Yoga on Disc and on the Page

The Seven Crown Jewels of Public Speaking Presence
Carla Kimball
In this 40-minute DVD, public speaking coach and Kripalu Yoga teacher Carla Kimball shares her Speaking Presence approach, which integrates her background in yoga, meditation, and Tai Chi with her ten years of experience in helping people to become more confident and authentic, in their lives as well as in front of an audience. Carla breaks down her approach to public speaking into seven nuggets of wisdom that emphasize breath, awareness, service, compassion, and being in the moment. She also embodies her own teaching, illustrating how a speaker with genuine presence can grab and hold our attention. Order at www.riverways.com.

LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues: Level 2
Amy Weintraub
A follow-up to Amy’s LifeForce Yoga: Level 1 DVD, this heart-opening practice includes more advanced postures, such as Warrior III, Standing Split, Camel, and Half Wheel, done with mantra sounds that activate energy in each of the chakras. The 75-minute experience moves from warm-ups to standing, backbending, and forward bending postures and twists, followed by a few moments of Stage III meditation-in-motion flow and a 12-minute yoga nidra. A Kripalu teacher and director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, Amy gently focuses on the healing aspects of the practice, both emotional and physiological—informing us, for example, that kapalabhati stimulates the vagas nerve, a treatment for depression. Order at www.yogafordepression.com.

Healing Relaxation
By Joy LeVine Abrams
Here’s a CD to keep by your bedside for those nights when your mind and body need a little help slowing down. This 25-minute guided relaxation takes listeners through a luxurious experience of breath and body awareness. Joy makes the full body scan into a blissful journey, traveling from the feet up to the face, with a focus on sensation, tuning in, and surrendering into total relaxation. Her voice, and her well-timed silences, are calm and soothing. Order at joyoga1@optonline.net or 202-255-8815.

Enlightenment for Idiots: A Novel
Anne Cushman
Two of the early 21st century’s biggest hits—chick lit and yoga—meet in Cushman’s insightful and entertaining novel. When Amanda, an aspiring yoga teacher and travel guide writer, sets off on an assignment that will take her to the ashrams and holy places of India, you know her life is about to change—in unexpected ways, of course. Cushman, a contributing editor to Yoga Journal and Tricycle and codirector of the Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation training at Spirit Rock, really knows her stuff, and weaves it seamlessly into a sweet, satisfying story that wittily balances the sublime and the mundane. For example, Amanda’s to-do list in Rishikesh includes &$8220;Buy deodorant” and “Find enlightened master.” This is a beach read with soul. Available at www.amazon.com.

A Beginner’s Course in Yoga: The “A” Series Flow
Philip Beck
A professional-level Kripalu Yoga teacher, Reiki master, and massage therapist, Philip offers a concise introduction to practice with this book and accompanying CD. The 112-page guide offers a detailed look at alignment principles, pranayama, warm-ups, and meditation; the CD leads listeners through a full yoga flow, with different tracks for each posture or pranayama so they can easily tailor their experience. Beginners will appreciate Philip’s focus on building the foundation as well as his straightforward language (ujjayi pranayama is “like Darth Vader breathing”). He includes benefits, contraindications, precautions, and modifications for each pose, as well as a full six pages of text and photos explaining how to sit comfortably for meditation. Order at www.innerpeace.nb.ca.