Yoga and Scoliosis: A Journey to Health & Healing

Yoga and Scoliosis: A Journey to Health and Healing

by Marcia Monroe, Loren Martin Fishman, B.K.S. Iyengar

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Book Review
More than an exercise program, Yoga and Scoliosis is a deeply soothing form of moving meditation and a physical activity and is a safe way to rebuild strength, stamina, and flexibility and to address the spinal curvature of scoliosis without surgery. The book presents an evidence-based look at how this approach works. Dr. Fishman demonstrates in the introduction how the practice of Iyengar yoga leads to actual lessening of the degree curvature of the spine in patients with scoliosis. Yoga and Scoliosis is a source of encouragement, knowledge, and healing for those who have scoliosis and need to treat it, but want to avoid braces and/or surgery. It briefly covers the history and treatment modalities of scoliosis and discusses the development of the spine in the embryo. Yoga and Scoliosis explores the complexities of the concept of alignment in the body, with the main part of the book showing how to address scoliosis utilizing Iyengar yoga. Four chapters give instruction in yoga asanas for scoliosis, and another chapter discusses yoga practice in daily living. Finally there is a Foreword by B. K. S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga.

About the Author
Marcia Monroe is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was first certified as a Yoga teacher by the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City for levels 1, 2, and 3. She has been studying with the Iyengar family since 2001 and in 2005, she received certification from B.K.S. Iyengar at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. She now teaches children in New York City at the Bloomingdale Family Program. Marcia is a Body Mind Centering teacher, an Infant Developmental Educator, is registered as a somatic movement educator, and is one of a handful of people who have worked extensively with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, founder of The School for Body-Mind Centering. Marcia has taught Yoga internationally, in Brazil, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the U.S. Currently she teaches classes and workshops on yoga and scoliosis and maintains a private practice in New York City and Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Loren Fishman has been a specialist in Electrodiagnosis of low back pain and sciatica for over 20 years. His other specialties are functional assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and the application of yoga within the medical context. Over the last 20 years, he has lectured frequently, authored multiple books and contributed to over 45 publications including Demos Health's book Yoga and Multiple Sclerosis: A Journey to Health and Healing. He is Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. Loren also received his certification to teach yoga from the Iyengar Yoga Institute.

Leveraging the Universe: 7 Steps to Engaging Life's Magic

Leveraging the Universe: 7 Steps to Engaging Life's Magic

by Mike Dooley

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Book Review
Bestselling author Mike Dooley builds on the principles from Infinite Possibilities and Manifesting Change to offer a step-by-step strategy for leveraging the Universe in the course of self-fulfillment and success. In just a seven steps, Dooley teaches you how to channel the Universe’s incredible energy to achieve your greatest dreams.

Filled with practical strategies and simple exercises that anyone can do, Leveraging the Universe lays out the path to engaging the magic that is available to everyone. Dooley weaves his inspiring personal history throughout the book to demonstrate firsthand how properly applying the Universe’s power has brought success and fulfillment to his own life. Simply follow Dooley’s seven steps to an amazing life:

• Understand Your Relationship to the Universe and the Magic. As shared in Manifesting Change, not understanding the nature of your reality is the number one reason people actually “fail.”
• Starting Where You Are. No matter where you are today, there are brand new things to do tomorrow even if you don’t know yet know what you are going to do when you grow up.
• Taking Action and Delegating. Know what you can, should, and must do, versus what you mustn’t ever do.
• Using the Fulcrums of Your Thoughts, Words, and Deeds. How to use your thoughts, words, and actions to get the most from life, by doing the least.
• Aligning Your Beliefs With Your Dreams. No need to figure out what your invisible limiting beliefs are, they are invisible after all! Instead, know what you want them to be.
• Beginning It. How to get all your ducks lined up, even the ones you didn’t know you had.
• Adjusting your sails. There’s never been anything wrong with you, though your approach may need some tweaking.

About the Author
Mike Dooley is an international tax accountant turned entrepreneur turned writer for "the Universe." His Notes from the Universe™ emails go out to more than 370,000 subscribers, and have since spun off into books, calendars, greeting cards, and world tours. As the bestselling author of Infinite Possibilities and Manifesting Change, with works translated into twenty-five languages, and a featured teacher in The Secret book and DVD, Dooley is actively using the concepts and principles he expounds upon to travel the world, speaking on life, dreams, and happiness.

The Loveless Family

The Loveless Family: Getting Past Estrangement and Learning How to Love

by Jon P. Bloch

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Book Review
Though recent decades have seen a great deal of discussion on the "dysfunctional" family, many people share a different problem, regardless of whether their family was "functional" or not: they are never given love, or taught how to receive it. This book will establish the concept of the loveless family by investigating scholarship on the subject as well as through the personal reflections and experiences of author Jon P. Bloch.

The Loveless Family: Getting Past Estrangement and Learning How to Love explains what a loveless family is, some of the typical syndromes seen within it, how families may cope with serious physical or mental issues, and how adults who came from a loveless family can develop meaningful relationships. This book is written to be engaging and accessible to the average reader, yet authoritative and also of value to scholars.

About the Author
Jon P. Bloch, MA, PhD, is professor of sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT. He is the author of numerous scholarly, self-help, and fictional works.

The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives

The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives

by Katie Couric

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Book Review
What was the tipping point for Malcolm Gladwell? What unscripted event made Meryl Streep who she is? How did Mario Batali cook up his recipe for success? In this inspiration-packed book, Katie Couric reports from the front lines of the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, the arts, and business distilling the ingenious, hard-won insights of leaders and visionaries, who tell us all how to take chances, follow our passions, cope with criticism, and, perhaps most important, commit to something greater than ourselves.

Among the many voices to be heard here are financial guru Suze Orman on the benefits of doing what’s right, not what’s easy; director Steven Spielberg on listening rather than being listened to; quarterback Drew Brees on how his (literal) big break changed his life; and novelist Curtis Sittenfeld on the secrets of a great long-term relationship (she suggests marrying someone less neurotic than you); not to mention:

• Michael Bloomberg: “Eighty percent of success is showing up . . . early.”
• Eric Stonestreet: “Remember that the old lady who’s taking forever in line is someone’s grandma.”
• Joyce Carol Oates: “Read widely—what you want to read, and not what someone suggests that you should read.”
• Jimmy Kimmel: “When in doubt, order the hamburger.’”
• Apolo Ohno: “It’s not about the forty seconds; it’s about the four years, the time it took to get there.”
• Madeleine K. Albright: “Never play hide-and-seek with the truth.”

Along the way, Couric reflects on the good advice—and the missteps—that have guided her from her early days as a desk assistant at ABC to her groundbreaking role as the first female anchor of the CBS Evening News. She reveals how the words of Thomas Jefferson helped her deal with her husband’s tragic death from cancer, and what encouraged her to leave the security of NBC’s Today show for a new adventure at CBS.

Delightful, empowering, and moving, The Best Advice I Ever Got is the perfect book for anyone who is thinking about the future, contemplating taking a risk, or daring to make a leap into the great unknown. This book is for all of us, young or old, who want to see how today’s best and brightest got it right, got it wrong, and came out on top.

About the Author
Katie Couric is the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, a 60 Minutes correspondent, and anchor of CBS News prime-time specials. She has covered most of the major breaking news events over the past fifteen years, including the historic presidential election of 2008, the September 11 attacks, the Columbine tragedy, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the funeral of Princess Diana.

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program

by Sharon Salzberg

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Book Review
Thousands of years prove it, and Western science backs it: Meditation sharpens focus. Meditation lowers blood pressure, relieves chronic pain, reduces stress. Meditation helps us experience greater calm. Meditation connects us to our inner-most feelings and challenges our habits of self-judgment. Meditation helps protect the brain against aging and improves our capacity for learning new things. Meditation opens the door to real and accessible happiness.

There is no better person to show a beginner how to harness the power of meditation than Sharon Salzberg, one of the world’s foremost meditation teachers and spiritual authors. Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, author of Lovingkindness, Faith, and other books, Ms. Salzberg distills 30 years of teaching meditation into a 28-day program that will change lives. It is not about Buddhism, it’s not esoteric—it is closer to an exercise, like running or riding a bike. From the basics of posture, breathing, and the daily schedule to the finer points of calming the mind, distraction, dealing with specific problem areas (pain in the legs? falling asleep?) to the larger issues of compassion and awareness, Real Happiness is a complete guide. It explains how meditation works; why a daily meditation practice results in more resiliency, creativity, peace, clarity, and balance; and gives twelve meditation practices, including mindfulness meditation and walking meditation. An extensive selection of her students’ FAQs cover the most frequent concerns of beginners who meditate—“Is meditation selfish?” “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” “Can I use meditation to manage weight?”

About the Author
Sharon Salzberg is one of the leading meditation and spiritual teachers in the world. She cofounded the Insight Meditation Society with Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, and is the author of eight books, including the bestselling Lovingkindness and Faith. A teacher for more than 30 years, she has been a contributing editor at O, The Oprah Magazine and has appeared in Time, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Self, Yoga Journal, More, and others. She divides her time between Barre, Massachusetts, home of the IMS, and New York City.

Finding Purpose & Happiness in Life & Work

The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work

by Jon Gordon

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Book Review
New from Jon Gordon, the international and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Energy Bus, The Seed takes you on a quest for the meaning and passion behind work. Josh, an up-and-comer at his company, is disenchanted with his job. Challenged by his boss to take two weeks to decide if he really wants to work there, Josh takes off for the country, where he meets a wise farmer who gives him a seed and a promise: find the right place to plant the seed, and his purpose will be revealed.

Through Josh's journey cross-country journey, you'll find surprising new sources of wisdom and inspiration in your own business and life.

Nobody captures the deeper meaning of business like Jon Gordon, and The Seed is his most searching and significant book yet. Whatever your profession, take this insightful look at the purpose behind work, and plant The Seed of inspiration in your life!

About the Author
Jon Gordon's bestselling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals, and nonprofits. He is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp,The Shark and the Goldfish, and Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture.

Habits of Happy Mothers

The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity (Playaway Adult Nonfiction)

by Meg Meeker, Karen White

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Book Review
The pressure on women today has pushed many American mothers to the breaking point. It feels as if “doing your best” is never enough to please everyone, and the demands mothers place on themselves are both impossible and unrealistic. Now Meg Meeker, M.D., critically acclaimed author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, puts her twenty-five years’ experience as a practicing pediatrician and counselor into a sound, sane approach to reshaping the frustrating, exhausting lives of so many moms.

Mothers are expected to do it all: raise superstar kids, look great, make good salaries, volunteer for everything, run errands, keep a perfect house, be the perfect wife. Single mothers often have even more demands and less support. In this rallying cry for change, Dr. Meeker incorporates clinical data and her own experience raising four children to show why mothers suffer from the rising pressure to excel and the toll it takes on their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health. Too many mothers are increasingly lonely, anxious, depressed, and unhappy with themselves, refusing to let themselves off the hook. Here, Dr. Meeker has identified the 10 most positive habits of mothers who are healthy, happy, and fulfilled. The key is to embrace a new perspective and create real joy and purpose by utilizing such core habits as

• making friends with those who know the meaning of friendship
• finding out what money can buy (and what it cannot)
• lightening the overload—and doing less more often
• discovering faith and learning how to trust it
• taking some alone time and reviving yourself

Mothers, it’s time to view the unconditional trust that you see in your children’s eyes when they take your hand or find your face in a crowd as a mirror of your own wonder and worth. You are the light that shines in their lives, the beacon that guides them. By implementing the key strategies in Dr. Meeker’s book, you can be happy, hopeful, and a wonderful role model. You can teach your children to be the very best they can be—and isn’t that still the most precious reward of motherhood?

About the Author
Meg Meeker, M.D., is the author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and Boys Should Be Boys. She has been a physician practicing pediatric and adolescent medicine, working with children and their parents, for twenty-five years. Dr. Meeker is the mother of four children, and lives with her husband in northern Michigan.

Build an Exceptional Life

From the first page, readers will feel her enthusiasm; a winning mix of humor, contestant case studies, personal experience, and motivation (she demands that readers wake up; "Screw surviving," she says, "It's time to THRIVE") never feels platitudinous

Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life

by Jillian Michaels

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Book Review
You will learn to:

• Cultivate your passion and embrace your uniqueness to create a purpose-filled life . . .on your own terms.
• Transform your suffering into peace, wisdom, and strength.
• Work through fear, worry, shame, and negative self-talk to blast through obstacles and create self-confidence, self-esteem, and a healthy self-image.
• Take powerful, informed, deliberate actions to make your dreams a reality.

Forget surviving: it’s your time to thrive. You do have the ability and potential to achieve unlimited health, wealth, and happiness. Getting there won’t all be easy nothing worthwhile ever is but take this journey and your life will change dramatically. Your possibilities are unlimited, and your life is waiting for you to break free and claim it.

About the Author
JILLIAN MICHAELS is best known as a strength trainer and life coach in her hit television shows. Over the years she has helped shape and inspire the lives of millions. She is an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer and is the multiweek New York Times bestselling author of Master Your Metabolism, The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook, and Making the Cut. Her website, www.JillianMichaels.com, receives more than 100 million page views per year and ranks as the fourth most visited health-and-wellness site in the world. Visit it for an interactive experience with this book.

Understanding of Happiness & Well-being

Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being

by Martin Seligman

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Review
“You might think you know about well-being and positive psychology, but there's so much more you can learn in FLOURISH. With flashes of brilliance, rigorous research, and stories so absorbing that they're impossible to put down, Seligman’s new book contains wisdom garnered over a long and storied career – a calling that leads him to work with billionaire philanthropists, British lords, Army generals, Australian school kids, and thousands of bright and creative scientists, students, educators, and mental health professionals. If you liked Authentic Happiness, you will like Flourish ten times more. This book is bound to be not only a source of knowledge, but a fount of inspiration.” Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want

“Brilliant, beautiful, useful, and true. How many books can you say that about? Well, you can say it for sure about Flourish. Written by a master of research as well as a thoroughly joyful man, Flourish will allow you to flourish if you simply read the book and follow its sane, sage, ground-breaking advice. Skeptics, beware! This book will prove you wrong. You actually can plan your way to a joyful and fulfilling life. Read and rejoice!” Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Shine: Using Brain Science to Bring the Best from Your People

About the Author
Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D., the Robert A. Fox Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, works on positive psychology, learned helplessness, depression, ethnopolitical conflict, and optimism. Dr. Seligman's work has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Science Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. He is the director of the Positive Psychology Network and scientific director of Foresight, Inc., a testing company that predicts success in various walks of life.

He was for fourteen years the Director of the Clinical Training Program of the University of Pennsylvania and was named a "Distinguished Practitioner" by the National Academies of Practice. In 1995, he received the Pennsylvania Psychological Association's award for "Distinguished Contributions to Science and Practice."