Awakening the Spine: The Stress-Free New Yoga that Works with the Body to Restore Health, Vitality and Energy

I heard about this book, after I read Warrior Pose (How Yoga Literally Saved My Life) by Brad Willis AKA Bhava Ram (A must read!!). This is a individual who started her journey in Yoga at a later age. The book is beautifully illustrated and gives the reader a glimpse into what Yoga is truly about. (And it is not just about the poses). In the hustle and bustle of life, we are so busy attaining things and worrying about being successful that we sometimes miss what is really important. Learning to stay in the moment, listening to our body's inner voice, and breathing are the things I remember learning about in this most precious of books. Awakening the spine is the key to unlocking what ails us, and this book gives you a great starting point. In the book the author is doing many of the poses that are illustrated. With that said, many of the poses takes years of practice. The book gives the reader a foundation in which to build a Yoga practice, build a stronger self (spine) and ultimately move toward health and vitality. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore the many benefits of Yoga. It's one book I plan to keep.....Hope this review is helpful to you.

This is a wonderful book. I've read it cover to cover and also open it up occasionally for reflection and guidance. I've never met Vanda, but I take yoga instruction from one of her students. Vanda was a wise woman and it shows in her writing and through her students. Some of the customer reviews posted here are rather negative, but I realize where they are coming from. The editor's note implies that this is a book on yoga instruction. It is not. Vanda even says in her book (not a direct quote) that it seems to be a fad now to write yoga instruction books, and she didn't want to do that. But she had many people press her into sharing her wisdom in writing. I'm so glad that Vanda shared her gentle wisdom in this book before she passed on. This book is an excellent addition to one's current yoga practice, as well as a primer for someone who wants to get started with yoga. Really, any person of any age or gender will benefit from this easy to read, inspired, wise, and thoughtful book!

Readers gain from books what they allow themselves to. To those who simply allow this book is a classic yoga text.Vanda uses the spine as the human epicenter for all human experience/s. These experiences are our inter and intra-connections (yoga, union, yolk) with all (nature, worlds, universes, selves). Although not detailed in Vanda's book the chakras support this. Many of BSC Iyengar's descriptions can be interpreted as using the diaphragm where Vanda uses the spine for union. Using body organs is a wonderfully easy way for humans to 'see' links within ourselves and beyond ourselves that other species innately accept and fully experience naturally when not over humanized.If we do not agree with all Vanda's beliefs we are free to expand our own. Illustrations from nature have been carefully chosen to mirror asanas and both appear simultaneously on adjacent pages, coaxing the reader to explore the links more.This is not a book on how to do asanas and does not include comprehensive coverage of these, the author clearly states that was not her intention. It does not contain the most accurate or detailed diagrams of human anatomy, that is not the intention either.Whilst reading this book I experience all eight limbs of yoga. I didn't have the yoga words to explain this when I first read this book years ago. I just felt a very strong connection with it, warts and all and often let it fall open where ever and got lost there in wonder. I lent it to a friend recently and reread it before hand which prompted this review.

I was referred to this book by my physical therapist after having hurt myself doing "hot yoga" I LOVED my hot yoga class but was doing yoga for all the wrong reasons, like weight loss. My PT was adament about "listening" to my body and that yoga was never intended to be about weight loss, although that may happen. This book is an easy read and explains how the body works. I would recommend anyone who wants to live happily in their body read it. and the people I ordered it from were great. The book came on time and in great condition.

Pictures not the best. Not an easy read. Better illustration could help to achieve some yoga movements.

Obviously Vanda had to have been a healthy, limber person when she started yoga at 50 however, I am wonderfully inspired by her book. The pictures of her asana's next to the same form in nature was a brilliant idea! A lovely coffee table and reference book that is not overly wordy.The best part is being able to replace the common inner picture of the aging woman with one of beauty, flexibility, and deep reverence for life in a body.

This is an interesting book. It has ideas for thinking about your body as the trunk, connected to the earth, and the upper body which is stretching to the sky.

Not sure what this book is trying to accomplish. It does not have any yoga poses or concepts in here.

I loved this book for its poetic way of describing about yoga and comparing it with nature beautifully.

Une vision juste, poétique et accomplie du yoga. C'est différent de tout ce qu'on peut lire habituellement. Pour les experts comme pour les débutants.

WOW,,this is amazing book.One of the instructors at our studio has read from it periodically.Those small samples don't even come close to how great the content of this book is.One of my top 5 in my yoga collection for sure and I have many many.

Bellissimo libro scritto da una donna speciale che si è messa al servizio per divulgare questa antichissima disciplina rivisitandola con la propria sensibilità e amore per la Vita.

Este libro es poesía pura. Es un canto de libertad. amor y respeto por la vida. Om Shanti Om. Gracias.