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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Relaxing Read Jan 28, 2009
Reviewed by Lynn O'Connell for Reader Views (1/09)
`Stress is a household word,' begins Nancy Tan. Then, in her book's first chapter, she defines stress, the stress response (complete with a real-life example), chronic stress and chronic illnesses. From this foundation, Tan moves on to the book's purpose - specific how-to's for the reader in both stress reduction and stress prevention. This is a book that works - the simple techniques and strategies can be practiced right away, and even Tan's relaxed and compassionate writing style serves to begin to relax a reader.
Tan, a yoga instructor and a certified psychotherapist for thirty years, focuses the book on breathing techniques, yoga poses and Ayurveda teachings that a reader may use to relieve stress. In all, there are ten chapters in the book. The second chapter discusses breathing and includes exercises that the reader may practice quite easily. The next few chapters are devoted to feelings, emotions and thoughts that readers are likely to experience and then how to manage them. Tan includes numerous "awareness exercises" throughout the book. In Chapter 6, she turns to the subconscious and looks at fears, where they are rooted, and coping mechanisms. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 address the physical being: health and wellness, sleep and weight. The book closes with a summary of integrated living to reduce and prevent stress in Chapter 10.
The book definitely achieves its purpose of offering readers immediate and simple ways to reduce stress. The format in the first nine chapters is consistent: explanation, exercises and a one-to-two paragraph summary. Photographs of individuals practicing the exercises are interspersed throughout, so readers may quickly try out an exercise. With Tan's background as a yoga instructor, the poses and techniques are carefully explained and then correctly demonstrated in the photographs.
At the beginning of each chapter, there is an illustration of a leaf or leaves along with a quote appropriate for the chapter. A couple of my favorites were: "Time for rest and renewal should be a part of our regular routine rather than an exception," and "A sense of contentment forms the backdrop for low-stress living." The illustrations are simple sketches, and fit the mood of the book well.
I would recommend this book to a reader interested in, but new to, yoga and self-healing. Both the yoga poses (e.g., the sun salutation) and the breathing exercises are basic. After finishing this book, a reader will likely want to then consider some of the wonderful resources which Tan includes in her appendix - books by such experts as Rodney Yee, Jack Kornfield, and Deepak Chopra.
As a beginning yoga student myself, I enjoyed seeing which yoga poses Tan included and then trying the steps myself. Her step-by-step directions for each pose along with the photographs made them all quite easy for me to do in my own home. I was fascinated by the 8th chapter and her explanation of sleep cycles. She stressed the importance of getting up between 6 am and 10 pm as well as the need to fall asleep before 10 pm (during the restful earth energy stage). She explained that after 10 am and 10 pm, the body enters its fire energy stage. In other words, `second winds' happen during that fire energy time period.
"Quiet Mind, Healthy Body: The Art of Low-Stress Living" by Nancy Tan offers a quick read for those looking for practical ways to start reducing stress right away. The book is relaxing to read and will not intimidate even those readers totally new to yoga and other Eastern world philosophies. Reading the book is in itself an honest-to-goodness stress reliever.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A blend of eastern and western medicine Sep 02, 2008
As an longtime medical writer and editor, I think Nancy Tan's book is a wonderful blend of eastern and western wisdom. Its eastern approach to body and mind is backed by knowledge and respect for what is up-to-date and useful in western medicine. Unlike some of my yoga teachers, Nancy will not irritate your physician or physical therapist, or aggravate your joint problems. She never slips into stern rigor, chirpy cheer, or new-age jargon. The book is a perfect introduction to yoga and also a perfect review and overview.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Informative, practical, highly recommended Sep 02, 2008
Ms. Tan's book is informative and practical, covering such topics as how to identify chronic stress, relaxation, dealing with negative feelings, how to sleep better, healthy eating, and other key ingredients for low-stress living. This is a well-written and meaningful book that not only educates about chronic stress, but offers coping skills that can be applied to everyday situations.
Ms. Tan shares the wisdom of her life experience as well as her expertise as a yoga teacher and psychotherapist, and her compassionate, easeful style makes it a user-friendly and pleasurable read. The reader can open the book to any chapter and derive something useful and informative from it.
The recommended breathing techniques are explained well and the yoga postures are easy to follow. I found the breathing techniques in the chapter "Breathe your stress away" particularly helpful to me. At the end of the book, four pages of resources give the reader the opportunity to explore topics at a deeper level.
Overall, this book provides an abundance of encouraging suggestions for nurturing body, mind and spirit and developing a deeper understanding of the stress response and how it affects us. I recommend it highly.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A great resource for psycho/spiritual/physical health and healing Aug 29, 2008
A great resource for psycho/spiritual/physical health and healing. Insightful, kind, authoritative. Nancy shares a great depth of experience and wisdom. Her personal and professional experiences make credible the practices she so clearly describes that could help all of us, who are subject to stress. She offers the science that further validates her experience. As a practitioner of Chinese medicine -- acupuncture and herbal medicine, I highly recommend this to my clients.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Quiet and true Aug 16, 2008
This book stands as an eloquent reminder that multitasking may not be Man's highest accomplishment. Tan's book is a helpful, sane look at specific ways to bring contentment and quietness to one's daily routine. The accessible and insightful writing, lovely cover and eloquently detailed line drawings all underscore her theme, and the photographs of the relaxation techniques make poses clear. Take time for Tan's message. Your body will be glad you did.
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