TEACHING POWER YOGA FOR SPORTS

Gwen Lawrence, Human Kinetics (NOVEMBER) Softcover $29.95 (344pp) 978-1-4925-6306-8

Teaching Power Yoga for Sports puts the calm, meditative transformation of regular yoga practice to work for high-performance athletes.

Contact sports and contemplative yoga seem like polar opposites, but Gwen Lawrence shows the value of bringing the two together— chiefly, improved flexibility and range of motion that deepens conditioning and prevents injury. Lawrence has worked with NFL teams, giving her insight into just how grueling sports can be— and how powerful yoga can be to keep athletes focused and performing at their bests.

The book’s instructor focus is key to its impact. It’s not just for individual athletes, but for trainers or coaches working with teams. As a result, it doesn’t presume knowledge of yoga, but nor does it start with an insultingly elementary approach: it aims to expand the repertoire of people who are masters of their craft.

The book begins with anatomy basics and mindfulness techniques, then ventures into yoga poses, including sequences specific to the needs of a slew of different sports and even different kinds of players on a particular sports team. In addition to this physical knowledge, the book offers tons of ready-made sequences to make it easy to get started. The pose finder index is a handy tool for trainers and motivated athletes alike.

The visual elements of the book are impeccable. There are detailed, clear diagrams of anatomy and crisp, easy-to-follow photos to illustrate each move, often including multiple angles. The models have different body types, builds, and ethnic backgrounds—though, as befits the book, they’re all athletic.

Teaching Power Yoga for Sports equips instructors to train their teams for maximum performance and fitness.