Caring with Vitality - Yoga and Wellbeing for Foster Carers, Adopters and Their Families: Everyday Ideas to Help You Cope and Thrive!

Few foster carers or adoptive parents realise the benefits that yoga and related mind/body approaches can unlock for them and their families.

In this positive book Andrea Warman uses her vast experience of work in fostering and adoption to identify the areas of life that many families struggle with and, in partnership with yoga expert Liz Lark and nutritional therapist Alli Godbold, presents everyday, tried and tested strategies to help improve your family life - whether it's encouraging a calm household, improving sleep or simply finding some personal space. The book describes easy-to-follow mindfulness exercises and yoga poses to suit your needs and the length of time you have to spare, whether you are looking for energy and strength or relaxation and calm. It also shares healthy tips, ideas and recipes - many coming from carers Andrea has met over the years. The authors also reveal how, through shared confidence-building activities like cooking and gardening, families can not only enjoy spending relaxing time together but help children to develop the life skills they need for a healthy future.

Caring with Vitality is an inspiring, practical, accessible read for foster and adoptive families, and can also be used by agencies and related professionals providing support for parents or carers.

Dr Andrea Warman is a qualified children and families social worker who completed a MSc and PhD in Social Anthropology, and worked for a leading Adoption and Fostering charity. She led on projects involving carers and looked after children, and authored a number of publications on the role food plays in good fostering practice. More recently, she has focused on how we support foster carers and adopters, and with Liz Lark has piloted the use of yoga, meditation and related approaches.
Liz Lark is an experienced yoga teacher, author, artist and retreat leader. Her yoga clients have included high-profile actors, dancers and the Monteverdi Choir led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. She has authored eight books, including one for children, and has made a DVD entitled, Yogalibre: A Creative Practice of Hatha Yoga (2008). She is also a Board member for www.yogacampus.com, a London-based teacher training course.