Yoga – Carol – She's So Novel!

Speedy Yoga

by Rachel Scott

I think this board book is just what I need!

I do love yoga – it relaxes me & I’m worried about getting more unfit than I already am.

I do go to a class on Tuesday evening, but the other six days I struggle with motivation & generally I haven’t enjoyed doing a class with a You Tube video.

But I think this book & my Spotify soundtrack are all I’m going to need.

The book is laid out with exercises for different times & the black silhouettes make it easy for me to check that I have the positions correct.

I feel on track now!

Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body

by Jessamyn Stanley

I found this book empowering!

I used to be a slim, young thing but now I’m neither and nowadays I would prefer to do yoga in the comfort of my own home.

Most of the photos are nice and clear, although occasionally I couldn’t see exactly how a foot was positioned. And Jessamyn is so encouraging in her belief that if she could overcome her own negative self image , than anyone can. Jessamyn emphasises what Ihave been told by other yogis – that if your goal is weight loss and only weight loss, then yoga may not be the exercise programme for you. While I do want to lose weight, inner peace and maintaining flexibility are the most important things for me. Its very simple. if I want to lose weight, I need to put less food in my mouth.

I appreciated her biography, but it is spliced into the yoga routines. I would rather have my yoga book focused solely on yoga or even have the yoga routines at the back, so long term, Jessamyn’s yoga You Tube clips may be more helpful. I love the clips with her early, determined efforts. Jessamyn you are a diamond. Never change.

Yoga at Work:10-minute Yoga Workouts for Busy People

Yoga at Work:10-minute Yoga Workouts for Busy People by Miriam Freedman

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5★

I’ve gone back to doing yoga most days – & I’m feeling better for it! This is the only yoga book I have at home (it came from the throw out pile of the op charity shop I used to volunteer at.)

While I have found a couple of the exercises helpful ( I was starting to get bored with doing the same ones over & over again!) this book is another example of a twentieth century book expanded beyond a pamphlet with a whole bunch of stuff I really wasn’t interested in. Chapters like “mental Stress at Work” were both obvious and obvious filler.The exercises don’t start till page 70.

The line drawings, although ugly, I liked- not everyone who does yoga is young and gorgeous!

Some of the “Contemplative Thoughts” at the end of the book are delightful.

I’ll my favourites here, as they may not qualify to be entered on Goodreads.

Those who lose dreaming are lost.
Australian Aboriginal Proverb

Even the thousand mile road has a first step.
Japanese Wisdom

Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both a means and the end.
Krishna Murthi

My edition is from 1996. You never know, later editions may have improved!

Namaste!