Review
------
"A deep bow to Mark Stephens for this substantial
contribution to the growing field of yoga therapy! Thoroughly
grounded in yoga's historical and philosophical foundations, this
book balances well-researched, practical information with
heart-felt wisdom. From the inful section on "Healing and
Curing" to the practical applications of yoga therapy for a wide
range of conditions, Stephens skillfully conveys the truly
integrative nature of yoga therapy. An essential resource for
yoga therapists, clinicians, and educators in the field!"
--Janice Gates, past president, International Association of
Yoga Therapists (IAYT), author of Yogini: The Power of Women in
Yoga and founder/director of Marin Yoga Therapy and Somatic Yoga
Therapy Programs
"Yoga therapy is a big field, encompassing the entirety of yoga
and its many practices along with aspects of Western medicine,
ayurveda, physiology, physical therapy, kinesiology, psychology,
philosophy, spiritual development, and more. No single volume can
do it full justice, but Mark Stephens has done a yeoman's job to
assemble much of the background information aspiring yoga
therapists will need to understand. This book is smart,
thoughtful, and well researched and doesn't shy away from
presenting a strong--and sometimes provocative--point of view. I
recommended it highly."
--Timothy McCall, MD, author of Yoga As Medicine, coeditor of
The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Care, and medical
editor of Yoga Journal
"Mark Stephens' capacity for conveying both the depth and the
breadth of the yogic sciences is all the more powerful because of
his commitment to practice. His works to date on teaching,
sequencing, and adjustments have already established him as one
of the foremost authorities in yoga education. With the emergence
of yoga therapy in recent years as a powerful form of integrative
healing, Stephens now brings his scholar's mind and
practitioner's wisdom to the field. A boon for all!"
--Micah Mortali, director of The Kripalu Schools (School of
Integrative Yoga Therapy, School of Yoga, School of Ayurveda),
Kripalu Center for Yoga and
"Going back to the time of the Buddha, yoga practitioners have
been divided into two groups: Experimentalists who know yoga
through their bodies and Speculatives who know yoga through its
philosophical teachings. Mark Stephens' Yoga Therapy is proof
that he has mastered both paths."
--David Gordon White, author of Sinister Yogis and The Yoga
Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography
"Yoga Therapy, a thorough and comprehensive landmark book,
offers illuminating in into yoga, yoga therapy, and the
interface with Western medicine. Along with Stephens' generous
offering of practical information, he espouses the attributes of
kindness and compassion in yoga therapy practice, which although
often overlooked are indeed the very heart of yoga itself. An
essential read for every yoga therapist!"
--Nischala Joy Devi, yoga teacher and therapist and author of
The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga
"The next great yoga therapy book from an excellent teacher and
author. Highly recommended for yoga teachers,
professionals, and students."
--Larry Payne, coauthor of Yoga Therapy & Integrative Medicine,
Yoga Rx, and Yoga for Dummies and founding director of Yoga
Therapy Rx & Prime of Life Yoga Programs, Loyola Mary
University
"Mark Stephens' Yoga Therapy is a complete guide to anyone who
wants thorough information on subtle as well as gross anatomy,
principles, and in into the many intricacies of
the human body and spirit as it relates to yoga and healing. The
of this book is clearly a labor of --David Emerson, author
of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy and director of Yoga Service,
The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute
About the Author
----------------
Mark Stephens is a dedicated yoga student whose personal
experience of yoga's promise to make life better inspires him to
share the practice through teaching and scholarly writing.
Described by Yoga Journal as "the teacher's teacher," Stephens,
a certified yoga therapist and member of the International
Association of Yoga Therapists, is the author of the
international best sellers Teaching Yoga, Yoga Sequencing, and
Yoga Adjustments, which have been published in nine languages.
From deep study of yoga history and philosophy, human anatomy
and physiology, social and interpersonal dynamics, and Eastern
and Western theories of being and consciousness, Stephens brings
a nondogmatic, accessible, and integrated perspective to yoga
therapy that makes yoga a more refined resource for y
living.
Practicing yoga daily for more than twenty-five years and
teaching for more than twenty years, Stephens draws from his
prior years in academia, as an education consultant, and as a
progressive social change activist to create practical resources
for yoga teachers and therapists. In 1997 he founded Yoga Inside
Foundation--establishing therapeutic yoga programs in more than
300 schools, centers, and prisons across North
America--for which he received Yoga Journal's first annual Karma
Yoga Award.
Stephens lives in Santa Cruz, California, and teaches globally.