Strong, Calm and Free

Strong, Calm and Free is a beginner's guide to yoga, meditation and mindful living. This beautifully-illustrated yoga book gently guides you through a life-changing 10-week plan of yoga routines and simple meditations, as well as sharing tips and tools for mindful living, reducing stress, and carving out time for self-care. Whether you've never stepped foot on a yoga mat before, aren't quite ready to dive into a studio class, or want to deepen your home practice, Strong, Calm and Free is the perfect way to begin or enrich your yoga and meditation practice and help you live more mindfully in daily life. With over 50 yoga poses and 20 easy-to-follow sequences to lay a strong foundation for a blossoming practice, each week introduces a new collection of poses including hip openers, backbends and forward folds to help you get stronger, improve flexibility, and build a yoga practice that works for you. Drawing on the ancient wisdom of yoga and meditation as well as modern psychological tools for well-being and personal growth, international yoga teacher, Nicola Jane Hobbs, shares the transformative power of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness so you can grow stronger, feel calmer, and free yourself from anxiety to become healthy, peaceful, and happy.

Nicola Jane Hobbs is a yoga, meditation and mindfulness teacher and holistic counsellor specialising in mental health and peak performance. She has a master's degree in sport psychology and integrates ancient spiritual practices with modern psychological techniques. She is also the author of Yoga Gym, Thrive Through Yoga, Fear-Free Food and Stay Young With Yoga. www.NicolaJaneHobbs.com

Introduction The gift of yoga What is yoga? How to use this book PART ONE Wisdom The eight limbs of yoga The essence and evolution of yoga The seven paths of yoga The ten pillars of mindful living The five branches of health The universe of the body Breath is the bridge The language of yoga PART TWO Practice The journey How to begin You and your mat: practice guidelines Self-care to enhance your self-practice Let's begin The opening sequence The closing sequence WEEK ONE: Compassion WEEK TWO: Honesty WEEK THREE: Abundance WEEK FOUR: Balance WEEK FIVE: Non-attachment WEEK SIX: Purity WEEK SEVEN: Contentment WEEK EIGHT: Self-discipline WEEK NINE: Self-study WEEK TEN: Self-surrender Where now? PART THREE Explore Sequences: - Grounding - Releasing - Energising - Calming References Recommended reading Index Acknowledgements