Yoga in No Time at All: How to Practice Yoga in Your Daily Life for Improved Flexibility of Mind and Body

Joel DiGirolamo
PranaPower (2009)
ISBN 9780977088461
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (11/09)

Yoga has become a popular way for many people to try to alleviate the stress they endure in their daily lives.  “Yoga in No Time at All” provides a detailed guide to help readers learn some yoga poses while explaining the benefits each specific pose offers.  The author states the estimated time each pose should take to complete (most are relatively short) as well as the difficulty level on a scale from one to five.  He also includes detailed descriptions of each exercise, including which muscles are being worked and what benefits can be expected (such as increased flexibility, improved balance, or simply relaxation).  Thankfully, there is a glossary at the end of the book because the names of some of the targeted muscles were not familiar to me.

The pictures in the book are helpful but it would probably be beneficial to learn a few yoga basics from a trained instructor before attempting to do it on your own.  It can be difficult to tell if you are doing the pose correctly or to the proper degree.  The exercises seem to assume that everyone is of average height based on some of the surfaces used, such as a bathroom countertop or a desk.  I would prefer a system that measures the proper height a surface should be based on how much movement of the muscle is required.  Being fairly short made such poses difficult because putting my foot that high left my other leg too extended.

This book is appropriate for adults and teenagers; however, younger children can also participate in some of the activities.  I like how the author stresses multitasking - doing yoga while also doing other necessary tasks such as brushing teeth, talking on the phone, or driving to and from work.  He also points out that yoga can be done anywhere and anytime.  Additional benefits are that it does not require expensive equipment or a huge time investment.

“Yoga in No Time at All” by Joel DiGirolamo is a good choice for anyone looking for simple ways to improve their health and well-being.  Yoga can not only relieve stress, but also provides improved posture, muscle strength, flexibility and balance for people of all ages.

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