Book Review: Donna Farhi, Pathways To A Centered Body

What an accomplishment! Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, Pathways to a Centered Body is must read for yoga students and teachers seeking the understand the body’s most mysterious muscle, the psoas. With clarity, gentleness and thoroughness, Donna Farhi and Leila Stuart illuminate the psoas muscle’s central role in core stability, breathing, and functional movement.

Farhi is a long time contributor to the yoga community. Her first books, The Breathing Book and Body And Spirit have been on my bookshelf for more than fifteen years! I just love her work. She is approachable, knowledgeable, generous and humble. In her new book, she and Stark display a wonderful gift for making anatomy relevant and easy to understand (being an anatomy geek, this is something that I appreciate).
However, while Pathways to a Centered Body includes an abundance of fascinating anatomical information, the heart of this book is imminently practical. Their six-phase process for psoas rehabilitation is comprised of thoughtful exercises designed to improve the functionality and health of this key stabilizer. Each exercise is supported with photos and step by step explanations. Exercise sets are compiled into sequences that can be used for an at-home practice.
If you are interested in expanding your understanding of core connection from the inside out, consider checking out this lovely new work. A perfect blend of practice and theory, Pathways to a Centered Body will shift your relationship to your psoas –  and to yourself.

Book Review: Serving the Broccoli Gods

Mary Purdy Nutritional Show

Hilarious. I want to be her friend.

She had me from the first line:

“When I was four, my parents received a report card from my kindergarten teacher. The first line read, “Mary is a totally competent person.””

Self-deprecating, wise-cracking, and personable, Mary’s new book Serving the Broccoli Gods is a fun breath of fresh air. The bulk of the book consists of her entertaining personal stories (and thank you Mary, for putting some of your heart on your sleeve for us in addition to your humour), dabbed with recipes, tips, and food suggestions. It’s rather like hanging out with a fun galpal who sprinkles your chats with intriguing facts, nutritional research, and a rampant commitment to healthy eating.

Though her passion for food radiates from every page, the book is less about plying you with advice and recipes (there are really only seven or so direct info-boxes on food) than it is about giving you an introduction to Mary herself. It’s a quick read at only 75 pages. She’s your wise-cracking friend, your straight talking advisor. And if you like her style, head on over to her youtube channel and get oodles of nutritional resources on Mary’s Nutrition Show.

Check it out on Amazon.

 

Book Review: Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga

Written by Marlynn Wei, MD and James Groves, MD, The Harvard Medical School’s Guide to Yoga pretty much had me at “hello.” To be honest, I get a little excited about anything published by Harvard because, well, it’s Harvard, and I assume it just has to be good. I’m also a bit starry eyed about linking yoga with medical research. So I cracked the book open….

The book can be characterized as a heartfelt east meet west. Both Wei and Groves have a personal connection to the yoga practice and compelling personal stories. Wei found yoga to find relief from her taxing job as a psychiatrist (and she also applies yoga in her work with her patients) and Groves (interestingly!) found yoga in his fifties. The book is a beautiful mix of scientific rigor and practical application with just enough yoga mysticism to feel authentic and sincere.

The book spans a wide range of foundational topics and I think would be a good addition to your library as a reference text. You’ll find:

  • the science of yoga (YAY!)
  • types of yoga
  • history and philosophy
  • subtle body systems
  • injury prevention
  • breathing
  • asana
  • mudras
  • guides for practice
  • yoga for specific health concerns

Throughout the book, the good doctors include references to correlating medical research (when appropriate) that provide research based evidence for the positive benefits of the techniques. Again – YAY! For those of you seeking to understand why yoga works, having access to this supporting research is enlightening and gratifying. If I’m going to be very, very picky, I will add that it’s good to be skeptical of blanket statements that are only supported by one or two studies. (One research study does not a fact make, no matter how good it sounds.)  I would also add that I would have loved for more specific physiological benefits to be included for individual asana.

Overall, if you are nerdy yogi, this book is an excellent read and resource. I personally love to have a “why” for the “what” when I’m teaching, and having a little science at your fingertips is useful when you’re luring more practical-minded students into the practice. Wei and Groves bridge the gap between western medicine and eastern practice with sincerity, clarity, and grace.

 

Check out book on Amazon.Com.

Check out book on Amazon.Ca.