"Book" Review: Women's Health Ultimate Yoga Guide

While recently shopping at the grocery store (of all places!), I happened to walk down the aisle that sells books and magazines. I love a good trashy mag now and then - you know, the ones that love to scream "Kate's pregnant!  It's Twins!!"...and when you turn to the article on the inside, hoping to sneak a peek of her baby bump, they explain how an "inside source" heard the Duchess mumble something about the Olsen twins' latest clothing line after a pregnant pause in the conversation.  Anyway, while perusing the offerings, my eye spied this magazine!

Women's Health Ultimate Yoga Guide is actually a Special Issue - free of advertisements (hence the shocking cover price of $9.99) and full of helpful yoga tips.  BTW, I consider Women's Health to be only slightly above the "trashy magazine" designation.  "Boost your Sex Life with Yoga!"?!?  Uhm...

The Book-a-zine is divided into 5 Parts, a few chapters in each.  Part 1 discusses Yoga Basics - where to begin if you are new to yoga, what is the best style of yoga for you, and how to start a home practice.  One of the more helpful chapters, (Chapter 2:  Breakthrough Poses), features Seane Corn outlining proper alignment for 3 key yoga postures that will take your practice to the next level.  I found her descriptions helpful - especially since I need to know these postures inside and out as a fledgling yoga teacher.

Part 2 is "Bend for your Best Body", and features sequences designed to target your trouble areas.  Celebrity instructor Tara Stiles creates a sequence to sculpt a "leaner, hotter body", Lara Rosenbaum helps whittle your middle, and Kristen Dollard suggests practices to increase flexibility.  The chapter ends with some quick (15 minute) sequences you can do when pressed for time.  Something is better than nothing!

Part 3 is "Strength in a Pose", and the various chapters give guidance on postures to target specific goals.  If you are a weight lifter, certain yoga postures can increase your range of motion, as stiffness can result as your muscles tighten and strengthen.  Certain postures can help stretch you out after a run, and dare I say, improve your performance.  There is a chapter on demystifying and conquering uber-challenging postures (HANDstand, anyone?).

Part 4 is "Bliss Out", which taps into the benefits of the breathwork you'll be doing on your mat.  It addresses the stress-reducing aspects that a regular yoga practice brings.  Part 5 is the shortest section, entitled "Light Bites", and gives recipes for healthier fare.  Their term is "Slim, Calm, Sexy Food".  Uhm...

Pros:  I like the fact that Women's Health has consulted with actual yoga instructors to provide the "meat and potatoes" of the yoga postures and mini practices.  They talk about the need to start slowly and work your way up to more challenging postures - basically "build your practice" - and they walk you through it.  There are so few advertisements in the magazine that it does feel like a helpful manual.  I am a food magazine junkie, so the last section of the book is helpful, too.

Cons:  The publication seems to be geared heavily towards single women - but I can always pretend my children and husband don't exist as I work my way through the sequences.  Their insistence of "Frying Fat" on the mat is a bit far-fetched.  I do work up a sweat on occasion, but not on a regular basis.  Maybe I'm taking the wrong kinds of yoga classes (let me clarify for the record that the sweat you work up in Bikram or Hot Yoga comes from the heat in the room, not necessarily from your practice)!  I also take issue with the fact that they don't really offer up enough cautionary advice when it comes to the advanced postures.  King Dancer and Handstand are probably best practiced under the trained eye of a teacher who can support and comment on your alignment, rather than from a picture and one paragraph instruction in a magazine.  Finally, the appearance of the word "Sexy" is almost as frequent as the word "Yoga"...again, probably a testament to the fact that I am not their core audience.  I'm not saying that I don't want to be sexy or am repulsed by it, but it's not what my yoga is for me.  They seem to have forgotten that yoga is for EVERYbody - men, too!  I don't see a guy buying this magazine.

It looks like I have more Cons than Pros, but actually, I think this is a helpful little manual.  It's great for the person woman who doesn't have many books or magazines on yoga, who may be contemplating starting a practice and wants to learn some basics at home before trying out a studio class.  I don't necessarily think you are going to melt fat and sculpt muscle any time soon - those sort of results come with the integration of cardio into many, many years of yoga practice.  I've been practicing for 8 years, and I'd hardly venture to say I'm "sculpted".  I am flexible, and I feel more at ease with myself, and I'm super happy that yoga has offered that to me!

The Women's Health Ultimate Yoga Guide is published by Rodale and is available on newstands until December. ($9.99)