Core Awareness, Revised Edition: Enhancing Yoga, Pilates, Exercise, and Dance

by Liz Koch, Emilie Conrad (Foreword), Bob Cooley (Foreword)

An indispensible resource for those interested in all forms of movement education, including yoga, pilates, dance, and more
 
Somatic educator and writer Liz Koch has spent decades studying the principles of Core Awareness—a body-based approach to movement that utilizes attention to inner sensation as the key to increasing strength, gaining flexibility, preventing injury, and improving resilience. In this book, she shares her vast knowledge of Core Awareness with readers, providing movements, stretches, and mindfulness explorations that she developed herself. Her exercises are designed to enhance sensory development and shift readers from the standard paradigm of the body as an "isolated object" to a holistic paradigm of the human being as part of a living process of dynamic expression. This shift in perspective offers practitioners and teachers of movement, yoga, pilates, bodywork, exercise, and dance an empowering model for self-healing and the key to becoming stronger, more flexible, and more resilient.

As Koch describes the practice of moving from one's core, she highlights the importance of engaging the psoas muscle—located on either side of the spine—to integrate the body, mind, emotion, and spirit. Koch also discusses how the pelvis is the foundation of our physical core, the vital connection with our bones, and crucial in gaining a sense of support, nourishment, joint integrity, skeletal balance, and healthy muscle tone.
 
Rewritten with updated information, this revised edition includes 247 new photos and 25 new Core Awareness explorations—with 64 in total. A suggested reading list at the end of the book provides resources for continuing the development of the ideas presented within the book.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Fitness, Bodies

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2003

Reviews

[Gillian]

Book report coming soon @Robyn 🫡

[Silje · Rating 4 out of 5]

In order to delve really deep into realigning the core of your body you need to combine new thought patterns and everyday habits with subtle body movement. The advice of moving less but really dwelling in the somatic experience and thus gently but deeply carrying out substantial changes in body posture appears a very sustainable and robust way of dealing with alignment problems. I already feel I am standing stronger. Wonder how my muscles will react in the longer run.

The book is not so easy to follow as an exercise instruction book. Anatomical illustrations are lacking, making it difficult to visualize the correct ball and socket movement of the hips especially. More a form of inspiration to dip into at regular intervals. Next step to get a yoga anatomy book to go with this one.

As I am reading this I am preparing myself to start teaching yoga. Liz Koch's approach gives the movement and the stillness another dimension. Another dimension to a life long exploration of letting go and standing strong.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of exercises,but they weren't described in plain English (I don't know how to release my psoas) or with enough pictures.

[Karlijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts super interesting, some parts I could not relate to at all

[Marcee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book on the psoas with lots of practice exercises.

[John Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rating is one point higher do to its use for me. The images are hard to see at times. A few arrows can clarify the points in the writing. The exercise drawings consists of stick figures which make it difficult when carrying out the work. However, I am very happy to have come across this book as it is overall most helpful for my classes. The title is right on. But it more than enhances it can be what undergirds the basic hatha practice. Liz Koch is doing important work here.

[Ploetzly]

i have been having troubles finding this book out in the real world, have to order it online. i have been having some pain lately and think its my psoas. its a muscle you have to be really careful with, making sure its fully relaxed and released before you can lengthen and tone it. somehow i feel like getting this book will change/save my life. hmmmm. well, we'll see.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koch's take on the body as process is held up in her movement explorations. This is not directly a "how to fix/change" manual, so much as a discovery guide (although, taken to depths, the explorations can lead to "solutions/transformations"). As implied in the title, best used in conjunction with forms such as restorative alignment or connective tissue systems.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this super interesting. I'm Already starting to incorporate some exercises and explorations. Can't wait to see how to work with these exercises more and see what I can learn about my elusive psoas.

[NP]

a reference book to be explored in small bits by movement geeks - like me!

[Kirao · Rating 5 out of 5]

...the most useful guide for all those on the quest for the elusive PSOAS!