Yoga for Real People: A Year of Classes

For anyone intimidated by crowded yoga classes, complicated textbooks, headstands, or simply touching their toes, Yoga for Real People offers a year of classes that progress from beginning to intermediate to advanced levels of practice. A down-to-earth guide for yoga teachers and students alike, this book is illustrated throughout with more than 160 photographs correctly demonstrating 100 poses. Each lesson begins with a discussion of an important yogic concept, before presenting a posture to build flexibility and strength, followed by a meditation to inspire mental relaxation and spiritual growth. As students build a routine, they learn to first "do" the postures, then "experience" the postures, and finally "become" the postures. The appendix includes a complete list of the postures along with a helpful summary of the benefits. Jan Baker's gentle and encouraging style teaches readers how to listen to their bodies, how to stretch without strain, and, most of all, how to find joy in all things. As she writes in the introduction, "If you want to live longer, be healthier, more peaceful - yoga has the answer. How long does it take to accomplish this? That's up to you."