Healing Yoga: Proven Postures to Treat Twenty Common Ailments from Backache to Bone Loss, Shoulder Pain to Bunions, and More

by Loren Fishman

"To many of his patients [Dr. Fishman] is a miracle worker." ―Jane E. Brody, New York Times Designed for yoga practitioners ranging from beginners to experienced, Healing Yoga shows how every reader can not only heal, but can also help diagnose, their specific medical conditions. Written by internationally recognized physical and rehabilitative medicine physician Loren Fishman, MD, this guide unites Western medical information with the practice of yoga. Depending on the severity and chronicity of the ailment, the advice and postures in this book can provide a doctor’s immediate assistance―at home, and without cost or fancy equipment, drugs or surgery. 170 photographs

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2015

About the author

Loren Fishman, MD, is a professor at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and lives in New York City. "

Reviews

[Jen K · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed many aspects of this book, and do feel that yoga has a place in healing and injury prevention, I felt that "Healing Yoga" took risks in terms of offering more advanced yoga poses that might not be suitable for beginners or those with physical challenges: I would have liked to have seen more focussed content on pose options/alternatives and more detailed information on body alignment within each pose in order to reduce risks of injury. For example, although contraindications are listed and "less challenging" poses described, there were some poses that I felt could potentially cause knee or lower back strain and I would have liked to have seen more attention paid to these risks/risk reducing options both in the text and in pose photos. Nevertheless, lots of great ideas and information in this book and it offers scientific insight into how a person can heal thenselves using both movement and stillness!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on how to do/use specific yoga poses and actions for specific back and other issues. I had to read this book in preparation for a Certification course taught by the author, Dr. Loren Fishman. I found the book detailed and well documented, and was glad to learn more about the conditions and the yoga approaches to helping students with those conditions. The course was detailed and filled with experiential time for yoga teachers and yoga therapists to practice the book's techniques. As a long time yoga practictioner and a 20-year yoga teacher and yoga educator, I highly recommend this book to yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and yoga practitioners who want to better understand some common conditions and yoga approaches. I would also suggest that yoga students use the book in conjunction with a knowledgable yoga teacher or yoga therapist.

[Giorgina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is often disconcerting to have symptoms of other ailments hiding behind a chronic condition. Say osteoporosis (OP), which chronic condition I'm addressing, with plantar fasciitis and sacroiliac joint aches manifesting alongside. It might be hard to distinguish and, therefore, try to heal unless you've read Dr. Loren Fishman's excellent Healing Yoga. After following his suggestions, I found out what was lurking behind my OP and applied certain yoga poses to correct them. More than a month since integrating these poses into my regular, daily yoga practice, I can say that I feel enormously better and almost symptom free. If you're like me, wanting to go the natural route wherever possible, then you should consider Healing Yoga. I did and am better for it!

[Jennifer James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. I've known that yoga can heal ever since I used it to heal from a terrible neck injury and subsequent illness, but this book showed me exactly why it worked, and that it is useful for so many other things. It can be used to treat insomnia, depression, anxiety, scoliosis, back pain, sciatica, osteoporosis, and the list goes on. What makes this book extremely useful is that the author discusses the symptoms and diagnosis and then shows you exactly which yoga poses can help and how to do them on your own. I plan to start using the insomnia poses tonight since that's something I struggle with regularly. I highly recommend this book!

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because Dr. Fishman has done research on yoga’s impact on osteoporosis. I studied Chapter 13, “Bone Health” and want to use the natural route for healthy bones, not medication. Since this book’s publication he wrote a whole book devoted to his research on osteoporosis and yoga. I’d like to read it as well.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent information
Well-illustrated with photos of poses although the layout (read online) leaves photos separated from descriptions. I would also prefer having the photos of variations of poses side-by-side to more easily see the differences.
Could use a bit of editorial tightening but overall a sensible overview of yoga for several specific physical problems.

[Chris Worthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked and chose what I needed from this but I love the careful instructions and evidence-based information included here.

[Kricket · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read the chapters that applied to me (namely: headaches) and skimmed the rest. i like fishman's sensible approach, but haven't had a chance to put it all in practice yet- either because i'm at work when the headache strikes or home alone with no one to help get me in the right position. hope to try it out soon!