Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-Being
How This Book Came to BeYoga Therapy as a Distinct Complementary and Integrative Healthcare PracticeOn Sharing Yogic PhilosophyTexts That Inform This BookUpanishadsBhagavad Gita and MahabharataSamkhya KarikaYoga Sutras of PatanjaliHow to Use This BookA Brief OutlineChoices, Biases, and TermsThe Challenge of Providing PracticesTerminologyNotesI. Philosophical Foundations of Yoga as a Therapeutic PracticeThe Path of YogaBackgroundTeaching Through StoryPersonal TransformationThe Nature of AwarenessAn Individualized Shared LanguageEudaimonic Well-Being and MeaningEudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness in Yoga TherapyConclusionNotesDharma, Ethics, and Right ActionDharma: A Framework for Action and Pinnacle Human AimA Guide to "Right Action"Reconciling the Personal and the General in DharmaEudaimonic Well-Being Another Practical Philosophy for LivingEngagement With the WorldDharma and Virtue in ActionOn Meaning and SufferingTherapeutic ApplicationClinical Examples"Chris" Was Experiencing Low Back and Sacroiliac Pain, Worry, and Anxiety"Jade" Had Chronic Back and Hip PainConclusionNotesFoundations for Discernment: Understanding Prakriti, Purusha, and the GunasSamkhya and Its Relationship to YogaPurusha and PrakritiMetaphors for Understanding Purusha and PrakritiThe Blind and LameThe Dancer and the DanceThe Potter's WheelPrakriti and the GunasThe Gunas in Body, Mind, and EnvironmentSattva's ImportanceImbalanced Gunas, and Rajas and Tamas as Obstacles to ClarityThe Gunas' Natural DynamismConclusionNotesYoga Psychology: Body-Mind-Environment RelationshipsSamkhya and Our Experience of the WorldBuddhi: Constituent of Discernment and WisdomClinical RelevanceAhamkara: Constituent of IndividualityManas: Constituent of the "Mind"Buddhindriyas and Karmendriyas: Capacity to Sense and ActGross and Subtle ElementsPutting It Together: Understanding the Map of ExplorationCauses of Enmeshment: The Lived and Habitual BodiesThe Lived BodyThe Habitual BodyThe Kleshas: Forces That Obstruct DiscernmentConclusionNotesThe Subtle Body: Exploring Tantra and PranaUnderstanding the Subtle Body: The KoshasAnnamaya, the Physical SheathPranamaya, the Vital SheathManomaya, the Mental SheathVijnanamaya, the Wisdom SheathAnandamaya, the Bliss SheathThe Kasha Model to Illuminate Relationships Among Body, Energy, and MindChanging Habits of Relationship: Through the Lens of Vijnanamaya and AnandamayaThe Subtle Body DetailedExploring PranamayaPrana and the Prana VayusNadis, Chakras, and Granthis: Subtie-Body MapsA Brief Foray Into TantraEmpowerment of the Body: Entextualization and SvadhyayaThe Body-Mind-Environment as GuideConclusion: A New Look at the Burning of the Khandava ForestNotesII. Exploring Theoretical and Explanatory Frameworks for Yoga Therapy as an Integrative Healthcare PracticeExplanatory Model for Yoga Therapy to Promote Health and Well-BeingDomains of Health and Well-Being and the KoshasPhysical Domain and Annamaya/Pranamaya KoshaPsychological Domain and Manomaya/Vijnanamaya KoshaSocial Domain and Vijnanamaya/Anandamaya KoshaSpiritual Domain and Anandamaya KoshaShifting the Paradigm to Interconnection, From Static to DynamicA Closer Look at the Social and Spiritual Domains of HealthThe Social Domain's Influence on Health and Well-BeingThe Spiritual Domain's Influence on Health and Well-BeingEudaimonic Well-Being and the Spiritual Domain of HealthPortals to EntryMeaning and PurposeVirtues and Ethical InquirySelf-ActualizationClinical RelevanceThe Health Effects of Eudaimonic Well-BeingYoga Therapy as an Integrative Healthcare PracticeYoga Therapy's Explanatory FrameworkConclusionClinical ExamplesRotator Cuff TendonitisAnxiety or DepressionNotesNeurophysiological PerspectivesSalutogenesis and Pathogenesis: Complementary Perspectives for HealthFostering SalutogenesisHomeostasis and AllostasisPromoting Regulation and ResilienceMind-Body Practices: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Strategies for Regulation and ResilienceThe Importance of Bottom-Up ProcessesYoga Therapy to Catalyze Top-Down and Bottom-Up ProcessesThe Autonomic Nervous SystemNeuroception and the Initiation of Autonomic StatesInteroception: Sensing Internal State—and MoreClinical RelevanceA Deeper Look at ANS RegulationA Detailed Look at the Vagus NervePolyvagal Theory: Connected and Emergent Physiological, Emotional, and Behavioral CharacteristicsPrimary Neural PlatformsSocial Engagement SystemDefensive Mobilization, or SNS DominanceDefensive ImmobilizationCo-Activated StatesSafe MobilizationSafe ImmobilizationConclusionNotesFrom Conceptual to Practical Application: Biomedical and Yogic Perspectives on Yoga TherapyYogic and Psychophysiological PerspectivesBroad, Conceptual UnderstandingToward SpecificityYoga and Psychophysiological Perspectives on Regulation and ResilienceNeural Platforms of Polyvagal Theory and Gunas of YogaSattva and the Social Engagement System: Substrates for RegulationRajas, Tamas, and Changing Neural Platforms: Substrates for ResilienceA Yoga Therapy Framework for Regulation and ResilienceClinical RelevancePractical, Specific ApplicationYama and NiyamaPranayamaAsanaMeditationConclusionNotesIII. Applied Philosophy and Science for Health and Well-BeingSetting the Stage for Well-Being: Practices for Cultivating Sattva Guna and Regulating the Body-MindYama and NiyamaThe Golden Mean in Practice: Example Qualities to ExploreHumilityGenerosityCouragePatienceAhimsa: NonharmingSatya: TruthfulnessSantosha: ContentmentAdditional Practices of Yama and NiyamaAsanaPostures for RegulationTheoretical PerspectivesUnderstanding Musculoskeletal Balance for Body-Mind RegulationPostures to Release Commonly Tight AreasPostures to Mobilize and Lengthen Commonly Short Muscles and FasciaPostures to Activate Weak/lnhibited AreasPranayamaSlow-Paced BreathDiaphragmatic and Three-Part BreathBreath With Sound: Ujjayi and BhramariAlternate- and Unilateral-Nostril BreathingMeditationLoving-KindnessMantra or AffirmationBody Scan and VisualizationConclusionNotesCultivating Healthy Sensitivity: Interoceptive Skills and Discriminative WisdomYama and NiyamaPractices for SvadhyayaClinical ExampleAsana as Svadhyaya and InquiryImproving ProprioceptionClinical ExampleKosha MeditationClinical ExamplePranayama as Svadhyaya and InquiryMore Meditations for Svadhyaya and InquiryPrana Vayu MeditationsClinical ExampleBody ScanConclusionNotesYogic Practices to Support Resilience and TransformationThree Types of ResilienceAlternating Between Activation and CalmWidening the Window of ToleranceTransforming Relationships to Stimuli and FluctuationsYama and NiyamaTapas, Svadhyaya, and Ishvara Pranidhana: Essential Principles for ResilienceAdditional Ethical PrinciplesAsanaAlternating Between Activation and CalmWidening the Window of ToleranceClinical ExampleTransforming Relationships to Stimuli and FluctuationsClinical ExamplePranayamaClinical ExampleAlternating Between Activation and CalmWidening the Window of ToleranceTransforming Relationships to Stimuli and FluctuationsMeditationConclusionA Case of FibromyalgiaA Case of MS and DepressionNotesFinal Thoughts
