Waking Energy: 7 Timeless Practices Designed to Reboot Your Energy and Unleash Your Potential

Kries, an integrated wellness and fitness expert known for her popular Pilates videos (The Method Series), was a ballet dancer when she sustained a serious injury that led to her discovery of Pilates. The practice rehabilitated her body and awakened her to the realization that there are many paths to healing. In this illuminating and detailed book, she presents seven practices for energizing and strengthening the body while calming the mind, including qigong, kundalini yoga, the five Tibetan rites, Pilates, yin yoga, inner smile, and cosmic healing sounds (“a little-known, esoteric” inner-alchemy practice she learned from Taoist master Mantak Chia). Her accounts of her personal experiences complement each approach, bringing the sometimes complex instructions to life. For example, while on retreat in Costa Rica, Kries happened upon a dashing yogi who was spinning with palm fronds in his hands. She learned that the man was 66 years old and had been performing the Tibetan rites—for youth, vigor, and longevity—daily for decades. Kries maintains that the combination of the seven waking energy methods provides “a unique synergy of ancient teachings” that will help readers reduce stress and energize their lives. The clarity of her instructions is the hallmark of this rich and interesting text. 165 color photos. (June)