Yoga for Warriors : Basic Training in Strength, Resilience, and Peace of Mind

Here is a book for finding your way as a warrior and adapting to a peaceful life at home. The techniques of yoga and meditation have extensive scientific support for their effectiveness in relaxing the stress response, sharpening mental acuity, boosting immunity and recovery time, and promoting a general sense of health and psychological well-being. In Yoga for Warriors, acclaimed teacher Beryl Bender Birch presents a beginner-friendly approach that she originally developed while working with civilians and first-responders in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Adaptable for readers' individual needs, these step-by-step practices include:

Basic Breathwork—learn the foundational skill of ujjayi breathing to get grounded, present, and in control
• Build Your Fire—yoga's traditional "sun salutations" to warm up the body while quieting the mind
• Power and Balance—standing postures to open up, stretch, and strengthen the joints and muscles
• Turning Inward—the practice of yoga nidra for a highly alert yet deeply peaceful state of mind that can lead to restorative sleep
• Powerful meditation techniques that help heal the body and balance energy
War leaves more than physical scars. Military servicemen and women bear invisible wounds—including PTS (Post-Traumatic Stress), TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), MST (Military Sexual Trauma), anxiety, and depression—all just as real and painful. If you or someone you know are just entering military service, preparing for deployment, or returning home, Yoga for Warriors offers the tools for one of the most challenging of transitions.

“Yoga for Warriors is a wonderful book for both the intended military personnel or, really, for anyone. Beryl Bender Birch covers numerous yoga poses and positions with detailed descriptions and photos. A number of war traumas are common among military people and the regular practice of yoga will likely help alleviate or overcome these. The author describes the thirteen main benefits of yoga practice and explains the all-important breathing, focusing and mindful awareness and your goal of connecting mind and body. The author’s demonstrators show poses in standard and advanced positions, and often also with an easier version. The excellent photo illustrations are full-page black-and-white pictures and the accompanying descriptions give good instructions.” —San Francisco Book Review, George Erdosh

“Birch’s book, Yoga for Warriors, is near-genius in that it is geared specifically to those in the military and to vets suffering from PTS (she has dropped the D, believing that it is a physiological condition affecting every aspect of the body’s functioning, as opposed to a stress-related "disorder"). Instead of using buff-bodied models, the author wisely chose 'real people' you could easily imagine in uniform. And the directions are so clear, simple and logical that even a total newcomer would find them easy to follow. For trickier asanas, Birch even pictures the wrong way to do a pose, alongside the correct way, so users can see the difference…All of which makes this book also perfect for tough guys who think yoga is for wimps, seniors getting a late start on yoga, or anyone not knowing where to begin.” —Whole Life Magazine

“Follow these instructions and you’ll soon see that this isn’t your mother’s yoga. No slack. You have to work, but the results will be quickly evident. You can’t help but feel better. Yoga works. Keep charging.” —Tom Steffens, Rear Admiral, US Navy (Ret), Former Navy SEAL

“Yoga is increasingly being used to complement traditional evidence-based treatments for war-related health concerns. This book makes yoga more accessible to service members and veterans, and adds another valuable tool to a warrior's transition toolkit.” —Charles W. Hoge, MD, Colonel, US Army (Ret), author of Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior

“Yoga for Warriors makes the therapeutic experience of yoga accessible to those living with the wounds of war. Beryl's book should be at the top of the reading list for warriors who wish to take an active role in restoring their health and well-being.” —JoAnn Difede, PhD, director of the Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies, Weill Cornell Medical College