and this one, the sixth one, easy yoga for easing pain, is the best one yet. and it does what pbs does so well-- it gives something for everybody. every one of us has different little aches and pains mysterious things. we chalk it up to aging, we chalk it up to a bad mattress, or maybe just sitting too much not to walking enough we call can identify with the people in this program, and we all can take charge of our lives. so you can do it right now by picking up the phone, or log on to the secure web site and make your donation. help pbs and help yourself. laurie? >> thanks, anne. you know, people sometimes ask us, "how much is the right amount to contribute to public television?" and what we always say is, whatever is right for you. some give $50, $100, or even $500 a year. some give annually, and a lot of people just contribute two or three times a year, especially when they're inspired by a program that really speaks directly to them like this one.

when you call or contribute online, we have volunteers who will help you select the right thank you gift for you, and it's really our way of saying thanks. they can explain how to use the easy yoga for easing pain dvd, the four-part workout that can be done in segments or in full and the two bonus videos that can get used as a great warmup exercise, or they can be done separately or together. that's with our thanks from us toou when you make a membership pledge of $60. or we'd be happy to send you peggy's easy meditation cd when you make a membership contribution of $50. you know, in our stressed-out lives, we can use all the rejuvenating meditation we can get. go to that phone and make a membership pledge right now. >> thanks, laurie. you know, peggy, there are so many times when i know that i've hurt something, and i just want to stop moving. do you ever do that? i mean, how do you handle it being a yoga instructor, when you've hurt something? do you stop moving?

>> well, i think that's a natural tendency in the body and sometimes it's necessary to slow down and rest. but when we've had a discomfort or a pain or a problem for a long period of time, what we do when we stop movement is, first of all, we stop movement into the area. the circulation kind of is inhibited, and we need healing energy to come in. but worse than that is when we stop the movement of our entire bodies, because just because one part is hurt, we really need to get that going through the whole body. >> well, it's wonderful. this proam is so helpful alady. i hope that you continue enjoying it. let's go back to laurie for more. >> if you've already decided that you want to donate on our secure web site, we want to thank you, and we really appreciate it. do something today that can change your life. for the $60 membership pledge, we'll send it right out to you. call now.

>> we live in such stressful times, and many people have trouble not wearing that stress. and so often, someone will have a pain in the neck or feel their shoulders just so tight as a response to the stress, and when that happens, it just sets up a cycle that the tightness just stays there and things get worse and worse off. and one of the things that we find is if we can get people

first of all, breathing more deeply, that allows a flow of energy, and then the yoga stretches that we do help specific areas of the body release the tightness, the holding in the muscles. and the wonderful thing about yoga is that it's not just the physical movements, but we tie each movement to the breath. my breath comes in... ... my breath goes out. and that does many things. first of all, it makes sure that you stay breathing, because so often, when we use effort or when we're working and concentrating, we hold our breath. often, we don't even know that we're holding our breath. and in yoga, we work with the flow of the breath and make sure that that breathing is happening. >> life is so stressful with people trying to multitask and do a million different things, and, um, when i find myself in that position, when i find myself being really stressed out, i just know that all i have

to do is breathe and be, and that whatever is bothering me will just kind of magically melt away. half the time, the things you're worrying about are things you can't change anyway, so just knowing that my breath is coming in and going out and i'm moving forward from moment to moment, from hour to hour, from day to day... that's all anybody really does. >> basically, to meditate, what you have to do is just be willing to sit with your body, your mind and your emotions and allow the mind to quiet down allow the body to quiet down. and what happens in even a brief time of meditation is that there are changes that take place in the brain chemicals, in the neurotransmitters, and there's on a physiological level changes that take place in the brain and the body that bring

about greater well-being. there are starting to be many scientific studies done, both in yoga and meditation. we find that if the gray matter in the brain increases, it makes a person better able to process information, makes the brain itself more powerful. and we find that, through the studies with mri and brain imaging, that we can make changes in our brains through meditation that increases awareness, that helps control our emotions, and that brings an overall feeling of well-being. so we actually work with the muscles, we work on stretching and loosening, getting a wider range of motion in the joints, we work with the breath, and there's one more component that's so important, and that is the aspect of the mind. and where are our thoughts? are they running over and over our problems, or are our thoughts brought into the present moment so that we are aware of what's happening in the

very moment that we're working? >> meditation has meant a lot to me in my life because i need to be quiet. i need to not always be going, going, going, going, and i find that meditation is the only thing that settles me down. and i was thankful that my son ed had taught me how to do this. and sometimes, you know, you're going so fast you don't even take time, and that's when you know you should have. >> if you are in contact with the natural state of being which is peaceful and happy and loving, this transforms everything in your life. i mean, this is our natural state. it's all of our thoughts about who we are and what life is that massively complicates our experience.

and when we see that we're not our thoughts, that what we are is this open, transparent awareness, that we are this aware presence, then we are no longer interacting with a foreign, outside world, because we see that the world is also a reflection of that. the world is what we are. >> so many people aren't so familiar with meditation because it's actually training for the mind. it's training for the mind that affects the brain so powerfully. >> the most important thing that i've understood is that what we are is meditation. it is not something that we do. meditation is what we are. and when we come to understand that we are always meditating-- that is, there's always this quiet, peaceful, loving presence, just witnessing the

mind and body and the world, just quietly present for whatever comes up-- then our experience of being in the world is... is always of that nature. >> and just paying attention to the incoming and outgoing breath really begins to bring a sense of quiet to the mind. so now's the time of class where nothing else matters but your relaxation. meditation has many, many benefits. essentially, meditation is training for the mind. and what does it train the mind to do? it trains the mind to better focus, it trains the mind to manage the emotions better. meditation trains the mind to learn, to pay attention to what's going on around, and if you can manage your emotions, if you have more awareness of

what's happening around you, and if you have a calmer mind and a mind that's able to focus, then all of life becomes a little easier. and with the stress that most of us have in our lives, i think that's a great boon to all of us. >> i would breathe. i didn't have thpressures of my family. i would focus on myself and only myself, and help myself move through that, physically and emotionally. >> most of us don't know how to relax. most of us think that relaxation's coming in exhausted at the end of the day, plopping on the couch with a drink or in front of the tv and kind of zoning out. in fact, there's an active relaxation that can really bring a sense of well-being, release tension from the muscles, and quiet the mind so that you feel recharged and regenerated. >> if something bothers you, if you have a sore hip or a sore

neck, maybe you slept funny, you know what to do to get rid of that, you know how to stretch out your body. if you have something difficult you're going through in your life, if it's, you know... a job thing or a financial thing, whatever it might be, i mean, just breathe through it. just breathe through it and, um, you'll come out the other end. (laughs) and that just takes the burden of the world off your shoulders, and you can just take the next step, whatever that might be. >> one of the many benefits of yoga is that, as you do the yoga poses, the body responds by releasing natural opiates called endorphins, and those go to block the receptors for pain and so as a result, you begin feeling better from the chemicals that are released in the body simply from doing yoga. let the focus become absolute...

>> each time io yo, i get a little more flexibility. not only the flexibility, but the balance is a big thing as you age because, um, you don't want to have any trouble with a fall or getting off balance or um, not being able to get up from a chair and start to walk. and so all those things really... i think about that as i get older. >> shoot energy out that back leg, out the back foot... even if someone is stiff now and has lost range of motion, they can get so much back by gently sily, and regularly doing a movement or a stretch that helps bring increased vitality into the joints. we can really change the situation from not-so-good to good or from good to better. >> yoga's something i really encourage every person to try because of the benefits and because it changes you in such different ways that it's hard to

describe. i mean, changes happen emotionally, they happen spiritually, they happen physically, they happen on all different levels that you don't really understand why or how that happens, but they do, over time. >> my hips have been amazing lately. they've been really treating me well. i just spent three days in a car driving from texas to new hampshire, and i really kind of worried, "am i going to be able to get out of the car at the end of these three days, or is somebody going to have to kind of pry me out?" and i cannot believe i feel good, that my hips don't hurt, my back doesn't hurt. i'm just amazed that i can spend that kind of time sitting and yet still be able to function without pain and without all these aches that i hoped... that i had thought i might have. >> i want to encourage everyone to start a practice of yoga. it doesn't matter why they're starting, whether it's to relieve an ache or pain, whether it's to bring a greater sense of

youthfulness, whether it's to bring ease into the body, or whether it's a bigger picture, that they begin to view themselves in the universe in a different way, they begin to really understand an individual place in relation to the whole cosmos. >> had i not found gentle yoga i don't know where i would be, and so i'm tremendously grateful. >> i guess there was a transformation. it was part of my healing journey, it was part of the process that took me through a difficult time in my life. >> feel the pull of the shoulders backwards, stretching... what i want to say to people ishat no matter what they need, whether it's better breathing, whether it's a calmer mind, whether it's a healthier body, i know that yoga can make a huge difference. >> i have much more freedom.

i have much more freedom in my body. i just don't have hardly any of the aches and pains i used to have, and what that does is open up opportunities for me to really experience a higher level of health, and that's the beautiful part of the result. >> and then let the hand drop down to the leg... >> all i can say is, what would you have to lose? just your pain. you're not going to go in the next day and say, "i'm all better," but i truly believe that it eases pain. >> i would say to somebody who wants to start trying yoga that you need to just start somewhere, start small. find a meditation that works for you, because there are so many different ways to meditate there are so many meditations out there that you can find to do, that... find the one that works the best for you, because it will change as time goes on as your feeling, as your knowledge, as your ability

to stay focused in a meditation, that will change, and so you just have to find what works for you the best at the time. >> rock gently from side to side... >> i'm a pretty active guy. i do a lot of things, whether it be outdoors hiking and walking the dog, or getting out with a mountain bike, which i did this year. i started really pretty heavy-duty mountain biking, and i found that i just feel great. i don'have the aches and pains. these other people tell me "oh man, i felt that one," and i just... i feel it a little, but not to the point where i'm debilitated. and i just... i credit yoga to be able to help me through those things. >> well, many people say to me "oh, christine, you've been doing yoga a long time, but we can't start now." i say, "you can start anytime." >> if you don't like what's happening in your body, change it. make the effort to make change. you're not a tree. (laughs)

trees, they can't do anything about what befalls them, but we can. and if you don't like what's happening, then make an effort to do some yoga, to try meditation, to try things that you haven't yet considered. i believe that if you do this, you will find amazing benefits. don't give up. don't ever give up. it's never too late to start. >> it's truly never too late to start this yoga program. with peggy cappy, i'm anne sweeney, and i'm so happy that peggy is here with us. you have such a great group there of all different ages. >> yeah. >> but i need to ask you, are there different styles of yoga? because i've been pretty intimidated by some of them. >> i think that's why many people don't start. they think that yoga is twisting your body into all these shapes, and there are... even in this video we do some movements that twist the body. but they're not foreign. they're very easy to do.

i try to make my material just as easy to do. and always you have permission to do just the amount that you can do that day. >> that's really nice. >> one of the things that is important is that we start in chairs, where most people are comfortable, with some gentle warmups, and then we proceed from there. and it's magic. >> wow. well, if you think that you can take charge of your life and your health and your comfort then call us right now, or go to the secure web site, make a donation, start peggy's yoga program yourself. here's laurie with more. >> please do. >> thanks, anne. we want you to join the many who've discovered the many benefits of yoga, whether you suffer form stiff joints and sore knees and hips, ochroc fatigue, or depression, or overstimulated nerves, or any other ailment, yoga can help alleviate your pain. go to that phone, make a membership pledge of $60, and we would love to send you the dvd. you want this to be part of your life-- more than 90 minutes of a home workout that you can do.

it focuses on the upper body the lower body. it gives you standing poses, it gives you meditation exercises plus two bonus segments. there's the bounce and shake to get everything moving, and there's exercises with resistant bands. it also includes the program that you're watching right now. for a membership pledge of $50 we'd love to send you peggy's easy meditation cd. she gives you three different kinds of meditation that you can do that will relax you and refresh your body and your spirit. and for a $100 pledge, we would love to send you both the dvd and the cd. so go to that phone, make a pledge right now. back over to anne. >> thanks, laurie. pbs guides viewers of all ages on a terrific journey through life. it's a trusted guide for young children, helping to open their eyes to the big and beautiful world around them. and pbs gives you front row seats at memorable performances that you might never have been able to experience otherwise. our mission has always been to provide the very best programs to families that span

generations. every day pbs is helping millions of people do, see, and be more. so show us that you support public television in your community and in your life by giving us a call or making a donation online. it only takes a few minutes. now, if you're already a member, it might be time for you to renew your membership. watch is. >> if you're one of the millions of americans that suffers from aches and pains or chronic overall discomfort, it's time to ease your pain with the healing benefits of yoga. when you make a $60 donation to support public television, we'll thank you with the dvd easy yoga for easing pain. >> i just feel great. i don't have the aches and pains. >> my hips don't hurt, my back doesn't hurt. >> the dvd features a four-part core yoga routine-- upper body lower body, standing poses, and meditation. do them all together or as short, easy exercises.

let peggy teach you how to improve your strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance, and balance. you'll receive two bonus segments-- bounce and shake, a fun and simple way to stimulate your metabolism, and a resistance band exercise routine to warm up and strengthen your core muscles. the dvd also includes the program you're watching. and for your $100 donation we'll thank you with both the easing pain dvd and peggy's easyeditation cd do something today that can improve your life and the health of your pbs station. give us a call or make your donation on our web site. thank you. >> you know, research has shown than one in four people have some form of pain. one in ten say they have pain that lasts them more than a year. when you make your pledge of $60, this dvd can come to the rescue. it has more than 90 minutes of a home workout on the upper body the lower body. it gives you standing poses that you can do, meditation.

you get those great two bonus segments with the bounce and shake and the resistant band exercises. plus you can watch the broadcast show again and again. for a $50 membership pledge, don't forget you can get peggy's newest meditation cd easy meditation. i did it, it put me to sleep. trust me, it will relax your body, and it will refresh your spirit. and for a $100 membership pledge, we would love to send you both the dvd and the cd. call now or contribute online. go to that phone, and we're going back over to anne and peggy. >> thanks, laurie. peggy, i have heard you talk about yogaeing awareness training. can you explain what you mean by that? >> i think yoga is a wonderful opportunity to begin to learn how to direct your attention and to then focus on the body in the poses, their sensation that arises. and as we become aware of that we... it's immensely valuable, because as you learn to be aware of what's happening, you can

intervene on your own behalf before a problem gets so big that it becomes really out of control. and as we listen in a more and more subtle way,e learn to respond in ways that are really life enhancing and helpful. and that's what i want for everybody. that's how i live my life, and that's what i want, because i know that there's a huge difference. when you can respond to the tiny sensations that arise, you can intervene on your own behalf. and so you bring that awareness into the body. that's why the meditation is so important. >> yes. tell us about the connection between meditation and yoga. >> meditation is yoga of the mind. it's yoga for the mind. because in this day, i feel more than ever we need a remedy for overactive minds. and meditation begins to still us, begins to quiet us, and we need to practice. it's not something that you can do in one time and it's done. we have to practice again and again and again and again. i say it takes 30 days to establish a new habit, so...

>> well, it's time for you to start practicing right now. give us a call. laurie has more information on how you can start yoga yourself. >> this is for you. >> you know, pbs is much more than just television. it really is a gateway to new worlds. we invite everyone to set forth on a mission of discovery at any time that they choose. a great adventure is always just a click away through that tv remote or the computer. you can travel the critical areas around the world where the newsmaking happens, you can get an in-depth look at life in another culture, or you can go into outer space and explore the workings of the universe. pbs allows everybody to walk through this gateway and discover a new world of experiences and ideas anytime you want. pbs provides opportunities to us to create a better life for ourselves through programs just like this one, easy yoga for easing pain. back over to anne. >> thanks, laurie. if you are watching this program, you're probably a

supporter of pbs. you're probably a member, i hope. if you're not, what are you waiting for? this is what pbs does best, and we can only do it with your help. if you're already a member check your card, because maybe it's time for you to renew your membership. and i have a great way that you can do that right now. when you make a donation of $50, we can send you this amazing magnificent meditation that peggy cappy has created for you. it helps calm you down, soothe you, get you grounded again. helps you get your breath back. or step up to a donation of $100 and ask for the dvd or the cd. it only takes a minute to call. please do. >> remember, for a $60 membership pledge, we would love to send you more than 90 minutes of a great home workout that will work on your upper body your lower body, it'll give you the standing poses and the meditation. you get those great two bonus segments, the bounce and shake and the resistant band exercises. do something for yourself right now so you can feel better. you'll be helping your pbs

station at the same time. give us a call or donate online. we really want say, as always, thank you. >> we are so excited about this program. and the phones are also busy and it really is heartening to me that so many people are taking charge of their lives. and i hope that you will right now. peggy, you've done an amazing job on this dvd. i understand there are a lot of really interesting things about this particular workout. >> well, just as i'm encouraging people to listen to the feedback of their body and really do something to support it, i've listened to the feedback from people that have done my programs before. and people said they want sections for upper body and lower body, so that's there. and also short sections that they can do that are useable-- 15, 20 minutes. so i'm trying to make this as useable as possible. >> we hope that you'll take advantage of this now. take charge of your life. start today. take a deep breath, make that call right now, or go online to our secure web site. thank you. >> thank you.

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>> explore new worlds and new ideas through programs like this, made available for everyone through contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.