Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee

I recommend this book for folks who have some experience with yoga, but would like to add a personal practice at home to their daily lives.I have taken yoga classes for years. I have had many teachers, some well educated, some just starting out. I have practiced at home on a fairly regular basis for years as well. This book took everything to the next level. I can't stop talking about it. Moving Toward Balance is meant to be a supplement to your regular practice. This is something you can do every day, on your own, for about an hour a day. It is divided into sections by week. Each week has a theme, such as twists. The fist day of the week includes in-depth descriptions of each pose and walks you through different variations. Then each following day puts the poses together into a daily practice, always concluding with relaxation and meditation. The last day of the week focuses only on relaxation and meditation. And you get one day off!When I first got the book, my schedule allowed me to do yoga every day. I was amazed at how quickly I gained strength all over my body. The descriptions were teaching me things about each pose that I had never learned before. I could do some of the poses, but not all, and the book guided me through getting closer and closer to the full pose.There are even weeks in which I learned to do HANDSTANDS. And I could really do the supported pose! I have been feeling great about the accomplishments I have made and the new things I have tried.As my life got more busy in the following weeks, I could only get to "my yoga'" maybe every other day. This has not been a problem. I am almost done with the entire book now (about 12 weeks total) and plan to start at the beginning as soon as I am done. I am so much stronger and more flexible and more confident than I was at the beginning of the program, so I want to start over and gain even more knowledge with my new abilities!***Why this book is better than any video or class (except for one-on-one progressive classes)***I can take this book with me anywhere. I don't need a TV. I can do my practice at a soccer game or in the woods. I can take it to a friend's house.It builds on itself. Soemthing you learn in week one will be used in week two. By the end, the routines put together everything you have learned and shows you how to create your own routine. Most classes in my area are drop in, which means that they are at a level i.e. intermediate and stay at that level with out progressing. You will never try a headstand and you will never have an easy restorative practice if your only class is intermediate. This book takes you from wherever you are and brings you up.I can stop anytime and not worry about pausing. I can start the practice, go start the rice cooker, go back to practice. My kids can interrupt me between poses and it doesn't bother me because there is not video to stop. I can take a rest and drink some water. I can answer the phone. There is no need to pause or try to catch up.I can take as long as I want in each pose. Sometimes I really need a longer stretch to fully feel the pose. Sometimes my abs are sore from pilates and I can only hold a pose for half the recommended time. With the book, I can truly do my own practice with guidance instead of rushing to keep up with an instructor. I can actually really do what the instructors always want: I can FOLLOW MY OWN BREATH!I can cut out poses that hurt. I have an acute knee injury and I have easily been able to work around it by avoiding poses that exacerbate the pain. No big deal.The book includes routines for menstruating women and for restorative poses during illness, so you can keep on going even if you aren't feeling so great. This is good for me, because sometimes if something falls out my daily routine, it is lost forever!*** props you need ***If you are going to do this whole book you are going to need some props: a block, a strap (or a belt of towel), some blankets that can be neatly folded, a bolster (I got a great one from YogaAccessories here on Amazon for about $35), and a mat.Good luck. I would love to hear about your experience with this book!

Moving Toward Balance is a wonderful book!I am a long time fan of Mr. Yee. His videos have been the basis of my home practice - a chance to repeat and practice poses first learned in class. They provide visual and verbal details in a context that helps understand how the pose should "feel". But, I could never put together a routine for my needs today.The book is organized around the concept of "balance", and I have learned from it that balance opens a world of choices. If yoga is a means to freedom of choice, then the choices can be expressed as balance. For example, the balance between observing and doing is a lot like the balance between yoga and earning a living or between meditating and active practice, or between breath and one's lower back, or between forward bend and hand stand.Freedom in life is limited by the choices we see. In Moving Toward Balance Rodney Yee shares his philosophy of freedom in a completely approachable way. Most poses are described in three versions and he tells us what to expect from each. He discusses the ways outcomes are improved through different combinations of poses, how the book can be used to create a personal practice, and, of course, how to increase the number of choices.I now know why I could never plan a yoga practice - I didn't know what the choices are. Mr. Yee leads us to discovering them and I am much happier. You will be too.

I am a beginner and have really enjoyed this book. What I like is that you can be as involved as you want or just do the basics. Some of the information can be overwhelming but you just have to read and take from it what you can. After you go through all 8 weeks you can go through the book a second time and gain more knowledge about yoga than you did the first. A wonderful book GREAT price!Just make sure that you can give 30 min to an hour to yoga most days. I found that this wasn't hard because I really looked forward to my "sessions."Just like anything new, it's awkward at first and you are worried "am I doing this right?" "how do i look?" but as you move through the first week you gain an amazing confidence and realize to listen to your body for form and what is "right" or "wrong."

It's a slow methodical approach which is great for beginners. Yodnee Yee says his instructions are great for experienced posers as well to take the time to slow down and fine critique the posture. Having done Iyengar yoga myself I don't find this book has much new to offer me.

This is a beautifully written book. I can't help but smile while writing this review thinking of how well the information is conveyed and how poetic the forwards of each chapter are. It takes you through Rodney's version of the beginning (preparation) through a fluid series of postures with room to customize. Each chapter builds from the last. I find most useful the explanation of the kramas (stages of the pose) for the asanas. There is a photo for each asana as well as a description of what to do in stages. Whether you are beginner to advanced, injured or weak to optimal fitness; the elements of each asana are broken down in a no nonsense way. It's available for everyone where ever they happen to be. If you can breath, you can benefit from the posture. He conveys detail with a very clear approach with great respect to the other elements involved.