Relax into Yoga for Seniors

Based on the pioneering Yoga for Seniors program offered at Duke Integrative Medicine and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, this evidence-based, self-help workbook presents the twelve principles of practice for seniors, including those with limited mobility, guiding you safely step-by-step, and with posture illustrations on a six-week program for improved balance, flexibility, and overall well-being.Managing the emotional and physical challenges that come with aging can be difficult. Seniors face a number of age-related issues, such as chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and anxiety and depression. And while some people may consider yoga a young person s practice, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests yoga can be beneficial for a wide variety of age-related ailments. Relax Into Yoga for Seniors based on the innovative Yoga for Seniors program, and including new material for fans of the Relax Into Yoga for Seniors DVD provides a step-by-step guide that combines the best of modern, evidence-based medicine with the ancient wisdom, experience, and tradition of yogic teachings. With this book, you ll explore what yoga is and how to do it safely, including important movement considerations like how to get up and down from the floor with care, and how to stand and sit with healthy postural alignment.With this popular program, you ll be able to create a safe and effective individualized practice that will address your needs, take personal limitations into consideration, and help you relieve pain, become more flexible and active, and connect more deeply with your inner experience.

“"Yoga, as a mind-body practice or a way of life, is transformative and leads to improved health, wellness, and connection to self and others. A daily yoga practice is especially important to foster healthy aging. Relax into Yoga for Seniors is a wonderful guide to help people start practicing yoga at any age." -- Lorenzo Cohen, PhD , professor and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and coeditor of Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care”

"Relax into Yoga for Seniors brings together Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff's experience in teaching their Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Training at Duke Integrative Medicine. It describes a step-by-step approach to yoga for healthy aging and how to relax into yoga. This is a masterpiece book, which should be an essential resource for seniors, health care professionals, and yoga practitioners, who will find themselves coming back to the text time and time again for deeper study and practice.
--Dilip Sarkar, MD, FACS, CAP, associate professor of surgery (retired) at Eastern Virginia Medical School; fellow at the American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM) and American College of Surgeons (ACS); president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT); and chairman of board at Life in Yoga Institute

"Relax into Yoga for Seniors is a well-researched and thoughtful book that leverages the authors' many years of practice experience as well as their work and close ties with the world of integrative medicine. It provides older adults with a practical, effective compendium of yoga practices that they can readily adopt. Whether they are well or experiencing distressing chronic conditions, Relax into Yoga for Seniors' practices can enhance their quality of life."
--John W. Graham, PhD, senior investigator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health

"As advances in medicine help us to live longer, we now face the challenge of how to maintain our vitality, often while also dealing with various chronic conditions. Increasingly, yoga is being recognized as a way to improve and maintain one's mental and physical health when practiced in a safe and appropriate way. In Relax into Yoga for Seniors, Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff provide the program all seniors need to integrate yoga into their lives and improve their health and well-being."
--Adam Perlman, MD, executive director at Duke Integrative Medicine, and associate vice president at Duke Health and Wellness

"Carson and Krucoff have skillfully taken the complex, confusing world of yoga and made it practical for anyone, not just seniors. The 'magic' is that in simplifying from their many years of practice with seniors, they have solved how to make yoga safe and effective for the full spectrum of abilities in this diverse population. Relax into Yoga for Seniors needs to be embossed onto every prescription pad printed!"
--Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, yoga safety expert and past president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists
"In this insightful, evidence-based guide, authors Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff share their fundamentals for working safely and effectively with older adults as part of their mission to advance the art and science of adapting the yoga practice to senior bodies, minds, and spirits. Whether you're a senior who is seeking improved health and fitness through yoga, or a seasoned yoga instructor, you'll find the information in Relax Into Yoga for Seniors an invaluable asset for your practice. ... This book offers a wealth of knowledge for yoga enthusiasts and fitness professionals alike. I highly recommend Relax Into Yoga for Seniors to anyone interested in improving their yoga practice and looking for healthy approaches to integrative wellness as they age."
--Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM, chief science officer at The American Council on Exercise
"In this inspiring and accessible book, Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff offer you peaceful ways to prioritize your positivity and wellness. Relax and enjoy!"
--Barbara L. Fredrickson, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Positivity and Love 2.0

"Kimberly Carson and Carol Krucoff are two of the most trusted, and trustworthy, voices in the field of therapeutic yoga. Relax into Yoga for Seniors is a perfect introductory guide not just to yoga, but to a philosophy of embracing the changes that come with age. This book and the practices described will help you find the strength, energy, and ease to engage with life fully."
--Kelly McGonigal, PhD, health psychologist at Stanford University, and author of Yoga for Pain Relief
"Yoga, as a mind-body practice or a way of life, is transformative and leads to improved health, wellness, and connection to self and others. A daily yoga practice is especially important to foster healthy aging. Relax into Yoga for Seniors is a wonderful guide to help people start practicing yoga at any age."
--Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, professor and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and coeditor of Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care

Carol Krucoff, E-RYT, is a yoga therapist, fitness expert, and award winning-journalist. She creates individualized yoga programs for people with health challenges at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, NC, where she also codirects the Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors teacher training. A frequent contributor to Yoga Journal, Krucoff served as founding editor of the health section of The Washington Post, where her syndicated column, "Bodyworks," appeared for twelve years. She has written for numerous national publications, including The New York Times and Reader's Digest, and is author of the book Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain. Krucoff is creator of the home practice CD Healing Moves Yoga and cocreator of the DVD Relax Into Yoga for Seniors. Certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise, she also has earned a second degree black belt in karate, and sits on the peer-review board for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. Krucoff has practiced yoga for more than thirty five years. Visit her online at


Kimberly Carson, MPH, E-RYT, is a yoga and mindfulness health educator working at Oregon Health and Science University and Duke Medical Center. She specializes in older adults and students with major medical conditions. Carson consults on various National Institutes of Health grants studying the safety and efficacy of yoga and mindfulness
interventions for vulnerable populations.

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