Teach People, Not Poses
Lessons in Yoga Anatomy and Functional Movement to Unlock Body Intelligence
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Honor your yoga students' unique practice with this essential guide to identifying and supporting healthy, safe movement for every body. Includes more than 80 exercises and 43 instructional drawings.
Teach People, Not Poses is the manual that yoga teachers and yoga therapists need to help their students step onto the mat on their own terms, comfortably and safely. Mary Richards, a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and expert in kinesiology and anatomy, says that we leave too many people off the mat, due to overly aggressive pace, sequence, and ambition in asana. She offers advice, techniques, observations, practices, and sequences to give teachers and yoga therapists the tools they need to move beyond the popular ideas of "should" on the mat.
To safely guide others in asana, especially when people come to the mat for relief from residual effects of acute injuries, chronic pain, and repetitive strain, yoga teachers need to understand what is typical and atypical in terms of posture and movement. Richards offers teachers myriad exercises to address imbalances and strengthen, such as
- "Tighten the Corset" for deep core training
- "Forearm Chaturanga/Plank" to develop core strength and stability
- "Revolved Warrior I with Resistance Band" for core stabilization
- "Wall-supported Downward-facing Dog" to activate the abdominal muscles and support the lower back
- and much more
This unique book masterfully blends yoga philosophy with practical body knowledge and physical core stabilization skills, so that asana is truly an individualized expression--and what the Yoga Sutras describe as sthira sukham asanam, asana that is steady and comfortable.
About this Author
MARY RICHARDS, MS, C-IAYT, ERYT, YACEP, has been practicing yoga for almost 30 years and travels around the country teaching anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. A hard-core movement nerd and former NCAA athlete, Mary has a master's degree in yoga therapy. Mary lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where she teaches syllabus-based yoga classes, sees clients privately, and trains bodyworkers, fitness professionals, and yoga instructors in movement literacy and therapeutic asana techniques.
Reviews
"Rarely in life do we come upon a book that makes us exclaim, 'I am so happy someone finally wrote this book.' Teach People, Not Poses is such a book. I cannot recommend this book more highly. I predict it will become a classic for yoga students and teachers alike. So read this book, slowly and carefully. Practice what it offers and savor it for its depth, honesty, and usefulness. I have no doubt that you will be delighted with the result."--Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT, author of Teaching Yoga with Intention
"We need detailed maps for trekking and hiking in the inner body--and that is exactly what Mary Richards provides in her experiential anatomy book, which she adapts wonderfully to one's needs and personal history."--Francois Raoult, director of Open Sky Yoga Center
"Embodiment is one of the most important aspects of Yoga practice, teaching us that we're both body and spirit--earth and ether. Mary Richards shows us how to be in our bodies in a clearer and more specific way than I have ever encountered in the Yoga world. What an amazing offering!"--Jivana Heyman, author of Yoga Revolution
"Teach People, Not Poses eloquently explores the continuum of accessibility and inclusivity through the lens of anatomy, kinesiology, yoga principles, and philosophy."--Marsha Banks Harold, yoga teacher and owner of PIES Fitness Yoga Studio
"This book is a must-read for any yoga practitioner or teacher who wants to dive deeper into the understanding of yoga--mind, body, and spirit."--Suzanne McCahill Perrine, yoga teacher and Ayurveda Health Coach
"Mary's singular, humble voice rises above the clamor and ushers us into a new way of learning and being, where curiosity is paramount and one's own unique, direct experience is the ultimate authority. A must-read for all aspiring yogis."--Melissa Shalongo, yoga teacher
"As a yoga teacher I am excited and grateful for anything that helps me fulfill my responsibilities to keep learning, growing, and improving my teaching. Teach People Not Poses has contributed greatly to my understanding of anatomy, yoga instruction, awareness and my development as a teacher. Yoga is a journey and Mary's teaching has guided me to explore wonderful places and concepts that I would have otherwise missed."--Michael Curtis, founder of The Yoga Place, and Yoga Central, Canton, Ohio
"This is a brilliant book that integrates anatomy and asana, science and philosophy. With her refreshingly grounded voice, Mary Richards is a bright light on the yoga path."--Lizzie Lasater, yoga teacher
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