YogaNap: Restorative Poses for Deep Relaxation

I love this book! A friend recommended it to me, because of my stressful schedule, and it has helped me so much. I started incorporating a couple of Kristen's exercises in my day and the tension in my neck is starting to go away. It is amazing how I feel immediate benefits when I stop running around for ONE minute and simply bend over and breathe. I do yoga on a regular basis, but these exercises have helped me to blend more peace and relaxation into my work day. I find myself doing half dog on my desk, twisting when I get in my car, and taking slow beautiful breaths in traffic. These fun and simple exercises really help me go through my day with more awareness and joy. I am buying this book for everyone I know this holiday. It is perfect to give with some PJ's or a relaxation mix cd!

I've come to the realization that with age and work comes stress...mind-numbing, balled-up-muscles, backaches, headaches...stress. Desperate to find relief in any fashion I came across "YogaNap." The author, Kirsten Rentz, has done a great job at explaining positions in true "Yoga for Idiots" fashion (aka: simply). The illustrations (softly done in blues, and greens) go one step further in making the whole process as easy as pie (mmmmm, pie). Anyway, the poses are a perfect way to end a long (mind-numbing, balled-up-muscles, backaches, headaches) stressful kind of day. Thanks Kirsten!!

The perfect gift for the busy professional who needs to slow down, the stressed-out student, and every person who has avoided yoga due to fear of hot rooms and sore muscles, YogaNap is a fun and unintimidating introduction to the oft-ignored practice of restorative yoga. Restorative yoga is about de-stressing and healing in lieu of exerting and hurting, and YogaNap captures the spirit of this practice well. The book is organized into chapters based on common physical ailments (such as sleeplessness and back aches), but the reader need not be ailing to benefit from the sleepy asanas and well-supported poses. Anyone who feels that the world sometimes moves a little too fast or feels stress building in their bones will find poses in the book to slow life down a bit and soothe those sweet spots. The style of the book reflects the author's dual career as a yoga instructor and no-nonsense lawyer with crisp writing and clear instructions that avoid the mumbo-jumbo tending to plague other popular yoga books nowadays (as a lawyer myself (and aspiring yogi), I appreciate the author's straight-forward style), while the book's cute illustrations will inspire you to crawl into some polka-dot pajamas and yoganap for a while.

this is a lovely book by someone who is practicing what they write ;-) it is very easy to understand and empathetic to today's work schedules. the drawings are wonderful and very helpful! i can't wait to give this book as my standard gift this holiday.