27 Things to know about yoga

"Put aside your preconceived notions and give yoga a chance to make a positive difference in your life"
                                --excerpt from Victoria Klein's 27 Things to Know About Yoga

Yoga can be intimidating. When I first started practicing, I had no clue about the breadth and depth of yoga. I didn't know the difference between Kundalini and Karma. And don't even get me started on Sanskrit and yoga class etiquette. I actually avoided attending a yoga class until I had a few months of practicing to DVD's under my belt. When I signed up for my very first yoga workshop, I found myself worrying about keeping up. Yep, the world of yoga was vast and uncharted back then and I had to go it alone.

Luckily, that's not the case any longer. If you or someone you know is new to yoga, creative diva and yoga practitioner Victoria Klein has written the Cliff Notes of yoga to help you "make sense of all the yoga hype" -- 27 Things To Know About Yoga.  The book is short, sweet, and banishes the intimidation factor with its straightforward style and concise informative content.

What I love about this book is that it makes yoga approachable to the beginner without overwhelming him/her with information. The book starts with what you'd expect -- a definition of yoga as well as a listing of the different styles of yoga. From there it offers a solid foundation for any yoga beginner by including the following information: Sanskrit basics, benefits of a regular yoga practice, tips for avoiding injury during yoga practice, finding a teacher and starting a regular yoga practice, yoga class etiquette, money saving suggestions, yoga philosophy highlights and a fairly substantial resource list that includes online yoga classes, books, magazines, blogs, and teacher training programs.

Hmmm...I could have used a book like this 12 years ago when I first dipped my toe in the yoga pool. Still, if I'd had such a detailed map, then perhaps I wouldn't have taken all of those fun detours along my yoga journey and that would have been a shame.

For those of you who are looking for a more direct route to yoga-land, I recommend 27 Things to Know About Yoga. It offers all of the basics while whetting your appetite for more. Besides, who wouldn't love a book that has a chapter entitled Understanding the Significance of Savasana?