I may have mentioned it once or twice (like here, here, and here) – I am a huge proponent of yoga. If I had to list the things that have improved my life the most over this past year, yoga would be at the top of my list.
I was fortunate to have a great instructor introduce me to a gentle and restorative type of yoga. She also suffers from Fibromyalgia, and through yoga has learned to find balance, energy, and productivity in her life again. Her transformation with yoga was so encouraging she eventually became a certified instructor and began paying her good fortune forward to eager students like myself.
As my love and interest for yoga peaked, I began doing research and came across a great book on yoga tailored specifically for my needs: Yoga for Fibromyalgia, by Shoosh Lettick Crotzer. And as fate, destiny, coincidence or whatever you call it would have it, the instructor who taught me to love yoga, also uses Yoga for Fibromyalgia as the foundation for the style of yoga she teaches. How serendipitous is that?!
And now I am sharing this great book with you!
Yoga for Fibromyalgia is based on the principles that “yoga’s physical practices are noncompetitive and adaptable to any individual, including those with special needs, such as fibromyalgia.” The author, Shoosh, states clearly that it is her intention to help us find ways to improve our “quality of life by reducing stress, pain, fatigue, and muscle stiffness and by getting deeper sleep.” Don’t you just love her already?
About the Author
Copyright @David Martinez
Shoosh Lettick Crotzer has been teaching yoga since 1974 and now specializes in working with students with special needs. She has a masters degree in diagnostic education. In 1994, while teaching for the National MS Society, she founded the production and distribution company Mobility Limited and wrote and produced the video Yoga for MS. In 1997 she wrote and produced Yoga for Arthritis in partnership with the Arthritis Foundation. She has given workshops and made presentations on yoga and arthritis at international rheumatology conferences.
Shoosh began her yoga training in India in the 1970s and continued with Sivananda Yoga teachers in Los Angeles. She has a background in Iyengar-style yoga and has studied with Joel Kramer, Ganga White, and Tracey Rich. Shoosh has taught yoga at universities, yoga centers, health clubs, and privately throughout the country. She is the founder and director of the nonprofit organization Enhancement, Inc., which works to improve the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. She lives in Morro Bay, California, with her husband, Colby.
Impressive resume wouldn’t you say? Upon reading Yoga for Fibromyalgia it was clear to me that Shoosh understands and is sympathetic to the unique issues we face in regards to exercise. Her tone and knowledge put me at ease and encouraged me to progress through her teachings in a way that best served my needs.
Yoga for Fibromyalgia is organized into four parts:
Part 1 – Fibromyalgia and Yoga – Includes information on Fibromyalgia, yoga, and general guidelines. This is the section where you will learn to trust Shoosh and become eager to embrace her knowledge and expertise.
Part 2 – Yoga Poses for Fibromyalgia – Detailed explanations and photographs on how to do the poses and breathing techniques, explanation of the overall benefits of the poses and breathing techniques, and a list of any props you may need. Deirdre Carrigan models the poses in the photographs, and she too has Fibromyalgia and is a yoga teacher.
Part 3 – Practicing Yoga for Fibromyalgia – Shoosh gives guidelines to get us started such as where and when to practice. She also shares sequences of poses designed to target certain areas and to help with specific issues such as pain relief, improve sleep, reduce fatigue, and maintaining general flexibility and body awareness. (The Seated Eagle pose on page 43 is awesome for stretching sore shoulder and upper back muscles, and I will be doing it the second I am done writing this post!)
Part 4 – Living with Fibromyalgia – Focuses on lifestyle suggestions that may help us live more comfortably and with reduced symptoms. For example: the importance of sleep, good nutrition, exercise, non-exercise movement, and psychological well-being.
Yoga for Fibromyalgia is organized so thoughtfully that depending on your needs on a particular day, you will be able to create the perfect routine – whether it be a seated beginner sequence, a sequence for upper body pain relief, a sequence to improve your sleep, or a complete maintenance sequence – you can do as much or as little as you need.
While encouraging us to get started in our practice of yoga, Shoosh is clear to remind us to take our time, understand that not all techniques are appropriate for everyone, and to listen to what our bodies tell us. She understands and acknowledges that Fibromyalgia can vary from “person to person and often from day to day” and has based her practice in this book on that foundation.
Are you ready yet to let Shoosh guide you through the restorative powers of Yoga for Fibromyalgia?
Good! Because her lovely publisher Rodmell Press has generously agreed to give one copy of Yoga for Fibromyalgia to a randomly selected commenter to this post. Just leave a comment, and on Monday April, 5 I will randomly select someone to receive a copy mailed to you directly from the publisher.
I am clearly a huge fan of Yoga for Fibromyalgia. Since returning to work I have been unable to attend the daily yoga classes that once fit so nicely into my schedule. I have also been traveling and dealing with the stiffness and fatigue of 5 hour plane rides. Without many of the poses and sequences in this book, I am certain I would not be fairing so well.
Yoga is peace
Yoga is strength
Yoga is flexibility
Yoga is restorative
Yoga is life
Note: You may comment as many times as you like, but you will only receive one entry into the drawing,
Looks like a great book! I’ve tried to build a yoga practice at home – I have two small kids and a husband that works upwards of 13 hours a day so I can’t get out to classes on a regular schedule – but I often get hung up on not knowing what poses are likely to be helpful and which are likely too much for me. Sounds like this book would be a good resource for me. 🙂
I have never tried yoga before as my sister does it and she is a LOT more flexible than me (and weighs a lot less)!! I need moral support when I start anything new (I live in the depths of Wiltshire in the UK) and we don’t have any access to ANYTHING to do with Fibromyalgia (we do have a support group but they are all so negative!!) 🙁
It would be nice to read a book about exercise specifically tailored to MY needs- and I’m sure my sis will help!!
Love and soft hugs <<<>>>
Andrea XX
Thanks so much for sharing your success with yoga. It’s so helpful to hear what works! I’ve just started a daily Chi Gong practice and find it so refreshing. I look forward to looking back a year later, as you do 🙂
This looks like a great book . I especially like the fact that is written from a Fibromyalgia perspective. I have thought about taking up yoga, but due to FMS have been concerned about poses etc. This would be a valuable help to me.
This is what I’ve been waiting for. I love doing yoga, but don’t do it often because I’m afraid of triggering a flare up. I’ve been saying for two years that I wish someone would do a book or video on yoga for people with fibromyalgia. Thank you!
That sounds marvelous! I definitely want to try it. I practiced yoga regularly before the car accident that triggered my fibro, but have not yet been able to figure out how to re-incorporate it into my routine without making my pain and exhaustion worse.
I love yoga, and I do think I feel better when I can practice. Time and energy and finding the right classes are always the program. Maybe a book like this with suggestions on how to practice at home is the answer to some of those problems. Thanks for sharing! P.S. I agree, a dvd/video would be awesome~
Thank you very much for sharing this book!
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (before fibro took over)… I used to practice yoga at home with video tapes, and I did find it quite relaxing. But now, with all of the pain and exhaustion, just thinking about doing a sun salutation… eek.
I’ve really wanted to be able to start doing yoga again, but, like so many others, I am really, really worried about the pain and muscle spasms. I really like the fact that this book is focussed towards people with fibro. It gives me more confidence that I would actually be able to do the poses. I read the first chapter that was posted on the publisher’s website, and I definitely want to get this book. Thank you!
-Kris
Commenting!! I’m so excited about this. I love yoga and have had a real hard time keeping up with my practice since I was diagnosed with fibro.
Awesome! I’ve been meaning to get into daily stretching but I haven’t quite figured out a complete routine but yoga seems like such a wonderful extension on that. I hadn’t considered it before because I didn’t think I was capable; it seems very intense to the outside. But to know that there’s a book that tailors yoga to my needs is very encouraging!! Thanks for the review.
I used to do yoga. I used to do a lot before I started having problems. Now that I have a fibro diagnose I have been considering trying yoga again. To find a yoga program for fibro is very serendipitous!
Sounds restorative and probably a help for my current situation. Count me in the pool of people interested.
I used to practice a bit of yoga in my teens and really would like to get back to it. Especially as I age, the family history of arthritis is catching up to me. Mom has fibromyalgia and my guess is I do too. Though I haven’t been diagnosed I am almost always inflammed and in pain. I take no medications due to lack of diagnosis and I don’t want to take medicines. It would be great to have your book to get me motivated to practice yoga again.
Wow, this would be great. Count me in!
I’d love this! Thanks for the giveaway!
Haven’t tried yoga; but am willing to try anything non-drug related to help with the fibro. This book sounds like it is made for me.
I used to do yoga. I used to do a lot of things. I want to start again. This program sounds perfect.
Thanks for the info. If there was a link on this page to buy the book, I would have used it.
Yoga could be my saving grace of life!
I am getting ready to take my first Yoga class with my partner next Saturday 🙂
Can’t wait to read this book so I can manage this in the privacy of my own home.
Thank you again for everything you do!
Much Love,
Brad Ellis
Fibromyalgia has made it difficult to keep up in my regular yoga class. Being a former ballet dancer I’m often frustrated that my body can’t do even some of the simpler poses and stretches anymore. This book looks like a great asset to my library, and might give me some answers as to what I can do on my own to keep feeling energized and toned.
Thanks so much for posting about this book! This will be helpful in revising my exercise routine. Hope you are having a good day! ~April
My Yoga practice is the MOST important part of my battle to control the fibro symptoms. I have practiced almost daily for the last 2 years. It is so great for your mental state too.
Oh what an exciting give away!!! I used to have a great (and intense!) yoga practice once upon a time but it dwindled as my fibro advanced. It has been such a void in my life since. I’ve been eager, yet so scared after a few ill-fated attempts that were oh so unhappy, to find a way to adapt yoga to the unique needs of living with Fibromyalgia.
Thank you for sharing this resource with us! I am eager to review it upon its release. I have had success with yoga, but often find it difficult to prioritize it, regardless of the positive results. I think there is inspiration to be found in this post – thanks again! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to do yoga for a while now, but have been hesitant to take a class. The thought of being in pain afterward would stop me from pursuing it further. Thank goodness for this book! It’s exactly what I needed and I’m looking forward to exercising without fear. Thanks for sharing this great information. And to Shoosh: How wonderful to author a book so beneficial for so many! Thank you for taking the time to do so!
I have never tried yoga, but I know I need some way to gain more flexibility and strength. I’ve had fibro for 20 years and early on some doctors told me to concentrate on “taking it easy”. Well, that might have been good advice in terms of stresses in my life, but it has wreaked havoc with my physical fitness.
Thank you for bringing this book to our attention, and thank you for the chance to win a copy!
It sounds like a great book! I have tried yoga recently but my back was sore after. I feel so hopeless sometimes.
Thanks so much for this review. Great to know this resource is available. There’s another great book titled “Yoga for Chronic Pain” by Kelly McGonigal that’s also awesome. I’ve had fibro for ten years and have enjoyed yoga’s benefits as a treatment almost as long as well.
Thank you so much for the heads up on this book. I used to attend yoga classes in the early stages of my diagnosis but after some time I stopped incorporating it into my life. I found some of the poses difficult on my fibro days and became discouraged.
It gives me great pleasure to know that someone has taken their expertise as a yoga practitioner and met the needs of people with fibromyalgia. I will certainly look for this book.
It has been awhile since I have visited your site but after a difficult time with my symptoms (as I tried to take on more work), I thought of you. How refreshing to see this blog doing so well and so many visitors lending their voices.
All the best is wished for you.
Thanks for this opportunity. I’ve been involved with yoga on and off for several years – when it’s “on” I am so aware of how helpful it is, and when it’s “off” it’s so hard to get myself back into it. Winning this book would really help (because how could I NOT get back into it if I have a special book that I got a special way?)!
I’ve truly been looking for a program just like this for quite some time. Thank you so much for putting it on your website. Hopefully I might just win a copy…if not, I’ll definitely save up my money until I can buy it!!!
I really enjoy your website. Keep up the good work.:0)
Amy
Sounds like this is what I need to get me started with Yoga. It really looks like a good book. I would love to be chosen to recieve it, but will be happy for whoever does. Good luck to all of us!!!!
Thanks for writing about this book. I did not know it existed. I am a yoga teacher and have had many students that suffer from fibromyalgia over the years and I think this book will be very helpful to me. Thanks.
This looks like a well-organized and thoughtful book that will help many people. Yoga is for everyone–old, young, healthy or not-so-healthy! Namaste!
I’ve been wanting to try yoga for my fibro, so this looks like an awesome book to start with. Thanks!!!
This looks like a wonderful book! I’ve suffered the majority of my 30 years on this Earth with FMS. I used to do all sorts of yoga but then I felt that some of it was causing pain. Out of fear I ran from it all. I’ve been afraid of moving my body for years now but something has to give. I have been praying for something to present itself to me such as this. I know yoga is so beneficial and when it’s taught from an FMS perspective with an instructor who seems to know her stuff, it can’t hurt to try it. Thanks to Shooosh for helping so many of us that suffer this invisible illness. 🙂
Sounds like a wonderful and very helpful resource. I am sure any one of us here would greatly benefit from this book. Thanks for always sharing such helpful information! <3
I have been wanting to start yoga for too long now. I think it is about time I just start without making excuses any longer!
Being a Rheumatologist, so many cases of fibromyalgia come to me asking for help. But only a fraction of patients get real help. It’s so nice to hear from you the effect of yoga to relieve the pain.
One thing I’ve found very useful in fibromyalgic patients who are also obese is, that if they reduce their weight to an optimum range and have a positive attitude towards life, they get the best results. And yoga, certainly helps in these aspects. Looking forward to reading your book.
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Iam 45 yrs old and have had fibromyalgia for a little over 5 yrs. I also have Arthritis, raynaud’s syndrome,chronic fatigue and a few other things that seem to pop up.
I started seated yoga about 3 months ago,and love it, I have changed my diet, and take herbs but I needed somthing that fit the Fybromyalgia more.
I just happened to come across the book on line and so I ordered it! I loved it so very much. It really shows you so much more of what we can and should be doing with our body, streching feels so much better but it is how you do it with out hurting your other parts of the body..I am so thankful for the book and I really would love to have another to pass on to my good friend who also has fibromyalgia, and deals with great pain.
I have tried Yoga and found it very relaxing. I hadn’t been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue when I did yoga, but I think I had it. Your book sounds wonderful.
I’ve tried Yoga once or twice and I just couldn’t do it. I’ve since found out that I have a super tight achilles tendon and there is no way to correct it and a cyst in my sinus that may have played a part in my balance issues. I just had sinus surgery on 3/22/10 and until I saw this post I didn’t even think to give it another try. I hear so many great things about it and I would love to be able to do it! I guess I’ll have to learn to work around the achilles tendon.
I have a friend who has suffered with fibromyalgia for 8 1/2 years. She discovered an amazing scientific “breakthrough” product that after taking for 2 days provided complete relief from her symptoms. Her best friend was also a fibro sufferer, and she took this product and recieved relief on the 12th day. Each person’s body is different, but it is having amazing results for people suffering with fibro. If you would like more information please e-mail me at now4sands@msn.com
My PMR never said to do yoga but I’m all for it at this point. Nerve blocks to the neck helps for about 6mths., TENS unit drains me after I turn it off. My yard is a mess because I cna’t take care of it any more same with the house. Idon’t want any one to come to see me because of the house. I use to be the one where everything was in place, swept every day, mopped ect.Not now WHEN I come out of FM fog every now and then I can see the cobwebs.My husband trys to help but it’s from a man’s point of view not a womans. Thanks for the info Kat
opps- forgot- 2 back surgies, waiting on neck to get bad enough to do surgery(hence nerve block), PTSD,CFS,FMS, arthritis,depression,on 30 differant meds. I am 55 yrs., had all of this since 1980.Finding out FMS could come with child abuse= I was a premy 2 mth ealry in the 50’s. Father and step mother beat me quit a bit. Plus it didnot matter what was near by to use, board, fist. didn’t matter. Kat
I have tried Tai Chai and have wanted to try yoga for a while. I think this book will be a good way to start without hurting myself. I have had Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fiatigue Syndrome for over 10 years. Thanks for this opportunity.
I have had so much trouble developing an excercise program given the constaints of Fibromyalgia. The idea of practicing Yoga has always appealed to me. I have recently been looking into Yoga specifically for people with FM and so finding this book at this time is wonderful. I will definitely be looking into buying a copy. Thanks for directing me to this.
Ah this is something I have been looking for. I have taken some regular yoga classes but find some positions need to be altered for me..for example downward dog hurts my wrist if I do it for any period of time. I know several yoga instructors who would be interested in this book.
Just today at my chronic pain group we had a 91 year old yoga instructor come in to show us few poses. I would love to learn more about using yoga to help with some of my pain. Thanks for this opportunity!
I’ve actually seen this book around. It looks interesting and I really believe yoga can help with Fibro. And you need to be very careful when doing yoga when you have chronic illness.
I’d love to get this book, count me in!
I have just been diagnosed with FMS and Degenerative Joint Disease (finally after over a year) and have been doing research on ways to help with regaining muscle and ligament movement. I have read many articles on how yoga is a great exercise and meditational devise. I have seen this book on several websites for sale and thought it would be an awesome tool to have but can not afford it with no income at this time. I have recently moved in with my sister and brother-in-law, no income, no vehicle and no new friends in the area yet. I would love to divulge myself into yoga if I were to get the opportunity.
I first learned yoga from Shoosh many years ago. She is a wonderful teacher!