Yoga: Awakening the Inner Body

Synopsis: In Yoga: Awakening the Inner Body, Donald Moyer draws on over thirty years of yoga teaching and practice experience. His groundbreaking work is designed for yoga students and teachers to develop a home practice and to deepen their understanding of all aspects of yoga—the anatomical, the physiological, the mental, and the spiritual.

In Part One, "Finding Inner Balance," he offers a comprehensive guide for the practice of yoga’s two most important inverted poses. These two chapters help you select props according to your body type, and suggest ways to check your alignment once you are in the pose.

   • Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), including variations and alternatives
   • Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand), including variations and alternatives

Part Two, "Themes and Variations," consists of six chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of the upper body. Each chapter begins with an anatomical introducation that establishes the theme to be explored in the subsequent practice sequence. The sequences include standing poses, backbends, twists, inverted poses, forward bends, pranayama (breathing practice), and relaxation.

   • The Three Diaphragms: balance your three diaphragms (pelvic, respiratory, and thoracic) to facilitate movement and improve breathing
   • Balance Your Sternum: align your sternum—the manubrium (upper sternum), the sternal body, and the xiphoid process—to free your upper spine
   • Collarbones, Kidneys, and Groins: discover an effortless way to stabilize the pelvis, open the shoulders, and lengthen the spine
   • Align Your Shoulder Blades: work with a circular movement of your shoulder blades to create space in your shoulder joints
   • Stabilize Your Elbows: learn how to strengthen your arms by stabilizing your elbow joints
   • Strengthen the Base of Your Neck: activate the deeper muscles of your neck for a strong and healthy cervical spine