A review by puddlejumper
Yoga for Pelvic Floor and Postpartum Health by Rebecca Weisman

2.25

It is difficult to judge this book because who this is targeted at will change my opinion on the book. 

If this book is aimed at yoga teachers who are looking to learn more about pelvic floor and post partum bodies or as additional information alongside pre/post natal yoga training then I think this is a good book. 

If this is aimed at non-teacher yoga people to guide them in their self practice then this is not a good book. 

The good stuff first. The anatomy section is amazing. It is important to know the different layers of pelvic floor, the muscle fibres, and how it connects to the rest of the body. 

Too many books treat pelvic floor as something completely independent from the rest of the body which is just not true. 

This bit was the best part of the book. It was suitable for everyone and was written in an accessible way. 

The exercise section is where things get tricky. The models used show a range of body types which is great except they are all super flexible. Even when a modification is given, there usually isn't a photo of it. 

Many of the exercises require props which not everyone will have. This includes teachers. I had no idea what a trestle was and I've never seen that in a yoga studio. 

Many of the exercises are advanced exercises and not suitable for people new to yoga. I would not recommend these to people without having a teacher guide them. I would also worry they would get stuck in the folding chair because those ones looked dangerous. 

Again, this is where the audience matters. There is nothing wrong with having more challenging poses if this is aimed at teachers. If this is aimed at the general population then have them in a separate section or offer many different modifications. 

The exercises themselves were interesting. There are better and more accessible exercises than the ones shown in this book. They might not strictly be yoga though.

The special conditions at the end were interesting though they did not cover hysterectomies or pelvic floor dysfunction not connected to child birth which I thought were big oversights.

I wouldn't recommend this to the general population. I would recommend it as a teaching aid purely for the anatomy section. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC