Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body Yoga

by Emily Slonina

This encouraging guide introduces the spiritual and physical benefits of yoga and explains how readers can learn to work with their own body type to perform postures safely and effectively. Sections include Chair Yoga, Bed Yoga, Travel Yoga, Office Yoga, and Anywhere Yoga. Each chapter features step-by-step instructions and clear, corresponding illustrations. In every picture, the moves are performed by regular yoga practitioners and not intimidating masters. For people with physical limitations or illnesses, the book focuses on stretching, pain prevention and reduction, relieving stress, and helping with symptoms of sickness. The postures work out every part of the body, and the book also features exercises that can be done in comfortable positions with many simpler alternatives. For frequent travelers there are stretches to relieve commuter stress, keep flexible, and prevent blood clots, jet lag, and anxiety. With no acrobatics needed, these postures can be done anywhere, from standing in line to watching TV.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Debbie]

This book is titled as A Practical Guide to using Yoga in everyday life. After reading through it, I would have to agree. The author is said (on the back cover) to be a Certified hatha yoga instructor and a laughter yoga leader (what ever those are) but in this book, she takes most of the mystery out of yoga. Not only is there straight forward, easy to read and follow instructions on each position / pose, there are some great pictures of real people that help to encourage the use of variations of each pose depending on your sense of balance, strength, flexibility or even whether you can stand or not. Each and every position / pose in yoga is geared to a goal, that is another mystery of yoga that this book addresses. With the help of Emily Slonina, it is easy to determine which of the poses will be most beneficial, whether it be for aches and pains or tension relief. In this book, the guess work has been taken out of it, each and every pose has a benefit and most have a brief comprehensible description of how and why it helps. Some of the variations shown are sometimes a classical yoga pose for the more advanced or agile body. Some show a more typical office worker and how they might incorporate yoga as a way of managing at the office. There are poses that include house work, leisure play and even some of the variations include the addition of another person. There are tips in on when and where some of these poses might benefit a person the most. All of these are written in a way that is easy to follow and easy to accomplish Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body - it really does live up to it’s name.

[Sharon M Bressen]

Anywhere, Anytime, Any Body Yoga
By Emily Slonina

I received this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for a review.

After reading this practical guide to using yoga in everyday life, I am convinced that yoga should be taught in our schools at an early age. Why wait until we are older and more fearful of tiring this form of exercise.

The author outlines the principles of yoga in a very clear method using words and pictures to show that everyone no matter what shape, size or age can reap so many benefits by exercising their muscles and learning to relax.

This is a great guide to starting an exercising program at any stage of your life. Some poses have been modified to allow everyone to participate. Easy to follow and can be used at work, sitting at a computer, in nursing homes or any other place that just has a chair.

If you want to read about a book that can help you with the every day stresses and staying limber, then please read this book.

[Arachne8x]

In doing research on yoga for the office I came upon this book.

This is an outstanding resource for anyone who is nervous about starting yoga due to age, physical fitness, disability etc, and I think even seasoned yogis can get something out of it.

Each pose is shown with a variation to be done sitting, with aids to make the pose easier, and the traditional form of the pose. The models for the book are not the typical models we are used to seeing in yoga materials - elderly, overweight, disabled - they represent an often forgotten segment of yogis. For many of these people their experience with yoga has been the same as mine, it is a practice that has given them health and mobility no one ever thought they'd regain.

I'm thrilled to have this resource to use for when I'm trying to remember how a pose is supposed to go, or trying to recommend a variation to someone to try.

The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that I'm not a trained yoga instructor, nor a physical therapist. It may be that some of the pose descriptions are risky ways of doing the poses - but I doubt it.

[Mark]

I received this book for free via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. The following is the review I posted at LT for it:

This is an excellent book for beginning yoga, particularly for older people and people with restricted physical movement.

It manages to refrain from both jargon and issues of spirituality. The photographs and the instructions are clear and helpful. Most exercises are described using a chair for support and many also are described without using the chair. Thus, many of these are quite useful as a break from work while sitting at your desk.

The benefits of each exercise are clearly spelled out without overstating the case.

I would recommend this book to anyone considering yoga but either turned off by its spiritual aspects or only wanting the physical aspects, and especially for older persons or the physically-challenged.

[Lynn]

If you are starting an exercise program and don't like the idea of attending a yoga class, this is a great book. Most of the exercises have been mofidied for different abilities, including those in a wheelchair. I have lived with the book for the past week and the exercises can be done at work (those conference calls), especially the yoga for fingers, hands, and wrists. There is even yoga for the eyes. Sa-Ta-Na-Ma exercise is very calming. Starting out your day with stretching and breathing equals more energy.

[Laura]

G checked it out of Murray library for me. Love all the pictures of real people (usually new to yoga) with ideas on how to get the benefit of yoga while still accommodating a body that doesn't wish to become a pretzel or has balance issues. Will check out again when I can start yoga again & take to practice for the leader to look at too.

[Sarah]

Yoga for every body! So accessible with photos of many variations per pose. I used it to design a chair yoga class for beginners.

[Lu Ann Pannunzio]

An informative read for new and experienced yogis. The author shows that yoga does not have to be intimidating and that it is meant for anyone. The simple guide helps you see what you can start adding to your yoga practice while working at your desk, watching tv, travelling, etc. You don't have to have a yoga studio membership! I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for some help in starting yoga.

[Judy]

The author offers an easy intro to yoga that literally opens it up to everyone. Although I would have liked it to have touched more on the spiritual aspects of this practice, I got some great ideas from the book about breathing and stretches.

[Lisa]

If you are a yoga teacher, this is a good book for you to skim. It shows how people with limited mobility can modify yoga poses. There is also some quick poses and exercises that people with desk jobs can do to lower their stress levels and decrease body aches that come from sitting still too long. I got it from the library. I do not recommend purchasing it because all you will need is one quick read.

[Jessi Waugh]

This is a chair yoga book.