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A Little Bit of Yoga: An Introduction to Postures & Practice
In the popular “ Little Bit of” a fresh, accessible introduction to the postures and practice of yoga.
Although it is an age-old practice originating in India, yoga is still embraced by many as a means of enhancing physical, mental, and spiritual health. Not only does it calm and strengthen, but yoga can improve flexibility and mental clarity through deep breathing and poses.
This accessible introduction presents the history and philosophy of the form, along with basic poses—including Adho Mukha Svanasana/“Downward Facing Dog,” Virabhadrasana/“Warrior,” and Vrksasana/“Tree”—and advice on incorporating them into a daily exercise program.
An introduction to postures and practice.
Although it is an age-old practice originating in India, yoga is still embraced by many as a means of enhancing physical, mental, and spiritual health. Not only does it calm and strengthen, but yoga can improve flexibility and mental clarity through deep breathing and poses.
This accessible introduction presents the history and philosophy of the form, along with basic poses—including Adho Mukha Svanasana/“Downward Facing Dog,” Virabhadrasana/“Warrior,” and Vrksasana/“Tree”—and advice on incorporating them into a daily exercise program.
An introduction to postures and practice.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published November 6, 2018
15 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 22, 2019
This was a fun, interesting, and informative introduction to yoga. I learned quite a bit through its pages and I especially loved the descriptions of various flows you can do at any one time.
The intro to various breathing techniques was particularly exemplary. I never realized how many different rhythms and techniques there were to breathing as well as the effects each one can have on different parts of your body. I have anxiety, and one of the first issues I have when it flares up is shortness of breath and breathing irregularity. I've tried some of these techniques and can feel a huge improvement to my breathing. I can literally feel my anxiety go down and my breathing get back on track. I feel lighter, more open, more relaxed and calmer afterwards. It's quite amazing actually.
I never realized how essential breathing was to the physical poses and flows of yoga. Once reading this, I tried to consider my breathing more acutely during at-home practice and it also, caused a noticeable and positive influence to the practice.
I have always had an interest in yoga and have practiced it on and off over the years. It is expensive, and as of now I cannot afford the classes, otherwise I would be attending weekly sessions if not more. It has always been beneficial for me both physically and mentally whenever I practiced it. It is something I will always be interested in and desiring to learn more about.
This book was a great intro to an amazingly beneficial art. If you're interested in yoga, learning more about the history and depth of the practice, or wanting to expand your own personal yoga journey, this is a great resource to add.
The intro to various breathing techniques was particularly exemplary. I never realized how many different rhythms and techniques there were to breathing as well as the effects each one can have on different parts of your body. I have anxiety, and one of the first issues I have when it flares up is shortness of breath and breathing irregularity. I've tried some of these techniques and can feel a huge improvement to my breathing. I can literally feel my anxiety go down and my breathing get back on track. I feel lighter, more open, more relaxed and calmer afterwards. It's quite amazing actually.
I never realized how essential breathing was to the physical poses and flows of yoga. Once reading this, I tried to consider my breathing more acutely during at-home practice and it also, caused a noticeable and positive influence to the practice.
I have always had an interest in yoga and have practiced it on and off over the years. It is expensive, and as of now I cannot afford the classes, otherwise I would be attending weekly sessions if not more. It has always been beneficial for me both physically and mentally whenever I practiced it. It is something I will always be interested in and desiring to learn more about.
This book was a great intro to an amazingly beneficial art. If you're interested in yoga, learning more about the history and depth of the practice, or wanting to expand your own personal yoga journey, this is a great resource to add.
January 3, 2020
This book is exactly what it purports to be: an introduction to yoga postures and practice. I particularly enjoyed learning the basics about the different styles of yoga as well as the eight limbs of yoga. I do think that some of the sample flows described at the end of the book may be confusing for a novice to follow. Illustrations might have helped in this section. Nevertheless, the book is wonderful and quite aesthetic appealing. The size and color scheme are wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the teal font. I love little books, and this tiny treasure does not disappoint. It is perfect for anyone looking for a basic reference or introduction to yoga. 🧘♀️
May 16, 2020
This book was great! It came from the Target Dollar Spot for like $3-$5. I picked it up thinking I could delve a little deeper into my yoga practice. It gives a little history, an explanation of the different types of yoga, a summary of the Eight Limbs, and a few brief poses and flows. It is truly the perfect book to dip your toe into the world of yoga!
January 19, 2019
This is a wonderful book. Great for anyone starting their yoga journey or for the experienced yogi looking to freshen up their knowledge. As a beginner myself this book was incredibly helpful with all the terms it provided. Grab a copy of this book for yourself. You'll love it.
October 8, 2019
I really enjoyed the first half which gave me a better understanding of yoga’s philosophy. The second half contained yoga pose explanation and exercise flows, but no photos or images. You can do without those, just GO to a yoga class for a clear understanding of these beginner postures.
September 19, 2020
Loved this little treasure of a book. I was amazed how the author simplified the concept of the eight limbs of yoga into easy to understand material. This little book will sit with my permanent collection of yoga books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars
January 8, 2021
Pages 15-71 were my favorite! I didn’t understand the depth of integration yoga had into life until I finished reading them gem! This is my 4th A Little Bit of Books and is my favorite! Love the flower design work on the cover as well!
August 7, 2021
Good, cute book for the basics. Some of the asana descriptions and flows are a bit confusing or missing details about the poses, but overall a nice quick read. The cover being so pretty definitely helps!
May 20, 2022
3.5/5 stars.
This book took me a while to read because it's informational, and I like to read these types of books in pieces. I felt like this book really covered a lot of information in an accessible way, and I especially liked learning about the ancient history of yoga.
This book took me a while to read because it's informational, and I like to read these types of books in pieces. I felt like this book really covered a lot of information in an accessible way, and I especially liked learning about the ancient history of yoga.
May 3, 2023
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice way to step into yoga for someone who's never done any before. I do wish however, that the section on poses had illustrations, and it was very difficult to imagine the descriptions given.
August 14, 2019
A great start to any yoga journey.
February 19, 2020
Very basic information, great for a beginner. Some nice easy explanations and nuggets of information for the intermediate.
February 20, 2021
Absolutely loved it! Such a great introduction and overview of the history of yoga and how to apply it to the modern world
March 29, 2021
Good book if you're getting started/want to start on yoga. It explains the basic premises and gives some movements you can do it at home.
September 14, 2021
Good intro to the why and what fors of yoga. I understand better now the postures through the explanations but which there were diagrams included.
February 23, 2022
I love this series!!!
July 24, 2023
I loved this book! I definitely learned a lot of new things! Some of the yoga positions I definitely had to look up because I had never heard of them!
August 13, 2023
the world of yoga is vast and i think i would like to master this tool!
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June 26, 2024Great intro to yoga!
October 5, 2020
I’ve been doing yoga on and off since I was 18 (oh wow that’s 16 years 😱) but during the pandemic, I’ve been practicing yoga and meditation almost every day! However, I’ve never taken the time to actually delve into the history it. This book was a quick, easy, and engaging read that I highly recommend. The author included a lot of encouragement and tips, she inspired me to deepen my practice and place more focus on my breathing. This is a must read for yoga lovers!
December 25, 2022
As a yoga teacher, I was disappointed with this book. I did like that the yamas and niyamas were included, so I gave it two stars. However, I have a number of reasons for rating this books so low.
1. This books has themes throughout that I take issue with. Namely purity, perfection, toxic positivity, the need to change yourself (one ex: forgiving yourself for eating pizza, etc)
2. In a section of the book, she goes over different styles of yoga, and mention the benefits. As an author, how can you stomach talking about bikram, kundalini, and ashtanga without discusses thing horrible abusive acts of their founders? There have been some serious issues with these founders, I think it’s the responsibility of this author to at least mention that.
3. There were quite a few un-verified “science facts” listed in the book. When I did my yoga teacher training, it was like there was a long game of telephone and the “science” I learned was the final phrase in that game of telephone. This book does the same. Examples in this book are that restorative yoga apparently “boost[s] your immune system,” and that when you practice yin yoga you are “lubricating joints by spending extensive time in the poses.” These aren’t true, and and there no scholarly citations included. Not only is no western research cited, but either are Vedic or other texts are cited.
4. She makes a lot of judgmental comments about food, for no reason. She mentions that salads are “good” and nachos are not. Views like that about food have nothing to do with yoga.
5. There’s more but I’m too annoyed to write the rest down.
1. This books has themes throughout that I take issue with. Namely purity, perfection, toxic positivity, the need to change yourself (one ex: forgiving yourself for eating pizza, etc)
2. In a section of the book, she goes over different styles of yoga, and mention the benefits. As an author, how can you stomach talking about bikram, kundalini, and ashtanga without discusses thing horrible abusive acts of their founders? There have been some serious issues with these founders, I think it’s the responsibility of this author to at least mention that.
3. There were quite a few un-verified “science facts” listed in the book. When I did my yoga teacher training, it was like there was a long game of telephone and the “science” I learned was the final phrase in that game of telephone. This book does the same. Examples in this book are that restorative yoga apparently “boost[s] your immune system,” and that when you practice yin yoga you are “lubricating joints by spending extensive time in the poses.” These aren’t true, and and there no scholarly citations included. Not only is no western research cited, but either are Vedic or other texts are cited.
4. She makes a lot of judgmental comments about food, for no reason. She mentions that salads are “good” and nachos are not. Views like that about food have nothing to do with yoga.
5. There’s more but I’m too annoyed to write the rest down.
December 27, 2019
4.5 🌟
The ability to confront your fears on your mat directly translates to how you confront your fears in everyday life, and that is an invaluable thing to take away from your practice.
there’s something soothing about the methodical flow of a vinyasa class...going through poses in a sequenced flow, ending with a delicious savasana while pumping your body with deep, luscious inhales, and exhaling the stress that you don’t need is pure magic. ❤️
satya - truthfulness, commitment to honesty.
satya means fighting against the pattern of overbooking schedules, making promises to friends, family, and work, but, when the times comes, realizing that you have no energy left for yourself.
physically clearing your space makes way for your mind to settle into what needs to get done, or even to do something as simple as fall asleep at night.
we feel the need to meticulously control every single part of our lives that we forget that no matter how badly we want something, sometimes it won’t happen.
there’s no perfect cure for being upset, no band-aid for bad news, and no all-encompassing recipe to fix feeling crummy...but you can breathe.
The ability to confront your fears on your mat directly translates to how you confront your fears in everyday life, and that is an invaluable thing to take away from your practice.
there’s something soothing about the methodical flow of a vinyasa class...going through poses in a sequenced flow, ending with a delicious savasana while pumping your body with deep, luscious inhales, and exhaling the stress that you don’t need is pure magic. ❤️
satya - truthfulness, commitment to honesty.
satya means fighting against the pattern of overbooking schedules, making promises to friends, family, and work, but, when the times comes, realizing that you have no energy left for yourself.
physically clearing your space makes way for your mind to settle into what needs to get done, or even to do something as simple as fall asleep at night.
we feel the need to meticulously control every single part of our lives that we forget that no matter how badly we want something, sometimes it won’t happen.
there’s no perfect cure for being upset, no band-aid for bad news, and no all-encompassing recipe to fix feeling crummy...but you can breathe.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews