The Way of Stretching or Diabetes

The Way of Stretching: Flexibility for Body and Mind

Author: Anne Kent Rush

A great new basic guide to stretching—for beginners and seasoned athletes alike—that emphasizes the power of combined mental and physical exercise to achieve and maintain good health.For anyone intimidated by yoga—for anyone who seeks the benefits of increased flexibility but is put off by yoga's esoteric chants and unnatural-seeming positions—THE WAY OF STRETCHING offers a practical alternative. Working from the assumption that flexibility is essential to physical well-being and that a relaxed mental state is essential to achieving maximum flexibility, Rush has developed a comprehensive program encompassing a wide range of physical exercises that tone various parts of the body: breathing exercises that replenish energy and meditation and visualization exercises that stimulate mental development. With its clear, step-by-step instructions and helpful line drawings throughout, this book offers a unique and pleasurable solution to everyday aches and pains, diminished athletic abilities, loss of flexibility due to aging, and mental stress. THE WAY OF STRETCHING marks the dawn of a new age of vitality, well-being, and physical performance.

Author Biography: Anne Kent Rush is the author of several highly successful books on physical conditioning and preventive health care, including the bestselling Getting Clear: Body Work for Women, The Back Rub Book, and Romantic Massage. She lives in Alabama.

Publishers Weekly

Rush draws on principles and practices from yoga, massage, the Japanese martial art aikido and other traditions for her comprehensive program to create and sustain health through a balanced system of "safe stretching." According to the author, who has written many books on massage and yoga, the easiest low-impact movements offer the greatest benefits (in terms of longevity). Key to Rush's system is what she calls the Rush Reverse, an approach to exercise that trains the body to stretch "by relaxing rather than by straining." Readers who have been practicing yoga will probably be familiar with the chakra system (which focuses on centers of physical, emotional and spiritual energy), around which Rush structures her program. While the book's b&w line drawings are somewhat rudimentary, Rush's instructions and explanations are clear and thorough. Breathing practices, relaxation techniques and a focus on finding pleasure in movement are central to Rush's program, and her holistic approach incorporates a wide variety of ways for readers who can't engage in more strenuous physical activity to become fit. This work offers a wealth of solid information. Agent, Katinka Matson. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Go to: Wine and Conversation or Creative Quantity Cooking

Diabetes: Caring for Your Emotions As Well As Your Health

Author: Jerry Edelwich

In an era of managed care, the newly diagnosed patient with diabetes goes home to face daily questions about how to cope with the disease. This extensively revised edition of a guide that has become truly indispensable covers all such questions: adjusting to the emotional impact of diabetes; making decisions about diet, exercise, types of medication, and new technology; finding the best care; and facing the uncertainty surrounding complications and their effect on marriage and family, sex, and career choice. A new resource section and up-to-date information on new research and improved self-management make this helpful and understanding book more essential than ever.