While many people practice yoga simply because it helps them feel good, the physiological basis for yoga's effects on the body and mind is often unknown or misunderstood. Understanding these physiological concepts can help to deepen your yoga practice. The Physiology of Yoga separates speculation from fact by examining how the body responds and adapts to yoga within many systems of the body: musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, endocrine, reproductive, and digestive. Straightforward explanations guide you in sorting through conflicting information about what yoga really can help you achieve and in evaluating whether certain yoga methods provide benefits to any or all of those systems. You can experiment with concepts through Try It Yourself sidebars, which focus on mindful movement, meditation, and breathing. The 14 Myth or Fact sidebars explore popular claims about yoga, such as whether a shoulder stand can stimulate the thyroid or if twists can detoxify the liver. You'll get the most current research to determine the validity of various claims so you can avoid practices that could be harmful or counterproductive and can decide for yourself what works for your practice. Finally, experience firsthand how yoga affects your physiology by exploring specific yoga poses and four sequences. Each sequence explains which of the physiological principles from the earlier chapters may be most prevalent in that sequence. With The Physiology of Yoga, you or your students can navigate all the conflicting views and opinions about the impact of yoga and learn to practice yoga while fully enjoying the benefits of mindful movement. CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. The Physiology of Yoga Online CE Exam may be purchased separately or as part of The Physiology of Yoga With CE Exam package that includes both the book and the exam.

This book is an exploration of the neglected area of yoga and hypermobility. Hypermobile people are generally over-represented in yoga classes, yet often go unrecognised and receive little guidance about how to practise in hypermobility-friendly ways. Many yoga teachers have received little or no training about how to work with this vulnerable population. The book considers what hypermobility is and offers teachers general guidelines as well as specific practical techniques for including hypermobile students safely and effectively in classes. For hypermobile students themselves there are lots of suggestions for making a yoga practice helpful and beneficial. Also including information about co-existing conditions, the intersection of hypermobility with neurodiversity, and much more, Hypermobility on the Yoga Mat is the go-to resource for both hypermobile yoga practitioners and yoga teachers encountering hypermobile students.