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Richard Hittleman's Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan
A dramatically different four-week exercise plan that unlocks the secrets of a lifetime of health, beauty and profound peace of mind
This short time is all it takes to master the 38 simple exercises in this book. You will quickly grasp the ancient Yogic secrets of breathing, concentration, nutrition and muscle control—in just minutes of your spare time and without any discomfort. Day by day you will notice astonishing results—weight loss, greater firmness, more energy, relief from pain, freedom from stress and an overall feeling of youthfulness and well-being.
This Yoga regimen will become a lifetime program to keep your whole organism radiant with natural beauty and health!
This short time is all it takes to master the 38 simple exercises in this book. You will quickly grasp the ancient Yogic secrets of breathing, concentration, nutrition and muscle control—in just minutes of your spare time and without any discomfort. Day by day you will notice astonishing results—weight loss, greater firmness, more energy, relief from pain, freedom from stress and an overall feeling of youthfulness and well-being.
This Yoga regimen will become a lifetime program to keep your whole organism radiant with natural beauty and health!
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 6, 1969
About the author
Richard Hittleman
65 books10 followersRichard Hittleman was an American Yoga teacher and author who taught Hatha and Raja Yoga through one of the first Yoga television series, Yoga for Health.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 15, 2019
While some of the language, nutritional advice and the photos are hopelessly (and hilariously) dated, this is a great little introduction to hatha or physical yoga. Structured as a 28-day training program, this book was created to help people gradually develop strength and flexibility through a series of asanas, and discusses the benefits of the practice on health, weight management, arthritis relief, etc.
My father, who has been a yoga teacher for over thirty years, still recommends this book over newer, more fashionable yoga guidebooks out there. It's a prefect resource for anyone interested in learning basic hatha yoga at home: the instructions are clear and detailed, and the progression of the exercises makes the training both effective and less intimidating. The book is broken down into 4-day learning blocks: new exercises for the 3 first days, then the 4th is spent reviewing the previous material. This sets a nice pace, and keeps the exercises from getting too boring or repetitive.
I have been doing yoga on and off for years, but to be honest, I hate most yoga classes (and gyms, and basically any place people gather for fitness activities - don't ask), so I'd rather practice at home. My father gave me a copy of this book ages ago, and I pulled it off the shelf last month, figuring going through the 28-day regimen would shake off my yoga cobwebs gently. Not only did it do that, but it also helped me put a daily yoga practice back into my routine, which is great! The pacing is perfect, somehow both challenging and gentle for beginners or intermediate-and-rusty practitioners. I can definitely see why my dad still recommends it!
A couple of the asanas are actually a bit too tough for beginners (or rusty old crones), and should have been broken down in more gradual steps (head stand, cow face and full lotus, for example), but generally, the difficulty level is reasonable. You still might want to complement this with another (more recently published) book of illustrated asanas (the Grounded Panda's is pretty great: https://shop.groundedpanda.com/) that also show you how to use props like blocks and straps - which are really helpful, especially when you are learning new poses.
If you don't mind the fact that this was written for 1970s housewives who didn't dare associate with the hippies but wanted to try their hands at that yoga-stuff, this is a good building block on which to beginning practicing yoga at home, or as a primer for classes and more advanced practices.
My father, who has been a yoga teacher for over thirty years, still recommends this book over newer, more fashionable yoga guidebooks out there. It's a prefect resource for anyone interested in learning basic hatha yoga at home: the instructions are clear and detailed, and the progression of the exercises makes the training both effective and less intimidating. The book is broken down into 4-day learning blocks: new exercises for the 3 first days, then the 4th is spent reviewing the previous material. This sets a nice pace, and keeps the exercises from getting too boring or repetitive.
I have been doing yoga on and off for years, but to be honest, I hate most yoga classes (and gyms, and basically any place people gather for fitness activities - don't ask), so I'd rather practice at home. My father gave me a copy of this book ages ago, and I pulled it off the shelf last month, figuring going through the 28-day regimen would shake off my yoga cobwebs gently. Not only did it do that, but it also helped me put a daily yoga practice back into my routine, which is great! The pacing is perfect, somehow both challenging and gentle for beginners or intermediate-and-rusty practitioners. I can definitely see why my dad still recommends it!
A couple of the asanas are actually a bit too tough for beginners (or rusty old crones), and should have been broken down in more gradual steps (head stand, cow face and full lotus, for example), but generally, the difficulty level is reasonable. You still might want to complement this with another (more recently published) book of illustrated asanas (the Grounded Panda's is pretty great: https://shop.groundedpanda.com/) that also show you how to use props like blocks and straps - which are really helpful, especially when you are learning new poses.
If you don't mind the fact that this was written for 1970s housewives who didn't dare associate with the hippies but wanted to try their hands at that yoga-stuff, this is a good building block on which to beginning practicing yoga at home, or as a primer for classes and more advanced practices.
February 6, 2017
First attempt at yoga, so here I go! Exercises are sectioned into 4 day increments, so I'll review every 4 days.
Days 1-4: On Day 1 I didn't think I would continue, but wanted to give it a fair chance, and day 2 changed my mind. I felt very stretched and awake after exercising. Day 3 introduced 'leg over,' which I am terrible at. But hopefully through practice, I'll become more limber! Overall, the exercises stretch me just enough to feel more limber without feeling sore all day. I feel good, and except for the 'leg over,' the exercises are great and I'm able to complete them.
Days 5-8: Here are the positions I now know: complete breath standing, chest expansion, triangle, knee and thigh stretch, simple twist, circular motion, lion, scalp exercise, back stretch, backward bend, modified head stand, cobra, leg over, complete breath, lotus. I'm able to do all the positions as shown except leg over. I'm still nowhere close to the image! Hopefully practice will make that one more successful. I also can't extend as much as she in the forward extreme position of chest expansion. Overall, good exercises. Each day is followed by 'thoughts for the day,' and there's a funny, dated bit about being a housewife and still deserving to spend time on yourself.
Days 9-12: Went on vacation, so missed about 5 days. Didn't seem to affect my ability to complete the exercises when I returned, however. New exercises learned in this section are: abdominal lifts, both standing and on all fours; side bend; locust; chest expansion with additional leg movements; cobra with additional turning movements; and head twist. I seem to have no trouble with any of these, though the abdominal lifts give me a case of the burps afterward, haha. And the locust is a bit difficult--I doubt I'm raising my legs that much. I remain unable to perform the full leg over exercise like last time, though my right leg is getting better (no change in left leg). The exercises in the next section look more intimidating!
I've returned! I practiced, at an abbreviated rate, all previous exercises to make sure I could still complete them. I seem to be performing exactly the same, despite many months having passed. I still can't manage the leg over!
Days 13-16: New exercises: Shoulder stand, plough, extended back stretch, extended backward bend, bow, rishi's posture, and bust exercise. I almost hurt myself doing the shoulder stand and plough, so I am not doing them. These just don't seem safe alone at home! I really like the back stretch exercises. The rishi's posture requires a lot of balancing on tiptoes. I'm not there yet, but I think with practice I should get better. The bust exercise also feels good. I definitely sit up straighter after these exercises!
Days 17-20: New Exercises: Neck Roll, Balance Posture, Dancer's Posture, Elbow-to-Knee, Side Raise. These are all great exercises. The days during this set focused on specific parts of the body for each day. This is problematic with my heart/BP problem, because I can't stay in the same position for too long. This is why I've always avoided yoga. I will have to combine the exercises on different days so I'm not stretching in the same posture in a single day. Other than that, the exercises are going well.
Days 21-24: New Exercises: Slow motion firming, Back Push-up, Posture Clasp, Leg Clasp, Alternating Leg Pull. Guess what, I can only do the last 2.
I am now ceasing these exercises, though only 4 days remain. It seems to be exacerbating my POTS, so yoga is not a good fit for me. However, I'll take a few of these exercises and incorporate them into my exercise routine. I'm sure for most people, this would be a great primer on yoga. It's dated (there's a constant assumption the reader is a stay-at-home mom), but it does give good instructions.
Days 1-4: On Day 1 I didn't think I would continue, but wanted to give it a fair chance, and day 2 changed my mind. I felt very stretched and awake after exercising. Day 3 introduced 'leg over,' which I am terrible at. But hopefully through practice, I'll become more limber! Overall, the exercises stretch me just enough to feel more limber without feeling sore all day. I feel good, and except for the 'leg over,' the exercises are great and I'm able to complete them.
Days 5-8: Here are the positions I now know: complete breath standing, chest expansion, triangle, knee and thigh stretch, simple twist, circular motion, lion, scalp exercise, back stretch, backward bend, modified head stand, cobra, leg over, complete breath, lotus. I'm able to do all the positions as shown except leg over. I'm still nowhere close to the image! Hopefully practice will make that one more successful. I also can't extend as much as she in the forward extreme position of chest expansion. Overall, good exercises. Each day is followed by 'thoughts for the day,' and there's a funny, dated bit about being a housewife and still deserving to spend time on yourself.
Days 9-12: Went on vacation, so missed about 5 days. Didn't seem to affect my ability to complete the exercises when I returned, however. New exercises learned in this section are: abdominal lifts, both standing and on all fours; side bend; locust; chest expansion with additional leg movements; cobra with additional turning movements; and head twist. I seem to have no trouble with any of these, though the abdominal lifts give me a case of the burps afterward, haha. And the locust is a bit difficult--I doubt I'm raising my legs that much. I remain unable to perform the full leg over exercise like last time, though my right leg is getting better (no change in left leg). The exercises in the next section look more intimidating!
I've returned! I practiced, at an abbreviated rate, all previous exercises to make sure I could still complete them. I seem to be performing exactly the same, despite many months having passed. I still can't manage the leg over!
Days 13-16: New exercises: Shoulder stand, plough, extended back stretch, extended backward bend, bow, rishi's posture, and bust exercise. I almost hurt myself doing the shoulder stand and plough, so I am not doing them. These just don't seem safe alone at home! I really like the back stretch exercises. The rishi's posture requires a lot of balancing on tiptoes. I'm not there yet, but I think with practice I should get better. The bust exercise also feels good. I definitely sit up straighter after these exercises!
Days 17-20: New Exercises: Neck Roll, Balance Posture, Dancer's Posture, Elbow-to-Knee, Side Raise. These are all great exercises. The days during this set focused on specific parts of the body for each day. This is problematic with my heart/BP problem, because I can't stay in the same position for too long. This is why I've always avoided yoga. I will have to combine the exercises on different days so I'm not stretching in the same posture in a single day. Other than that, the exercises are going well.
Days 21-24: New Exercises: Slow motion firming, Back Push-up, Posture Clasp, Leg Clasp, Alternating Leg Pull. Guess what, I can only do the last 2.
I am now ceasing these exercises, though only 4 days remain. It seems to be exacerbating my POTS, so yoga is not a good fit for me. However, I'll take a few of these exercises and incorporate them into my exercise routine. I'm sure for most people, this would be a great primer on yoga. It's dated (there's a constant assumption the reader is a stay-at-home mom), but it does give good instructions.
February 11, 2016
Don't really know when I started. Still using. Wore out one copy completely so bought another.
A easy, progressive plan that takes a month to get to a set of exercises that you then rotate for the rest of your life. OK, I've slid back several times and had to start over, but I do find they work for relaxing and focusing. Although there is some occasional drivel such as two pages each on "Yoga and the Housewife" and "The beautiful woman", it is mostly a realistic and usable practical guide if it is too difficult to get to classes.
A easy, progressive plan that takes a month to get to a set of exercises that you then rotate for the rest of your life. OK, I've slid back several times and had to start over, but I do find they work for relaxing and focusing. Although there is some occasional drivel such as two pages each on "Yoga and the Housewife" and "The beautiful woman", it is mostly a realistic and usable practical guide if it is too difficult to get to classes.
February 1, 2014
Just re-read and followed through the 28 day program in this VERY old book (1970's). Despite the fact that it is filled with sadly dated advise to the "housewife" and despite the fact that the author seemed a bit too keen on describing "female beauty," I'm still giving this one 5 stars because I love the yoga program in it. It is much less focused on downward dogs than so many more recent books, and has a very balanced program. It also suggests a continuous movement flow ending to each routine that feels really good. Great routine, nice slow build up to the final life-practices routines. Just a great book.
February 10, 2014
This is the only book I still own from my middle-school years. My dear mother read aloud each day's lesson and 'thoughts' for 28 days as I listened and followed along with the breathing and postures. I recently reread it and it's amazingly still great. He talks about self-esteem, inner beauty, life-force, hormones and glands, meditation, the whole gammit!
It brings back fond, sweet memories of time spent with my mother during those rough middle-school years.
Highly recommend--just look past the "housewife" term or get some 70s pop culture from some of the terms and the pictures :)
It brings back fond, sweet memories of time spent with my mother during those rough middle-school years.
Highly recommend--just look past the "housewife" term or get some 70s pop culture from some of the terms and the pictures :)
July 27, 2009
This is a great beginning yoga book. My absolute favorite. I was able to do a head stand after only 28 days of practice which is amazing considering my head stand phobia, lol. I liked the way each day was structured including a little blurb about yoga/meditation, detailed instruction, and a fluid dance-like yoga routine at the end. The only down side is that you are supposed to do 28 consecutive days.
June 5, 2015
This is the book I learned Yoga from in the 90's. It was "out of date" then as far as clothing and semantics, but I still like it better than the "flow" type yoga so prevalent today. This book focuses on postures, although there is also a part of the daily practice where a flow from one posture to the next is done. I also got a lot out of practicing on my own because I could do it at my own pace and spend as much time with each movement as necessary without feeling like I was getting behind.
July 22, 2023
Easy to follow, step by step guide to developing a daily yoga practice. Begins with simple poses, progressing to more challenging sequences of poses over the 28 days with periodic reviews.
Good companion to the PBS series of the 1960s, and the audio recordings.
Early introduction of daily, home Hatha yoga practice to western practioners.
Highly recommend.
Good companion to the PBS series of the 1960s, and the audio recordings.
Early introduction of daily, home Hatha yoga practice to western practioners.
Highly recommend.
January 12, 2022
A bit dated In it’s examples (flexibility can help a woman with her house cleaning- lol) but still one of the best yoga books for beginners. It is easy to follow and has step by step pictures. Highly recommended.
July 12, 2014
Loved the Plough!
October 6, 2017
Recently I was hindered in my Yoga practice with a wrist pain that didn't go away for over a month. I picked up this book and it was perfect to follow along at the time because pretty much all of the poses kept me off my wrist which was exactly what I needed at that time. Once my wrist healed up however, I was ready to jump back into my normal practice so I ended up just reading through the last 9 days of the book.
I think that this book is a good one for someone looking for a practice that follows a select few poses (in this case 38) and just following that one book. I think that the book was good and it was exactly what I needed to let my wrist heal. But, once my wrist was better I craved my typical practice. I think this practice is more based on ballet or dance of some type and so there are no sun salutations etc. It's an interesting book.
At the end of each day there are little comments/things to think about for that day and I have to say that some of them are pretty dated, but others do make a good point.
Overall, I quite liked this book but I prefer other methods of Yoga to this one specifically.
I think that this book is a good one for someone looking for a practice that follows a select few poses (in this case 38) and just following that one book. I think that the book was good and it was exactly what I needed to let my wrist heal. But, once my wrist was better I craved my typical practice. I think this practice is more based on ballet or dance of some type and so there are no sun salutations etc. It's an interesting book.
At the end of each day there are little comments/things to think about for that day and I have to say that some of them are pretty dated, but others do make a good point.
Overall, I quite liked this book but I prefer other methods of Yoga to this one specifically.
Want to Read
September 18, 2020I have done this book yoga 28 day plan ,in end life time program is excellent,one can live life time on in ,I did it when I was 20 years old now I 65 years ,I have done this exercise for 10 years,and I was in extreme form of yoga,but due some family iussue I discontinued,but now I don't have any problem,I want to start again I live in Pakistan can't fine the book here I am not reach man to important from USA ,I request the writer to send me free of charge ,only life time exsacise plan which is in book of 28 days yoga exicese plan,last pages which for 3 days then rest one day ,then again start ,this routine is for life time plz help Regards
lt.cdr Syed shazad Mahmud
Islamabad
Pakistan
My e mail is lt.cdrshazadmahmud@yahoo.com
lt.cdr Syed shazad Mahmud
Islamabad
Pakistan
My e mail is lt.cdrshazadmahmud@yahoo.com
February 27, 2019
Made it through the book for the second time. I can’t speak for the quality of the yoga practices over other methods, as this is the only one I’ve tried. What I can say is that my body is the least flexible of anybody’s I know. A physical therapist friend of ours, with a PhD, said my body is not the “worst” she’s ever seen. I’m not sure that helps me feel any better—haha.
November 15, 2023
Bought this book in the 70's , I did the 28 days plan and have used the book most weeks since.
I am now in my mid 70's and do Hittleman's yoga every other morning (except Sunday and except for the head stand now!!).
It has kept me so supple, if I miss a week for some reason I really know about it.
Great little book that has made a big difference to my life.
I am now in my mid 70's and do Hittleman's yoga every other morning (except Sunday and except for the head stand now!!).
It has kept me so supple, if I miss a week for some reason I really know about it.
Great little book that has made a big difference to my life.
September 2, 2019
Excellent Yoga Reference Book and also simple enough to help learn yoga on your own. After his 28 day plan, you will be "hooked" on yoga for life. Whenever I get out of habit, for whatever reason, this is my go-to book to get started again.
August 18, 2018
This is the book I've been looking for. I need to read this book.
March 1, 2019
Great beginners book for starting a course in Yoga. I've used this book for years, and bought copies for friends.
March 5, 2020
It's an old book now but still great for beginners onwards.
January 25, 2021
Want buy this book how can I get it excellent book for health did this execise for 30 now I want to start again can't find plz I'm want buy live in pakistan
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
My go-to guide to home yoga.
January 18, 2024
Awesome little book Have been using it since the eighties What a difference it has made I am a fit healthy 70 year old
November 26, 2015
Finally I completed it and mind you, its not the one to just read over, you have to practice alongside. I am really proud of myself for completing the 28 days practice diligently and I owe this book the full credit. The sequence , the number of poses to be done in a day, the counts and the laps- all have been designed with good amount of thought.I could see the difference in my body's response and I am very positive about following the routines at the end of the book for my daily practice.
An interesting thing, how did I come to know about this old book, when market is flooded with so many latest ones. I had started reading through the book "Don't sweat the small stuff" , and I came across the name of this book in that one. DSTSS is another great book, but again that can't be just read like another novel or self help book. Each chapter requires implementing the thoughts in your life, and that is why I haven't been able to complete it yet.
An interesting thing, how did I come to know about this old book, when market is flooded with so many latest ones. I had started reading through the book "Don't sweat the small stuff" , and I came across the name of this book in that one. DSTSS is another great book, but again that can't be just read like another novel or self help book. Each chapter requires implementing the thoughts in your life, and that is why I haven't been able to complete it yet.
December 18, 2015
I have practiced yoga for many years but found myself lacking the concentration and inclination needed for attending a class.
This book is a gem!
The excercises are paced well and well thought out - your body slowly but surely strenghtens and becomes more flexible with a ridiculously small amount of daily effort.
I'd recommend the book to anyone interested in yoga, even as a prep course before attending your first yoga class or going back to one after some downtime or a lenghty absence.
Certain exercises are a bit dated, but if you have a basic knowledge of yoga you should be able to modify them to better protect your joints.
I'd caution beginners to look the triangle pose up on the internet to avoid putting too much stress on the knees.
This book is a gem!
The excercises are paced well and well thought out - your body slowly but surely strenghtens and becomes more flexible with a ridiculously small amount of daily effort.
I'd recommend the book to anyone interested in yoga, even as a prep course before attending your first yoga class or going back to one after some downtime or a lenghty absence.
Certain exercises are a bit dated, but if you have a basic knowledge of yoga you should be able to modify them to better protect your joints.
I'd caution beginners to look the triangle pose up on the internet to avoid putting too much stress on the knees.
June 17, 2011
Well, I tried.
I really tried.
I did.
This book is a touch more like what we call Pilates than pure Yoga. It deconstructed Yoga into a series of exercises to make it more palatable to the extremely WASPy mainstream that weren't trendy enough to be hippies at the time. All of that chanting and carrying on with the breath of fire. So distasteful! As a result, it really sort of pulled the soul out of yoga.
However, as a pure exercise program, it's quite good. As I mentioned, it's more of a fusion of Pilates and Yoga, rather than JUST stretching.
I finally gave up. I was looking to read more deeply about the more spiritual side of yoga, rather than just an exercise book.
I really tried.
I did.
This book is a touch more like what we call Pilates than pure Yoga. It deconstructed Yoga into a series of exercises to make it more palatable to the extremely WASPy mainstream that weren't trendy enough to be hippies at the time. All of that chanting and carrying on with the breath of fire. So distasteful! As a result, it really sort of pulled the soul out of yoga.
However, as a pure exercise program, it's quite good. As I mentioned, it's more of a fusion of Pilates and Yoga, rather than JUST stretching.
I finally gave up. I was looking to read more deeply about the more spiritual side of yoga, rather than just an exercise book.
February 17, 2016
A pretty decent step-by-step yoga instruction manual from the 60s. My only complaint has always been that you can't have it open as you go, because it is the size of a regular paperback book.
I've always had the urge to slice the spine open and have the whole damn thing either scanned or spiral-bound or both.
That being said, this book was my introduction to yoga when I was a teenager, and I have found it useful now and then.
I've always had the urge to slice the spine open and have the whole damn thing either scanned or spiral-bound or both.
That being said, this book was my introduction to yoga when I was a teenager, and I have found it useful now and then.
June 24, 2016
Good book for starting yoga. I like that it give you a day by day plan of what to do, and it has lots of pictures. It also teaches you how to meditate, how to made changes what will help you heal your body and become the best you. Everyday has a thought for the day. There is a plan for the rest of your life to follow. The more you do the exercises the easier they become and the strong you become.
August 13, 2007
i never seen such an exact book, it has a plan for every part of your body and when you finish the 28 period you feel different and every body understand that you are not similar to your past , you will be more energetic every exercise is simple except standing on your head that was a bit difficult for me
good luck !
good luck !
January 13, 2013
I found a first edition (1969) paperback outside on the sidewalk while walking home one day early last spring. I love yoga but do not practice regularly. I think I would like to. I think I start this new year. And I think this adorable timeless little book from my favorite year in history will help me get into a routine.
Thank New York streets.
Thank New York streets.
August 2, 2015
I really enjoyed getting back into stretching & basic Yoga positioning with the help of this book. While the script that accompanies the daily routines is quite dated, it is possible to glean thoughtful information from what is presented. I plan to continue with my practice daily - will avoid head stands, however! Looking forward to returning to my Yoga teacher for a group session.
February 25, 2010
This is my all time favorite yoga book ever! It is amazing how in 28 days you can do full yoga postures...and not even notice the strain as you get there. I love it! This yoga made me feel so flexible and healthy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews