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In this courageous and radical book, renowned yoga therapist and mother-of-three Uma Dinsmore-Tuli explores the sexual politics of yoga from the perspective that women’s spiritual transformation is the most potent revolutionary force. It includes:a comprehensive history section covering women’s contribution to (and exclusion from) traditional hatha yogaa Goddess-inspired section guiding a woman from her first period to postmenopauseilluminating personal life stories and experiences from hundreds of womenspecially conceived, guided yoga nidra practicesinstructions for womb-friendly asana and pranayama practices, including restorative yoga, for every part of a woman’s life and menstrual cycleIntimate and scholarly, irreverent and inspiring, Yoni Shakti brings womb yoga, tantra and feminism together in an astonishingly powerful combination.This revised and updated edition includes a lengthy new preface with previously censored material. It includes recently uncovered information about abusive yoga teachers and organisations, and an updated decolonising bibliography. The chapter on Yoga Nidra and the ‘Note to Men, Transgender and Non-binary readers’ have been substantially edited to reflect developments since first publication.

Esther Vilar's classic polemic about the relationship between the sexes caused a sensation on its first publication. In her introduction to this revised edition, Vilar maintains that very little has changed. A man is a human being who works, while a woman chooses to let a man provide for her and her children in return for carefully dispensed praise and sex. Vilar's perceptive, thought-provoking and often very funny look at the battle between the sexes has earned her severe criticism and even death threats. But Vilar's intention is not misogynous: she maintains that only if women and men look at their place in society with honesty, will there be any hope for change.

Oxytocin, or the ‘hormone of health and life’, is a hugely important substance for pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding – working in a woman’s body and brain to make changes during pregnancy, optimise labour, increase milk production and support bonding. Research has shown that we can encourage the body’s oxytocin system by supporting mothers’ wellbeing through birth practices and postnatal care. We also now know that oxytocin is present in everyone, of any age, directing a whole system of effects that have consequences for family life, including bonding, stress reduction and social interaction.In Why Oxytocin Matters Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg, a leading oxytocin researcher, shows how a better understanding of our biology can be immensely helpful for new parents and those who work to support families.

In modern maternity systems one in four women have their labour induced. Why Induction Matters provides a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to this common intervention. The induction process is explained in detail, and reasons for offering induction are discussed. Options related to inducing labour or choosing to wait are explored, and women’s experiences are included throughout. The book aims to help parents make their own informed decisions about induction of labour.

Squaring the Circle is a cutting-edge and comprehensive collection of the latest research and debate on normal childbirth. Based on a salutogenic approach – focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease – it helps our understanding of what works and why it works, as well as helping health practitioners turn this knowledge into best practice.Written by world-renowned experts in their field, and edited by Soo Downe and Sheena Byrom, the editors of the acclaimed The Roar Behind the Silence, Squaring the Circle includes an examination of a range of associated evidence in areas as diverse as architecture for optimal birth environments, the impact of birth events on neonatal DNA methylation and the microbiome, the current knowledge base around oxytocin production in labour, and the role of emotion in the workplace.Case studies of successful change from around the world – from service users, activists and maternity care staff – provide inspiration for innovation while hints and tips help to make such change happen.

From leading midwife and the author of "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" comes this deeply compassionate and comprehensive guide to making breastfeeding a joyful experience for both mother and child. Drawing on her decades of experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers, and babies, Ina May Gaskin's newest book explores the health and psychological benefits of breastfeeding. Inspiring as well as informative, "Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding" is a powerful and practical guide filled with helpful advice, medical facts and real-life stories that will help mothers understand how and why breastfeeding works and how they can use it to more deeply connect with their children and their own bodies without fear, inhibition, or embarrassment.

Why is it so hard to say “I made a mistake”—and really believe it?When we make mistakes, cling to outdated attitudes, or mistreat other people, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so, unconsciously, we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong. Backed by years of research, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-justification—how it works, the damage it can cause, and how we can overcome it. This updated edition features new examples and concludes with an extended discussion of how we can live with dissonance, learn from it, and perhaps, eventually, forgive ourselves.

100 men bare all in a collection of photographs and interviews about manhood and ‘manhood’.These days we are all less bound by gender and traditional roles, but is there more confusion about what being a man means? From veteran to vicar, from porn addict to prostate cancer survivor, men from all walks of life share honest reflections about their bodies, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood, work and health in this pioneering and unique book.Just as Bare Reality: 100 women, their breasts, their stories presented the un-airbrushed truth about breasts for women, Manhood: The Bare Reality shows us the spectrum of ‘normal’, revealing men’s penises and bodies in all their diversity and glory, dispelling body image anxiety and myths.Sensitive and compassionate, Manhood will surprise you and reassure you. It may even make you reconsider what you think you know about men, their bodies and masculinity.

For more than twenty-five years, until her death at the age of 91, Vanda Scaravelli was transforming bodies and lives with her innovative approach to yoga through the proper alignment of the spine. She listened to the body and worked with instead of against it. She used gravity, grounding, and breath to achieve dramatic improvements in health and well-being. Scaravelli reminds readers that: "if you are kind to your body, it will respond in an incredible way." Awakening the Spine offers a gentle way to achieve and maintain overall health and a naturally supple spine - at any age. Lovingly revised by Vanda's daughter Paola Scaravelli Cohen, based on the extensive notes Vanda left behind, Awakening the Spine is published for the first time as the author intended. With a new foreword by B.K.S. Iyengar, this is the definitive edition of one of yoga's all-time classics. With photographs of Vanda Scaravelli by Rob Howard

Since the advent of agriculture and animal husbandry, the human population has multiplied by about one thousand in a ‘demographic explosion’. However, in recent years, global fertility rates have begun to decrease significantly, and this is one reason to make a case for humans being becoming an endangered species.Many of the possible interpretations of this dramatic U-turn in the history of mankind may be found in modern ways of being born. For example, where caesarean rates are high, the average number of babies born per woman is very low. During the ultimate phase of the history of socialised birth, the hormonal dance that was previously essential is altered or eliminated. Today childbirth needs to be highly medicalised, after thousands of years of misunderstanding of the physiological processes involved.In a renewed scientific context, it may still be possible to rediscover the basic needs of labouring women and to try to ensure the future of our species. Is it too late to reach such a utopia?Michel Odent re-evaluates the comparative importance of recently acquired insights, to suggest links between data and ways of thinking from a great diversity of highly specialised disciplines.

When it first appeared in the 1970s, The Little Red Schoolbook was banned by the UK authorities, which confiscated copies and prosecuted the publisher under the Obscene Publications Act. Why? Because this little book aimed to educate teenagers about democracy, sex and drugs - in frank, simple language - and encouraged them to view adults as "paper tigers". The Little Red Schoolbook has been unavailable for more than 40 years, but it remains surprisingly relevant for young people today. Reissued here in its original and uncensored format, with informative footnotes and a new foreword by the surviving author Soren Hansen, it encourages teenagers to have the confidence to seek information for themselves, challenge authority and question the status quo.

Volunteers are invited to a scientific laboratory under the pretence of participating in a study about the effects of punishment on learning. They are instructed by an experimenter to administer an electric shock of increasing intensity every time a 'learner', strapped to an electric conductor, makes a mistake. How many, if any, would go right up the scale to 450 Volts? The implications of Stanley Milgram's extraordinary findings (up to 65 per cent of subjects administered the full shock) are devastating. From the Holocaust to Vietnam and Iraq, "Obedience to Authority" goes some way towards explaining how ordinary people can commit the most horrific of crimes if placed under the influence of a malevolent authority. This title is presented with a new foreword by Jerome Bruner.

How and when babies eat their first solid foods can be an exciting stage for new parents, but it can also bring confusion and anxiety due to conflicting advice and opinions. When should babies have their first sold foods? What should it be? How much? Is milk still important? Does any of this really matter?Why Starting Solids Matters aims to help readers find answers to these questions by exploring the science behind the headlines. It provides a gentle introduction to the importance of the first year and beyond for the development of long term healthy eating habits and weight with much of the information just as relevant for thinking about the diet of older children and even the rest of the family too.

Welcome to the world of sexed-up medicine, where patients have been turned into customers, and clinics and waiting rooms are jammed with healthy people, lured in to have their blood pressure taken and cholesterol, smear test, bowel or breast screening done. In the world of sexed-up medicine pharmaceutical companies gloss over research they don't like and charities often use dubious science and dodgy PR to 'raise awareness' of their disease, leaving a legacy of misinformation in their wake. Our obsession with screening swallows up the time of NHS staff and the money of healthy people who pay thousands to private companies for tests they don't need. Meanwhile, the truly sick are left to wrestle with disjointed services and confusing options. Explaining the truth behind the screening statistics and investigating the evidence behind the hype, Margaret McCartney, an award-winning writer and doctor, argues that this patient paradox - too much testing of well people and not enough care for the sick - worsens health inequalities and drains professionalism, harming both those who need treatment and those who don't.

The NHS is the closest thing the UK has to a national religion. No wonder: it unites people across social and class divides. But it is also under pressure, underfunded, and unravelling at the seams. When the NHS was founded, children died of whooping cough and tuberculosis, and the average person lived less than 50 years. Now childhood deaths are rare and we expect to live almost twice as long. Many of us swallow dozens of daily medications, and the NHS promises to keep treating us, rich or poor, according to need. But as social care budgets are slashed, the pressure on the NHS has reached a critical level – along with accusations of high death rates, lazy, uncaring staff morale, and unnecessary deaths at the weekend.Margaret McCartney, author of The Patient Paradox and Living with Dying, argues that the last few decades of short-term political policies have caused lasting damage to the NHS, wasting money, time, harming patients, and damaging staff morale. Instead, we need a new realisation of the founding principles of the NHS, one where patients and professionals work together to create an evidence based – not a party political – NHS. It is the only future it can survive in.

In recent years there have been exciting scientific discoveries about a hormone whose amazing role in the human body has long been neglected. Oxytocin is the powerful hormone involved in bonding, sex, and childbirth, as well as in relaxation and feelings of calm. It is the mirror image of the stress hormone adrenaline, which triggers the ‘fight or flight’ systems in the body. Much has been written about the latter, but the many-sided importance of oxytocin is at this point known only to those working in obstetrics and physiology and to some psychiatrists.The Oxytocin Factor is the first book to reveal the importance of the whole oxytocin system for a general audience. Both the new research findings and the potentially beneficial applications of this hormone in reducing anxiety states, stress, addictions, and problems of childbirth are fascinating and of great significance in all our lives.

Challenging negativity and fear of childbirth, and brimming with everything you need to know about labour, birth and the early weeks of parenting, The Positive Birth Book is the must-have guide for pregnant women. A widely acclaimed bestseller since it was first published, it has empowered hundreds of thousands of women worldwide to make informed, positive choices about their births.Fully revised and updated, this new edition will help you work out what kind of birth you really want, and learn how to maximise your chances of getting it. The book’s trademark Visual Birth Plan icons can be downloaded for free to help you create a birth plan for every eventuality. Written in Milli Hill’s trademark warm and witty style, discover vital information on everything from the truth about pain and what giving birth actually feels like, to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping, to postnatal mental health; from the inside track on breastfeeding, to positive, gentle caesarean.Whether you plan to have your baby in hospital, in a birth centre, at home or by elective caesarean, this essential, non-judgemental guide shows you how to raise your expectations and have the best possible birth experience.New for this edition:How to plan for a positive birth in difficult timesReworked chapter on choosing where to have your babyWhat you need to know about exercise in pregnancy from Charlie Launder, author of Bumps and BurpeesTop tips for breastfeeding from Amy Brown, author of The Positive Breastfeeding BookNew section on your rights in pregnancy and birth by Bashi Hazard of the Human Rights in Childbirth International Lawyers NetworkEssential information about your pelvic floor, core and postnatal incontinence by Nikki Bergen, creator of the Belle Method, and Luce Brett, author of PSML 'Completely changed my way of looking at giving birth'Ella Mills, Deliciously Ella'Full to bursting with useful stuff - and so refreshing to read something positive about all types of birth.'Sarah Taylor'A much-needed, brilliant, reassuring, pioneering, kick-ass book that all women should read!'Emma Jane Unsworth 'Genuinely life-changing.'Jess Brammar

During pregnancy the focus of antenatal preparation is the birth itself, and the importance of the postnatal period is often overlooked. Yet postnatal recovery (or a lack of it) can have consequences for the long-term health and wellbeing of both mother and baby. In Why Postnatal Recovery Matters Sophie Messager draws on her experience as a scientist and doula to show that thinking ahead to after the birth can get new families off to the best possible start.

Pioneering birth educator and author Janet Balaskas founded the Active Birth Movement in the 1980s. Her ideas – based on the core principle that women should take ownership of their bodies during birth and be free to assume upright positions in labour – have transformed birth for women and their birth companions across the world.In this inspiring memoir, illustrated with beautiful birth images taken by photographer Anthea Sieveking over two decades, Janet explains the essential philosophy of her approach and how the Active Birth Movement has grown and helped generations of mothers to prepare for birth, by honouring the importance of the beginning of life and empowering them to confidently trust and follow their instincts.

New in paperback, Petri Raisanen, one of the world’s most popular yoga teachers offers the complete guide to to the yoga poses (asana), breathing techniques and philosophy of Ashtanga yoga.The most physical and dynamic form of yoga, Ashtanga combines an impressive sequence of yoga poses with special breathing techniques to heat the body internally and allow safe stretching of the muscles. Ashtanga’s enthusiasts point to the powerful impact of the practice on their overall health and well-being: regular practice tones and strengthens the muscles, cleanses the body of toxins, calms the mind and increases concentration.Each of the yoga poses in the Primary Series is presented both separately and as part of complete practice. The reader will gain a deep knowledge of the multidimensional philosophy of Ashtanga yoga and how it relates to everyday life.This is a clearly and simply written guide, packed full of knowledge and insight, that will delight beginners, advanced students and yoga teachers alike.

100 women bare all in an empowering collection of photographs and interviews about Womanhood.Vagina, vulva, lady garden, pussy, beaver, cunt, fanny… whatever you call it most women have no idea what’s ‘down there’. Culturally and personally, no body part inspires love and hate, fear and lust, worship and desecration in the same way.From smooth Barbie dolls to internet porn, girls and women grow up with a very narrow view of what they should look like, even though in reality there is an enormous range. Womanhood departs from the ‘ideal vagina’ and presents the gentle un-airbrushed truth, allowing us to understand and celebrate our diversity.For the first time, 100 brave and beautiful women reveal their bodies and stories on their own terms, talking about how they feel about pleasure, sex, pain, trauma, birth, motherhood, menstruation, menopause, gender, sexuality and simply being a woman.

As revealing as "Freakonomics", shocking as "Fast Food Nation" and thought provoking as "No Logo", "The Politics of Breastfeeding" exposes infant feeding as one of the most important public health issues of our time. Every thirty seconds a baby dies from infections due to a lack of breastfeeding and the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. In her powerful book Gabrielle Palmer describes how big business uses subtle techniques to pressure parents to use alternatives to breastmilk. The infant feeding product companies' thirst for profit systematically undermines mothers' confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies. An essential and inspirational eye-opener, "The Politics of Breastfeeding" challenges our complacency about how we feed our children and radically reappraises a subject which concerns not only mothers, but everyone: man or woman, parent or childless, old or young. It is the 3rd fully revised and updated edition.

Leading yoga teacher trainer Melanie Cooper brings you the essential guide to teaching yoga and adjusting asana (yoga poses). The first part of the book explores the fundamentals of teaching in a simple, clear, accessible way. The author covers how to teach crucial concepts such as breath, muscle lock and gaze, as well as more general topics including injuries, ethics and the spiritual aspects of yoga. Part 1 also includes a quick-look guide to counting the Primary Series, and teaching points for each Primary Series posture.  In the second part of the book the author demonstrates helpful techniques for deepening common yoga postures, and provides a complete guide to hands-on adjustment for the Ashtanga Primary Series. With a wealth of information, clear writing, and fresh, detailed photography, this is an invaluable resource for qualified yoga teachers, student teachers, and yoga students who want to take their practice to the next level.

In an age when normal birth can still be overtaken by obstetrics, Grantly Dick-Read's philosophy is still as fresh and relevant as it was when he originally wrote this book. He unpicks the root causes of women's fears and anxiety about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding with overwhelming heart and empathy. As one of the most influential birthing books of all time, Childbirth Without Fear is essential reading for all parents-to-be, childbirth educators, midwives and obstetricians!This definitive reissue includes the full text of the fourth edition, the last completed by Grantly Dick-Read before his death in 1959, and The Autobiography of Grantly Dick-Read, compiled from his writings.With a foreword by Ina May Gaskin.

"Fills a critical gap in the literature on maternity care... a comprehensive and thoughtful exploration of how we can better understand, support, and care for survivors of sexual abuse" Sheena Byrom in her forewordTrauma-informed maternity care is essential for women who are survivors of childhood abuse. Pregnancy and birth can bring up long-suppressed memories and feelings that have implications for women’s health and wellbeing as they become mothers. Welcoming a new baby into the family can challenge relationships and distort emotions following birth, affecting partners and bonding with their baby.Kathryn Gutteridge has spent her career as a midwife advocating for the needs of survivor women in maternity care, and this book is the result of that work. She explains how and why the needs of survivors must be taken into account, and shows that trauma-informed care can transform the experiences of women who might otherwise be further traumatised by the maternity care system.Drawing on the evidence base, personal experience, and the words of survivors themselves, this carefully conceived and written book will help all those who work in maternity to better understand the needs of survivors of childhood abuse in their care. For those clinicians who are themselves survivors, this book acknowledges the challenges they face and makes suggestions about how they might find solace in supporting women and their babies.

How we parent our children is at the heart of our relationships with them – and Dr Carlos Gonzalez, a renowned Spanish paediatrician and father, believes that our children deserve all the love we can give them. If we reject the routines and excessive discipline promoted by self-styled childcare experts, and instead parent with love, respect and freedom, we can allow our children to grow and thrive both physically and emotionally.A bestseller in Spain, Kiss Me encourages parents to see the good in their children and nurture it carefully, forging warm and rewarding family relationships. With discussions of how to handle common parenting issues including sleep, rewards and punishment and carving out quality time with our children, this warm and reassuring book is hugely valuable for parents in today’s world.

When 9-year-old Joe is unexpectedly elected prime minister, he quickly discovers that to negotiate the pitfalls of modern politics, you have to compromise. But how can he stay true to what he believes?A bittersweet tale for old and young of an idealist who went astray from the author of the acclaimed The Little Driver.

A delightful and beautifully illustrated book for children about how parents meet, fall in love, and decide to start a family.Your Daddy and me is part of a delightful series of illustrated books by Monica Calaf and Mikel Fuentes, which also includes When you were in my tummy, How you were born, and You, me and the breast.

In Breastfeeding made Easy renowned paediatrician and father-of-three Carlos Gonzalez, author of Kiss Me! How to raise your children with love and My Child Won't Eat!, brings his warmth and positivity to a subject close to his heart: breastfeeding. In his characteristic friendly style he explains how breastfeeding is a woman's right, as an integral part of her normal sexual and reproductive life. With this clear perspective he carefully explains how breastfeeding works, and gently debunks many of the myths that still surround breastfeeding, while also offering sound practical suggestions that will empower mothers to find the answers to questions they have and seek out appropriate help. The author's own experience of supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies, coupled with his scientific understanding of human lactation, are combined in a book that is an accessible, confidence-inspiring companion for every breastfeeding mother.