5 Comments

• #1 by Claudia McGill on September 5th, 2010

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  This book is calming and soothing in tone and content. It gives a clear path to follow in handling chronic pain and by extension, a lot of life’s other challenges. The yoga exercises are not difficult and should be possible for a lot of people to do, depending on their situations. The breathing and meditation sections are great and focus on the concept of coping with your situation. The author gives a total program that can be customized to fit anyone’s particular circumstances. I was very interested in her discussion of how the mind treats chronic pain and how changing one’s thinking and approach can make pain easier to bear – and also happy to see that there were practical ways to go about it. Clearly written and easy to follow with sufficient photos.
  Rating: 5 / 5

• #2 by Michael L. Smith on September 5th, 2010

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  This is a book that I would recommended to anyone who wants to the bottom line on what you can get from yoga/meditation. The book hits a kind of “sweat spot:” this is yoga’s entry point with the minimal initial physical investment, the lowest opportunity cost and the biggest pay-off. You don’t have to get in shape, build up your aerobic capacity, muscular strength and flexibility before seeing results. You don’t even need to know what’s wrong with you for yoga to do you some good.

  The book is extraordinarily accessible: No jargon, either from the Sanskrit or from the academic/scientific lingua franca, no intellectual arrogance, no magical incantation, no gateway to esoteric wisdom, no complicated sequences of poses. Within the first 25 pages (out of 183 pp#, she’s giving you easy routines to start using what’s she teaching, in this case, observing your breath.

  Five years ago, I took an e-mail/online course from Kelly, and I’ve followed her path since then so I am not impartial. One of the things that Kelly said five years ago has stayed with me and she repeats it in the book: people seek out yoga because they are suffering, either physically, psychologically or spiritually. Human suffering is a great motivator and a constant of human existence. The book’s virtue is simplifying yoga down to a concise, clear message: Relieve your suffering; start with these easy steps. If Patanjali #an ancient sage who recorded the first thesis on yoga in India) had written like Kelly, yoga would have taken over the world (kidding — a little).

  Kelly also understands the value of personal narrative alongside the findings of randomized, blind control experiments, and she has included compelling stories of people impacted by yoga throughout the book.

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  Rating: 5 / 5

• #3 by ryanprimate on September 5th, 2010

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  Dr. McGonigal’s techniques for LISTENING to and befriending the body are powerful. I found that her compassionate, yet science-based approach makes the mind-body-spirit connection relatable and attainable. The simple breathing, meditation, and yoga mantra exercises are also effective and useful in everyday life– for everyone! Even if one doesn’t suffer from chronic pain, this book is a great resource because it also applies to managing stress which we can all use!
  Rating: 5 / 5

• #4 by Judy Heine on September 5th, 2010

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  This is a good book for understanding chronic pain and how it starts. Wonderful restorative yoga positions.
  Rating: 5 / 5

• #5 by Matthew J. Taylor on September 5th, 2010

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  “Yoga for Pain Relief provides accurate, easily understood principles of self care in a user friendly format. The book offers professionals immediate activities for clinical adaptation with the important current best evidence being artfully blended into the text in a fashion that does not interrupt a graceful flow. The person in pain can celebrate the artful bridging of ancient wisdom with the genius of the author in creating an easy to follow, personalized roadmap that is sure to sustain their hope and allow them to remember their joy!”
  Rating: 5 / 5