Guest: Carol Krucoff, author of Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in an Minute or Less

About the book: Given the popularity of yoga in this day and age, you probably know about the benefits it can have on both the mind and body. An increase in positive mood, a decrease in stress, better sleep, and fewer aches and pains are just a few. Maybe you’ve been busy, and have been meaning to try it—or maybe you have tried it but still find it difficult to fit into your schedule. The most common excuse people give for not exercising is that they have no time. Between work, family, school, and social obligations, many of us are overbooked and scrambling to get things done in our daily lives. But what if there were quick, easy yoga exercises that could be integrated into your daily routine? Yoga Sparks offers 108 quick, practical, and accessible yoga exercises that you can practice anytime, anywhere—no matter how busy or stressful your schedule. In this book, you will learn how yoga in “bite-size” pieces can become a healthy habit that can relieve emotional stress, increase your physical strength and flexibility, and help you to lead a happier, healthier life. Whether practicing relaxed breathing while in traffic, sitting with proper alignment while working at your computer, or even balancing on one leg while waiting in line, the step-by-step, breath-by-breath practices in this book will help you bring the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of yoga practice into your daily life.   About the author: Carol Krucoff, E-RYT, is a yoga therapist, fitness expert and author. As a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine – part of the Duke University Health System in Durham, North Carolina — she creates individualized yoga practices for people with health challenges. She also co-directs the Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors teacher training, designed to help yoga instructors work safely and effectively with older adults. Carol’s newest book is Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in a Minute or Less. She is also author of Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain and co-author, with her Duke University cardiologist husband, Mitchell Krucoff, MD, of Healing Moves: How to Cure, Relieve and Prevent Common Ailments with Exercise. She is creator of the audio home practice CD, Healing Moves Yoga and co-creator of the DVD Relax into Yoga. An award-winning journalist, Carol served as founding editor of the Health Section of The Washington Post, where her syndicated column, Bodyworks, ran for 12 years. She is a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal, and her articles have appeared in numerous national publications including The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, SELF, and Glamour. Carol is an experienced registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance and is certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and serves on the peer review board for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. In addition to practicing yoga for more than 30 years, Carol spent a decade studying martial arts. As a second-degree black belt in karate and Sensei, she taught martial arts for four years. Visit her online at www.healingmoves.com.