Yoga Cures

May 21, 2012
As Deepak Chopra’s personal yoga instructor (Chopra provides the volume’s foreword) and a contributor to Jane Fonda’s workout DVD line, Stiles (Slim, Calm, Sexy Yoga) has clout in the yoga world, particularly with students who attend the laid-back classes given at her New York City studio. According to Stiles, yoga is “cooler and simpler” than most people think and can make you “feel invincible, like a superhero,” as well as cure chronic diseases. Bolstered by a brief history of yoga, a discussion of the mind/body connection, and some examples of yoga’s positive effects, Stiles enthusiastically dives into her cures for 50 common conditions: a few poses or short routines to remedy such major concerns as diabetes, depression, and fibromyalgia, and minor but nagging problems like a cold, foot cramps, and “jiggly thighs.” For invisible but life-altering conditions like a broken heart, lack of self-esteem, and inertia, she provides compassionate, empowering advice as well as poses to strengthen and energize mind, body, and spirit. Finding relief with many of Stiles’s cures will require patience and consistency, but others—e.g., for “monkey mind,” “office body,” and a hangover—work their magic in a single session. With many charismatic yoga experts touting cures and transformations, Stiles’s easygoing, personable approach is refreshing.