Yoga at Home for Absolute Beginners!

Yoga at Home: Cute and Helpful Yoga Book for Your Home Practice!

     Consider adding the above yoga book to your library.  It teaches 47 poses you can do at home!

 

I periodically comb the digital "shelves" of Amazon.com for new books that provide guidance to yogis who practice at home. Recently, I discovered Amy Luwis' delightful little tome, Yoga to the Rescue-Ageless Beauty:  How to Keep Yourself Glowingly Beautiful Inside and Out!

I am always into being "ageless" and in looking one's best. This book offers so much more! The title belies the treasure trove of practical information within its covers to enhance your home yoga practice.

I recommend adding this book to your yoga library for  the following reasons:

*  Like my book (yes, a shameless plug for my book!), Amy Luwis writes in an easy-to-follow, and personal way. You FEEL her friendly presence as you read. I eschew yoga books that explain poses in a generic, lifeless, and institutional manner. Amy includes references to her own experiences in the book which makes her feel real to me.

*  Amy begins her book with basic health tips which are excellent adjuncts to a vibrant home yoga practice - dry brushing of your skin, dietary recommendations (adding a Reishi mushroom a day "can help keep the doctor away") and the importance of quality sleep..

*  You will find a wide variety of poses from which to choose - a total of 47 that are organized into 6 different sequences.  Each of the sequences has a different aim-such as practicing yoga to become ageless, achieving serenity, or overcoming pain.

*  Amy shares my philosophy of never pushing yourself through pain and she agrees with my tenet that "slow mo' is the way to go." She says, "Don't blast through yoga poses.. Do them mindfully, gently, and slowly."

*  The illustrations of the yoga poses are cute, non-intimidating, and inviting - highly encouraging for the beginning yogi!  You will find humor infused throughout the book - much welcome levity for the new yogi who may feel tentative about a yoga practice.

*  Amy offers easier options for the more challenging poses so that everyone can benefit even if they are less "athletic" or physically "challenged" in some way.

As you must know from the 8+ years that I have been writing this yoga blog, yoga can indeed come to the rescue for so many of life's challenges.  And, Amy Luwis' book (in addition to my book!!), in my opinion, is one of the best you can find to get your started or to enhance your existing practice.  Go buy yourself a copy today!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Yoga at Home Beginners Coach

 

 

 

 

Yoga for Beginners: Audio - Myths and Realities of Yoga

I am taking a break from writing in this blog post and offering you an audio version of one of the chapters in my book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Enegy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day.  It lasts about 12 minutes and discusses myths that persist about yoga and what's the actual truth about yoga - at least the gentle form of yoga that I advocate practicing.

Here is the link:  

Final Free Audio Chapter

 

 

Also, please write in some of the common myths and misconceptions that you heard about yoga before you started and that you found were completely bogus!

Yours for knowing the truth about gentle yoga,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

 

 

Yoga Beginners - A List and Commentary on Recommended Yoga Books!

Most of the yoga poses I have learned, like this side bend, I have learned from books.   Not classes or television or videos or DVDs.  I find books with detailed, step-by-step instructions to be arguably one of the best ways to learn yoga.  

I admit.  I am a bibliophile.  As such, every so often, I like to share the yoga books that I have found most helpful and inspiring for my home yoga practice.   A book is always there at your disposal to consult if you need to refresh your memory about how to do a particular pose (if you have put it on the back burner for a while).  Leaving yoga books sprinkled around your home is also a good way to remind you to stay committed to your practice.  

When I first learned yoga at age 15, I relied solely on two tomes, Yoga for Beauty and Health by Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin and Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation by Jess Stearn.  My yoga library has expanded over the past 4 decades. Below you will find a list of yoga books that were key references in doing the research for my own book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day that was published in May 2011.

As a yogi who practices at home, I encourage you to regularly add to your yoga library. Well written yoga books can offer myriad tips and techniques to improve and inspire your practice. These days our life is so easy with the Internet and Amazon.com.  Go to Amazon.com periodically to find out what's new in the yoga book world and check out the "Look Inside" feature and the book reviews. It's a wonderful, easy way to keep up with the latest releases and to decide what to buy.

Laura's recommended yoga books: 

YOGA CLASSICS! – Oldies But Goldies

Yoga for Beauty and Health by Eugene Rawls and Eve Diskin

This clearly written, comprehensive tome gives you virtually all you need to know to reap the rewards of numerous classic hatha yoga poses. You can find copies on Amazon.com or perhaps in your local used bookstore.

Because the book was first published in the 1960s, the pages in my copy are tattered and some of the descriptions of and references to “modern day” life seem quaint. However, the information and precise, step-by-step instructions on how to perform yoga poses and the benefits of each are timeless—still relevant today

Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation by Jess Stearn

This work is one of the first two books that taught me gentle, yet powerful hatha yoga! I own two yellow copies that I would never part with. Jess Stearn shares his experiences about studying yoga with a feisty, fit yoga instructor who opened a whole new world to him. Skeptical at first, Jess took on the challenges his yoga teacher gave him and within a few months he felt new from the inside out.

Some of the references and examples in this book also seem dated because it is so 1960s. You would almost expect to see hippies with flowers in their hair and layers of beads hanging over tie-dyed shirts to pop out from between the covers! So—what do I find so fantastic about this book?

Stearn’s story captures and explains the essence and spirit of how to do yoga to transform your body and mind. Especially useful are the in-depth explanations of how to execute yoga poses and what to expect as you evolve in your practice. I refer to this book every so often to refresh my memory about why I do yoga and what got me started. You can still find copies on Amazon.com.

Richard Hittleman’s Yoga 28-Day Exercise Planby Richard Hittleman

The book offers clear explanations about the origins and nature of yoga. Its detailed instructions and photos show you how to do classic yoga poses.

 

More Recent Publications

Ageless Yoga by Rosie Reichmann

Rosie Reichmann shares an inspiring story of her journey with yoga.  By learning yoga at an Iyengar center in London, she was able to heal from severe back pain and insomnia that she had wrestled with for 20 years. Reichman offers excellent tips for the beginner—how to breathe with each movement.  She is flexible in her instruction and offers various options for executing the poses.

Moving into Stillness by Eric Schiffman

This is a comprehensive book that delves fully into the spirit of yoga.  If you want a complete presentation of yoga’s myriad benefits and guidance on how to plumb its depths and make yoga a daily part of your life, invest time to read this excellent work.

Moving Toward Balance:  8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee by Rodney Yee with Nina Zolotow

Renowned yoga instructor Rodney Yee, who has at least 20 years of experience teaching yoga, was once a ballet dancer, Yee attended his first yoga class back in 1980 and fell in love with this ancient practice. He eventually moved from full-time ballet to full-time yoga instruction.

Yee's book offers valuable tips for staying motivated to do a daily yoga practice at home. Yee says that true power and knowledge of yoga's potential comes from a consistent home practice. He offers many pointers on how to gain maximum benefits from a home practice. I especially like his guidance on how to create an inviting space in your home for your yoga practice. He also explains in detail the many benefits—physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional— that you gain from a consistent home yoga practice. The book motivates you to make yoga an every day part of your life.  Check it out!

The Easy Yoga Work Book:  A Complete Yoga Class in a Bookby Tara Fraser

Written by British yoga instructor, Tara Fraser, this soft cover book has a ring binding which makes it easy to open out and view the photos of yoga poses. I like Tara's explanation of what yoga is and how it differs from other physical regimes. For example, she says yoga differs from Pilates because "it is not concerned solely with the musculo-skeletal body. Yoga operates on other levels such as the deep tissues, internal organs, and the endocrine and nervous systems."

When I read Tara's book, I feel her genuine enthusiasm for the practice and her interest in sharing yoga's myriad benefits to the reader.  And, I believe, she conveys the innate spirit of yoga and its power for creating oneness and harmony in our minds and body and as a "tool for radical change and self-development."

Especially useful are Tara's explanations of classic poses such as the cobra, the downward facing dog pose, and child pose. She offers ways to modify poses that initially may be difficult for beginners who have stiff lower backs and legs. She includes a chapter on the benefits of yoga as cross-training for racquet sports like tennis and for dance and aerobics. All in all, the book is a tastefully done reference that is helpful for any beginner seeking to learn and practice yoga at home.

Walking Yoga:  Incorporate Yoga Principles into Dynamic Walking Routines for Physical Health, Mental Peace and Spiritual Enrichment by Ila Sarley and Garrett Sarley

Written by husband and wife yogis, this book is a treasure for the beginning yoga student. It teaches you how to create a nurturing, enjoyable, and consistent yoga practice that you can't help but want to continue for the rest of your life!  The couple offers numerous tips for sustaining your practice, the most important of which are "experiencing" yoga, listening to your body, being in the moment, and connecting with your inner self, others, life, and Spirit. Also, the book teaches you how to combine the benefits of yoga (increasing your flexibility, conditioning, expanding your range of motion, enhancing your awareness and oneness of mind, body, and spirit) with walking-—the authors offer creative, soothing ways to fuse both.

What stands out the most for me about this book is its emphasis on creating a physical practice that is nurturing and uplifting rather than whipping or coercing yourself into shape. I love their philosophy about gentling coaxing and inspiring yourself to better health and vitality through yoga and walking. I think inspiration and joy encourage you to sustain a practice forever. Such practice becomes your oasis for relaxation and conditioning and your life can thus become more like a love affair.  Check it out!

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff

This book offers fascinating, detailed anatomical illustrations of classic yoga poses so that the reader can see the specific muscle groups targeted by each poses and offers some pointers on doing the poses. It may give the beginner more than he/she really needs, but it’s an informative, intriguing reference book.

Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall, MD

With over 500 pages, this comprehensive resource explains the many medical conditions that the practice of yoga can alleviate.  Part 3 of the book, "Yoga Therapy in Action" offers detailed information about how yoga can help with anxiety and panic attacks, arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, excess weight and many more conditions!

McCall, a Western-trained physician, decided to try yoga because he thought it would be "interesting."  At first, McCall practiced off and on. However, once he began regular practice, "inserting yoga into the cracks in my day,” he noticed amazing results. His chest started to open and his posture improved. Most important, he says, were the mental and psychological benefits he gained. He worried less and problems that in the past would have had him caused him to blurt out profanities, no longer fazed him. He eventually studied with yoga teacher Patricia Walden.

The only area in which I disagree with McCall is that he doesn't recommend learning on your own at first. Other than that, I love this book - it's a wealth of research and information about the health benefits of yoga.  You can read excerpts from the book at: http://www.drmccall.com.

Yours for learning yoga with great books!  (Oh - and don't forget to check out mine too, on Amazon.com)

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

 

Yoga at Home: 2-Minute Yoga Solution Book - Great Tips!

The around-the-clock eye movements that I demonstrate in the above photo are easy to slip into a 2-minute break at your desk if you have a sedentary job like me.  Doing them will help relieve eye strain from staring at a computer for hours on end.  The book I discuss below offers numerous 2-minute yoga practices.

This afternoon I discovered an interesting, brief yoga book trailer that led me to a yoga book, The 2-Minute Yoga Solution by yoga instructor, Nicole DeAvila that was new to me.  Although I have read only excerpts from the book that appear on Amazon.com, I find Ms. DeAvila's philosophy and approach are useful for the yoga beginner.

In particular, I appreciate her clear, concise, and practical approach to a safe yoga practice.  She says, "your comfort and enjoyment should be at the forefront of your 2-minute yoga practice."  Exactly!  And, especially important, she provides details on how to avoid injuring yourself.  She says,

"You should avoid these sensations:  sharpness, tingling, numbness, burning, radiating pain, and feeling the 'stretch/strength' in your joints instead of your muscles."  Indeed!

Finally, her guidelines resonate with the ones I often share. She advises against being over zealous and  recommends being disciplined to "focus on your body, breath and mind, enjoyably and safely."

Watch her 2-minute yoga trailer below for more inspiration and a reminder of the myriad benefits a yoga practice offers you.  She is my kind of instructor and I applaud her work.  Especially since she shows you how to fit yoga into your day so you can eliminate the "I don't have enough time to practice" excuse.  Great advice for the yogi who practices at home and in the office.

 

Yours for enjoying a safe, comfortable yoga practice,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

 

 

 

Yoga for Beginners: Book Recommendation - Yoga Secrets for Business Success

Consider adding this book to your yoga library for access to yoga poses, breathing techniques, and meditations transcend the stresses of and work more effectively in the business world.

Yoga should benefit you both on and off your mat - not only to strengthen and energize your body, but also to help you better manage the stresses of your career and professional life.  Several years ago, I bought Yoga Secrets for Business Success because it offered techniques to reduce stress and to operate more effectively in the business world.

In the introduction,  author Darshan Singh Khalsa states, "To thrive and succeed in the business world, many self-management skills are necessary, including the ability to manage stress, relax quickly at will, energize when necessary, handle sleep deprivation, relieve headaches, overcome fear and depression, manage anger, sharpen concentration, expand intuition, experience tranquility, relieve grumpiness, persevere to completion, substitute good habits for bad, improve decision making, improve self-esteem and personal magnetism, and manifest your potential."

Yee-ha!  Sounds great doesn't it?  And, in the book, Khalsa teaches a wide variety of yoga exercises, breathing techniques, and meditations that I previously had not encountered and that are designed expressly to meet the objectives stated above. None of the poses appear beyond the reach of the yoga beginner or the average person.  No pretzel like contortions are included!  Any yoga beginner would benefit by adding the soothing techniques taught in this book to his or her yoga regime.

Moreover, Khalsa shares my philosophy about yoga for the beginner in his "guidelines on pacing yourself".  He says, "In yoga each person progresses at their own pace, and gradually develops the physical flexibility to perform the exercises more perfectly.  Every yoga exercise is conducted in a controlled and conscious way.  It should not physically hurt to do yoga.  Most yoga exercise sets take 20-30 minutes to complete (that is in the sub-title of my book!!!).  Most yoga meditations take between 3 to 11 minutes to complete." 

Furthermore Khalsa acknowledges, "Generally, the first time you practice an exercise set, it will be more difficult than in suceeding sessions.  So enjoy the results and don't push yourself; let the body adjust, heal, and grow stronger gradually." Baby steps-baby steps-baby steps - that is my philosophy also!

Yours for enhancing your yoga practice with the practical, unique tips shared in Yoga Secrets for Business Success.

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

Yoga Sparks - Recommended Book for Beginners!

Yoga Sparks offers invaluable tips and practices well suited to the beginning yogi!

A few posts back, I wrote about the value of being a "one-minute yogi."  I believe you can maximize the mind-body-spirit benefits of a yoga practice when it becomes a part of your lifestyle and not just a class you attend a few times a week. One easy way of doing this is by incorporating certain  yoga poses and practices in spare moments here and there throughout your day.

I have talked about how I will slip in a pose or two while in the ladies' room at work or do an closed eye practice or breathing technique while sitting on the metro.  Well, my most recent yoga purchase, Yoga Sparks by yoga instructor and journalist Carol Krucoff offers 108 "easy practices for stress relief in a minute or less," that you can do in many settings throughout the day.  Whether it's sitting a red light in your car, while doing your laundry, or while at your computer at work.

What I find most valuable about Yoga Sparks is that they are designed for any yogi, but are particularly well suited to the beginner.  Krucoff writes clearly and the physical, mental, and breathing practices she has designed are non-intimidating and accessible for virtually anyone.  

And, of course, because they can be done in a minute or so, Krucoff's techniques teach the beginner that yoga is a holistic practice - it's not just about being able to stretch or twist so far.  It's also about expanding your awareness, slowing down your pace, releasing stress, and enjoing a greater flow in your life.

Yoga Sparks is an easy read that I recommend you do from start to finish.  However, its contents are so structured that you can easily thumb through it and find a practice to find your needs of the moment - whether it is to get the kinks out of your back if you have been hunching over your computer or if you need to lighten up or release emotional stress.

Yoga Sparks is a wonderful new addition to my yoga library that I intend to refer to often and one that I will recommend to yoga beginners (along with my book, Yoga at Home:  Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day, of course!).It teaches you that you CAN easily add yoga to your day throughout the day!  You cannot use the "I don't have time" tired excuse!  You DO have minutes here and there throughout the day.

Yours for becoming a one-minute yogi!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Yoga at Home Coach

 

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

 

 

 

Second Birthday of Yoga At Home Book - Win Two Free Copies!

            My baby is two years old today!

My first literary baby was "born," i.e. published through Amazon exactly two years ago today - on May 6, 2011!

The product of four years part-time of blood, sweat, and tears (well sort of...) - or more like four years of research, drafting, editing, taking photos, and learning lots of publishing tasks, my yoga book is a labor of focus and love.

My principal purpose in writing this book was to share the facets of gentle hatha yoga that have worked for me over four decades (yes - that is DECADES) of practice as a self-taught yogi who was a consummate klutz - at least in my earlier years.

Yoga has become so trendy and widespread with yoga studios and classes popping up on almost every corner in major metropolitan areas that it can intimidate people who consider themselves non-athletic or inflexible (or both).  These individuals would benefit tremendously if only they knew that they could feel and look their personal best without doing yoga acrobatics - i.e., the pretzel poses that you see splashed in the media almost daily, or at least weekly!  I wanted "real, regular people" to know that yoga is not limited to the elite corps of sports figures, grammy winning singers, and television and movie celebrities!

The practice of yoga was limited to a tiny minority of people in the United States when I first learned of it by finding a copy of Philadelphia Magazine in my mother's living room in 1970 of which the cover story was all about yoga.  Intrigued, because I was getting very little exercise, as a 15-year old non-athlete who did not have the opportunity to compete in high school team sports,I decided to learn more.  Soon after I bought a couple of yoga primers from which I learned the basics of gentle hatha yoga.  Since then I have been practicing yoga 5-6 times a week (usually 6) and I still FEEL 25 even though I am past 35, 45, and 55...And, I have never had a yoga injury.

To honor the second birthday of my book, I offer the readers of this blog an opportunity to win two free, signed copies of the book (which includes a 30-minute free coaching session per book) for the best success story of how their home yoga practice has benefitted their body, mind, and spirit!

Just send  your stories to me at:  laura@athomeyoga.info with "Yoga at Home Success Story" in the subject line between today May 6 and May 16 and I will choose and the winner on Monday, June 1, 2013.

Happy birthday to your home yoga practice whenever it is!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach

 

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

Yoga at Home: Positive Affirmations to Begin Your Practice

I am always looking for ways to enhance my daily yoga practice - to change it up a bit and to maintain a high level of commitment and motivation.  Well, about 10 days ago, I bought the book you see here, Instant Healing by Susan Shumsky.  I own and regularly re-read  several of Ms. Shumsky's other books and when I received the notice that she had just published a new tome, I ordered it immediately.

Ms. Shumsky's new book is filled with a rich assortment of prayers and affirmations to address the core issues and challenges of life that we all face.  I was especially delighted however, while reading the chapter, "Living in Perfect Health," to discover a particular set of affirmations that suit yoga!  When stated aloud or silently with tremendous feeling at the beginning of a yoga session, these statements can further energize and enhance your yoga home practice!  I have started to do this.

The excerpt of affirmations from Ms. Shumsky's book follow below.   You will find them on page 134 of Instant Healing. I believe you'll see their direct relationship to yoga and its benefits.  Please note, you don't have to be "religious" or belong to a particular denomination to benefit from these statements.

Enjoy!

Ease and Flexibility by Susan Shumsky, DD

 

"I AM flexible, agile, and flowing.

I AM graceful in all I do.

I AM divinely coordinated (I sure need this!)

I always move smoothly and elegantly,

With divine grace and effortlessness.

I move forward in life with simplicity,

I relax and let life flow through me with ease.

I gently move through each new experience.

I AM at peace where I AM.

I let go of all expectations.

Joy delights me at every turn.

All is well.

Thank you, God, and SO IT IS."

 

Start saying the above statements with lots of energy and enthusiam right before you go on your mat and share with me what you notice!

Yours for reinforcing and energizing the benefits of yoga with affirmations,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's At Home Yoga Coach

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yoga at Home: An Economical, Fun Way to Learn from a Book

The other day I received an email from a neighbor, Alexia, whom I have not yet met in person, but have communicated with over the past few months about rescue dogs and yoga through my neighborhood listserve. Interested in learning more about yoga, a few months ago, she bought a copy of my book (as shown above) from Amazon.com. She told me that she had read other books and even attended a local yoga class without much success.  But, she decided to give my book a try.

Busy woman that she is, Alexia was not able to finish reading my book until last week.  I was pleased when she emailed me, "Laura-----I finally found some time and finished "Yoga at Home" last night.  I can't say enough good about it...I was especially impressed with your clear, concise, straightforward style of writing.  This is the first yoga book ever I've thought I could really learn yoga from.  I felt you were speaking directly to me."

She then shared her plan for learning yoga from my book.  She and a friend will start by reading instructions to each other.  One will read and the other will do the stretches and then each will switch off.

What a clever and economical way for two people to learn together in the convenience of their own home! And, each of them will still be able to move at their own pace - whatever is most comfortable for their body type and level of fitness when they begin.

If a yoga book gives you precise and detailed instructions and you use baby steps to learn and listen to your body, you CAN learn yoga effectively and economically at home with a partner!

Yours for learning yoga at home,

Laura Venecia, the Yoga at Home Beginner's Coach

 

 

Yoga at Home: Blast (Again) from the Past About the Power of Yoga

The above book was one of the first two yoga "primers" written in the 1960s that I devoured, underlined, and that I re-read periodically to refresh my motivation for doing my yoga practice.  The 344 oages of my two copies have yellowed with age over the past four decades.  One copy, whose pages are falling apart, is kept together by super duper clear masking tape.

Jess Stearn, a journalist who delved into topics like extra-sensory perception and various types of paranormal phenomenon, reportedly decided to investigate yoga to disprove it. To his surprise, he became a yoga devotee who gained innumerable benefits, not the least of which was a sense of being re-born physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Although many people reading this book today might chuckle at its quaint, nineteen sixties-era descriptions and lifestyle, the book remains a gem for yoga students of all ages and levels.  (I mean, I can just hear the Beatle's song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds or Iron Butterfly's In a-Gadda-da-vida playing quietly in the background as  I read this book!  I know, I know, I am REALLY dating myself...but at least yoga is keeping me youthful!)

Not only does Stearn present effective instructions for numerous classic yoga poses, he offers myriad tips and techniques that will keep any yogi motivated and inspired.  Below are a just a couple of the many quotations and ideas that he presents that should keep you rolling out your mat daily and thoroughly enjoying and benefiting from your practice.

1)  "In Yoga, the important thing is concentrating so that the mind will send a signal to the area that you are trying to influence.  In time, a regular pattern between mind and body develops. Since I have strengthened this link daily for three months, it was rather elementary to tell my mind to tell my body what to do; it obeyed automatically."

I have found this to be true in my experience.  Daily practice keeps your mind and body in a type of connection "zone" that enables you to more easily do the poses.  This, combined with visualizing your body moving the way you want helps you to do certain challenging poses more easily.  I have experienced this when  I do the "plough," an inversion pose.

2)  "I remember what Marcia (Stearn's yoga instructor) had told me about as being as young as one's connective tissue, and drew again on my own experience.  Glands, blood, and nerves are all recharged, calcium deposits are washed or worn away - all brought about by the mind's power over the body.  The aging process is retarded, for stiffening in the joints, poor ciruculation, poor elimination are all part of getting old."

What I have noticed from my yoga practice is the feeling of youth vitality and energy - that's been the biggest boon for me.  And thus what Stearn says above makes sense.

I beileve you can still find copies of Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation at Amazon.com.  This book is a yoga classic that many people have used to teach themselves this millenia-old practice.  Check it out!

Yours for gaining a strong mind-body connection and a youthful vitality with yoga as taught in Jess Stearn's book.

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners' Home Yoga Coach