Meditation | 96 | |
Cooling Down: Ending Your Workout with Meditation | 97 | |
Looking at some meditation techniques | 97 | |
Ending your meditation | 100 | |
Chapter 7 | From Head to Toe: The Balanced Workout | 101 |
The Mountain | 102 | |
Heaven and Earth | 103 | |
The Rag Doll | 105 | |
The Airplane | 106 | |
The Triangle | 107 | |
The Exalted Warrior | 109 | |
The Warrior II | 110 | |
The Camel | 111 | |
The Table | 113 | |
The Cat | 114 | |
The Dog | 116 | |
The Bridge | 117 | |
The Frog | 118 | |
The Zen | 120 | |
Ending Meditation | 121 | |
Part III | Refining Your Technique | 123 |
Chapter 8 | Waking Up Your Mind and Body: The Energy Workout | 125 |
The Chair | 126 | |
The Skater | 127 | |
The Crow | 129 | |
The Runner | 130 | |
The Eye of the Needle | 131 | |
The Dog to Plank | 133 | |
The Twisted Triangle | 134 | |
The Warrior I | 136 | |
The Rise and Shine | 137 | |
Ending Meditation | 139 | |
Chapter 9 | Taking It Easy: The Restorative Workout | 141 |
The Child's Pose | 142 | |
The Lion | 143 | |
The Pigeon | 145 | |
The Sphinx | 146 | |
The Big Ease | 148 | |
The Gauge | 149 | |
The Twister | 151 | |
The Plow | 152 | |
The Serenity | 154 | |
Ending Meditation | 155 | |
Chapter 10 | Pumping You Up: The Strengthening Workout | 157 |
The Lightning Bolt | 158 | |
The Crescent Moon | 159 | |
The Dog to Plank | 161 | |
The Side Plank | 162 | |
The Half Moon | 164 | |
The Swimmer | 165 | |
The Rabbit | 166 | |
The Dolphin | 168 | |
The Lift | 169 | |
Ending Meditation | 170 | |
Chapter 11 | Releasing Your Athlete Within: The Endurance Workout | 171 |
The Tree | 172 | |
The Dancer | 173 | |
The Eagle | 175 | |
The Russian Dancer | 176 | |
The Road Runner | 178 | |
The Side Bow | 179 | |
The Horse | 181 | |
The Ball | 182 | |
The Press | 184 | |
The Straddle | 185 | |
The Recharge | 188 | |
Ending Meditation | 189 | |
Chapter 12 | Iron Abs: The Belly-Burner Workout | 191 |
The Cow to Cat | 192 | |
The Flying Locust | 193 | |
The Locust | 195 | |
The Love Handler | 196 | |
The Staff | 198 | |
The Burning Boat | 199 | |
The Archer | 201 | |
The Pearl | 202 | |
The Belly Crunch | 204 | |
The Belly Dancer | 205 | |
Ending Meditation | 206 | |
Part IV | Personalizing Your Program | 207 |
Chapter 13 | Eating to Enhance Your Yoga-with-Weights Workout | 209 |
Listening to the Wisdom of Your Body | 210 | |
Improving Your Diet through Yoga with Weights | 211 | |
Following Guidelines for Healthy Eating | 211 | |
Discovering the value of whole foods | 212 | |
Including dairy products in your diet | 213 | |
Supplying your body with proteins | 213 | |
Consuming healthy fats and essential fatty acids | 214 | |
Using antioxidants as anti-aging agents | 215 | |
Developing Good Eating Habits | 216 | |
Chapter 14 | Addressing Body Aches and Pains | 219 |
What Causes Chronic Muscle Pain Anyway? | 220 | |
Managing the Pain in Your Neck | 221 | |
Loosening Your Stiff Shoulders | 222 | |
Relieving Back Discomfort and Pain | 224 | |
Stretching back stiffness | 224 | |
Easing lower back pain | 226 | |
Targeting your lumbar region | 227 | |
Alleviating Hip Pain | 228 | |
Lengthening Your Hamstrings with a Stretch | 229 | |
Stretching Out Your Quads | 231 | |
Standing quad stretcher | 231 | |
Sitting quad stretcher | 232 | |
Chapter 15 | Toning and Focusing on Different Body Areas | 235 |
Creating Your Own Workout | 236 | |
Warming up | 236 | |
Breathing | 236 | |
Sequencing | 237 | |
Transitioning between exercises | 238 | |
Ending with meditation | 238 | |
Choosing how and when to work out | 239 | |
Targeting Parts of Your Body | 239 | |
Developing your shoulders | 242 | |
Working on your chest | 243 | |
Toning and strengthening your arms | 245 | |
Focusing on the back of the torso and spine | 246 | |
Engaging your belly muscles | 248 | |
Toning your buttocks and hips | 249 | |
Strengthening your legs | 252 | |
Part V | Addressing Special Situations | 255 |
Chapter 16 | Improving Your Game | 257 |
Swimming | 258 | |
Running | 259 | |
Cycling | 262 | |
Basketball | 264 | |
Volleyball | 266 | |
Power Walking (and Power Breathing) | 268 | |
Racket Sports | 271 | |
Golf | 273 | |
Skiing | 277 | |
Football and Soccer | 279 | |
Baseball and Softball | 281 | |
Cross-Training | 283 | |
Chapter 17 | Girl Talk | 287 |
Addressing Women's Health Issues through Yoga with Weights | 287 | |
Increasing bone density | 287 | |
Fighting depression | 288 | |
Handling premenstrual syndrome | 289 | |
A Special Workout for Expecting Mothers | 289 | |
Courage and Strength | 290 | |
Opening the Way | 292 | |
The Mother Goddess | 293 | |
Ending meditation: Divine Mother Affirmation | 294 | |
Chapter 18 | Exercises for Seniors | 297 |
Reaping the Rewards of the Senior Workout | 298 | |
Candle Blowing | 299 | |
The Mirror | 300 | |
The Ticking Clock | 301 | |
The Wave | 303 | |
The Egyptian | 304 | |
The Pigeon | 305 | |
The Heart Lift | 307 | |
The Hacker | 308 | |
The Champion | 309 | |
The Body Builder | 310 | |
The Triangle | 311 | |
The Lift | 312 | |
The Seated Twist | 314 | |
Ending Meditation | 315 | |
Part VI | The Part of Tens | 317 |
Chapter 19 | Ten Ways to Stay Motivated | 319 |
Take a Deep Breath | 319 | |
Make the Commitment to Exercise | 320 | |
Take Care of Yourself | 321 | |
Celebrate the Benefits to Your Sex Life | 321 | |
Reward Yourself | 322 | |
Consider How Well You're Sleeping | 322 | |
Set Your Sights on a Goal | 323 | |
Find a Workout Partner | 323 | |
Talk to Yourself | 323 | |
Create a Workout Routine You Enjoy | 324 | |
Chapter 20 | Ten Myths about Yoga with Weights | 325 |