Veggie Blog

In Tales from the Yoga Studio, Rain Mitchell turns a neighbourhood yoga studio into the setting for a story about friendship, ambition and the complicated choices that shape adult life. Despite the yoga in its title, this is a novel, not an instructional guide. Its appeal is the people who meet on their mats, not a promise to improve anyone’s flexibility.

What happens in the novel?

Lee runs a welcoming studio in Los Angeles’s Silver Lake neighbourhood, where a circle of women have found something more than an exercise class. When an expanding chain of yoga centres offers Lee a potentially lucrative opportunity, she has to consider what success would mean for the business and the community she has built.

The publisher describes the novel as following five women at turning points in their lives. The situation gives the story a recognisable tension: a bigger career opportunity may be attractive, but it may also change the place where friendships took root.

Is this a yoga book for beginners?

It is beginner-friendly in a different sense: you do not need to know poses or Sanskrit terms to follow the plot. Readers looking for a yoga workout, breathing instructions or an anatomy reference should choose a practical guide instead. This is women’s fiction with yoga as its shared setting.

What makes the setting interesting?

A yoga class brings together people who might otherwise never meet. The practice can be solitary, but the studio can also offer ritual, familiarity and connection. Mitchell uses that contrast to explore how everyday relationships develop and what happens when the place holding them together may change.

The book is likely to appeal to people who enjoy character-driven stories about work, friendship and community. Those who prefer action-heavy fiction may find its focus on ordinary decisions less compelling.

Is Tales from the Yoga Studio still available?

Yes. The publisher, Penguin Random House, currently lists both paperback and e-book formats. As with any older title, prices and formats can differ by retailer and country. You can also read the publisher’s description and edition details before choosing a copy.

Who might enjoy it?

If you like novels in which a particular place becomes almost another character, this is worth considering. The yoga studio brings the women together, but the friendship, uncertainty and compromises are what drive the story forward.

Related on Veggie-Blog: A Short History of Yoga.

Book: Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

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The seven chakras

What are chakras?

The word chakra is Sanskrit for “wheel” or “disc”. In yoga, Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism, chakras are described as energy centers in the body, lined up along the spine from its base to the crown of the head. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes them as focal points where psychic forces and bodily functions meet. They belong to a spiritual tradition and are not organs that you can see on a scan. Some texts speak of thousands of chakras, but seven main ones get most of the attention in modern yoga.

Each chakra is linked to an area of the body, a set of emotional and behavioral themes, a color and many other qualities, such as identity, goals and rights. Colors and meanings differ a little between traditions, and the rainbow scheme is the one most common today.

The lower chakras: root, sacral and solar plexus

Muladhara, the root chakra, is at the base of the spine. It is linked to stability, security and survival, and its color is usually red.

Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra, is in the lower abdomen, the pelvic area and the lower back and hips. It is linked to emotions, creativity and pleasure, and is usually shown in orange.

Manipura, the solar plexus chakra, is in the upper abdomen. It is linked to confidence, willpower and personal power, and is usually yellow.

The upper chakras: heart, throat, brow and crown

Anahata, the heart chakra, is at the center of the chest. It is linked to love, compassion and connection with others, and is usually green.

Vishuddha, the throat chakra, is in the throat. It is linked to communication and self-expression, and is usually blue.

Ajna, the brow chakra, sits between the eyebrows and is often called the third eye. It is linked to intuition and insight, and is usually indigo.

Sahasrara, the crown chakra, is at the top of the head. It is linked to spiritual awareness and a sense of connection with something larger than yourself, and is usually violet or white.

What is kundalini?

In the tradition, a spiritual energy called kundalini lies dormant at the base of the spine, in the root chakra. It is often pictured as a coiled snake. Yogic practices aim to raise it step by step through the chakras until it reaches the crown, which is the stage of self-illumination. The chakras are described as valves or pumps that regulate the flow of this energy through your system.

How does yoga come into it?

Teachers of this tradition say that the movements, postures and breathing of yoga, together with meditation, can help you focus on each center in turn and bring a sense of balance to your mind, body and spirit. These are traditional beliefs, and there is no scientific proof that chakras exist as physical structures. You can read more about how people work with them, and what research says, in our companion post on chakras and yoga. If you are new to yoga, start with our post on what yoga is and learn about the history in the origins of yoga.

The seven chakras

The No OM Zone is pitched at readers who are curious about yoga but turned off by what they see as the intimidating or overly mystical side of it. That is the book’s main appeal: it tries to present yoga as practical, welcoming, and compatible with an everyday fitness routine.

Who is it for?

According to the description, the book is meant for people who are uncomfortable with chanting, Sanskrit terms, or the image of yoga as a niche lifestyle. It aims to welcome newcomers and make the practice feel less mysterious. That can be a real advantage for readers who would rather start with clear explanations than with studio culture.

What does the book cover?

The book description emphasizes approachable workouts and basic information about yoga. Publisher material for the title also highlights benefits such as posture, energy, injury prevention, breath work, meditation, and poses that target different muscle groups. Taken together, that suggests a broad beginner-friendly guide rather than a narrow spiritual manual.

How does yoga fit into a broader exercise routine?

Yoga can complement other forms of movement instead of replacing them. The WHO physical activity fact sheet recommends regular aerobic activity along with muscle-strengthening work, while the NCCIH yoga overview describes yoga as a practice that can build flexibility, balance, and body awareness. For many people, that makes it a useful addition to walking, running, gym work, or cycling.

Why might this book appeal to beginners?

It lowers the psychological barrier. Not everyone connects with incense, chanting, or unfamiliar vocabulary, and that is fine. A book that says, in effect, “just get on the mat and begin” can be exactly what some readers need. If that sounds like you, this may be one of the more approachable yoga books to start with.

Related on Veggie-Blog: A Ten-Minute Yoga Routine for Low-Energy Days: Six Simple Moves and How to Choose a Yoga Video for Beginners (and What a Good One Teaches).

Book: The No OM Zone by Kimberly Fowler
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The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a photo of real people or an official book cover.

Cool Yoga Tricks is designed to make yoga feel less intimidating for people who are not naturally flexible. The description highlights the use of ordinary supports such as walls, chairs, and blankets, which is often exactly what helps beginners stick with yoga long enough to enjoy it.

Who is the book for?

This looks especially suitable for readers with “normal flexibility limitations,” to use the description’s phrase. That includes many people who feel stiff, cautious, or embarrassed about starting yoga in a traditional class setting. By using props and simpler variations, the book promises a more accessible doorway into practice.

Why are props helpful?

Props can make poses steadier and more comfortable. A chair can support balance, a wall can reduce fear in standing postures, and a folded blanket can make seated work easier on the hips and lower back. The Harvard Health overview of yoga notes that yoga should challenge you without overwhelming you, and props are one of the best ways to keep movement in that manageable range.

What claims should be read carefully?

The original description also includes broad claims about helping people heal conditions such as lupus, arthritis, asthma, and high blood pressure. Those claims should be treated as promotional language, not proof. The NCCIH yoga summary supports yoga as a practice that may help with general well-being and some musculoskeletal complaints, but it is not a cure-all and should not replace medical care.

Bottom line

If you want yoga made friendlier and more practical, this seems like a welcoming pick. Its biggest strength is the reminder that you do not need impressive flexibility to begin; you need patience, sensible adaptations, and a willingness to start where you are.

Related on Veggie-Blog: What Is Yoga? and Basic Yoga Postures and Their Variations: Cobra, Bow and Shooting Bow Step by Step.

Book: Cool Yoga Tricks by Miriam Austin
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The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a photo of real people or an official book cover.

Vitamins and your health

Can you get all your vitamins from food?

Most of us know that vitamins are part of a healthy, disease-free way of life. Vitamin products have also become far more specialized than they used to be, and many are aimed at particular parts of your body or your health. That does not mean everyone needs them. For most healthy people who eat a varied diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and dairy or fortified foods, food covers vitamin needs. Multivitamins cannot take the place of the variety of foods in a healthy diet, according to the US National Institutes of Health.

Supplements are meant to fill gaps, not to replace meals. The tricky part is knowing whether you have a gap.

Who may need a supplement?

Some people do find it hard to get what they need from food alone. This is more likely if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, have food allergies or other dietary restrictions, have a small appetite so that you feel full quickly, are an older adult, are pregnant, or have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs nutrients. Vitamin B12 is the best example for readers of this blog. It is found naturally in animal foods such as fish, meat, eggs and dairy products, but not in plant foods, so vegans in particular need fortified foods, such as some breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast, or a supplement. Adults need 2.4 micrograms a day, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

If you are not sure, ask your doctor. A simple blood test can show whether you are low in a vitamin, and our post on whether vegetarians need vitamin supplements covers more of the basics.

What do the main vitamins do?

B12 helps to keep your nerves and blood cells healthy. Many people think that it boosts energy, but the evidence shows that extra B12 only improves energy and performance if you were short of it to begin with. Vitamin A supports vision and the immune system. Vitamin C helps your body heal wounds and absorb iron, and you can read about it in our post on why you need vitamin C and where to find it. Vitamin D works with calcium to keep bones strong. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and our post on vitamin E explains what it does and how much you need. Taking more than you need does not give you extra health, and some vitamins can do harm in large doses.

What about selenium and colostrum?

Selenium is a mineral, not a vitamin. Adults need 55 micrograms a day, and most people in the United States get enough from food. People on vegetarian or vegan diets may have lower intakes, and Brazil nuts are particularly rich in it, so a few are enough. The upper limit is 400 micrograms a day, and chronic high intakes can cause hair and nail loss and other problems, which is why megadoses are a bad idea.

Colostrum, the first milk produced after birth, is sold as a supplement. It is not a vitamin, and studies in healthy adults have given limited and mixed results for immune support, so it is not something you need. The kind sold in supplements usually comes from cows, which matters if you are a vegan. Ask your doctor before adding it.

How do you decide?

Start with your diet, then talk to a doctor or pharmacist about anything you might be missing. If you do take a supplement, choose one that fits your age and needs, keep to the recommended amounts, and see our post on getting the right amount of vitamins. For tips on picking and using supplements, read our companion post on how to choose and use supplements wisely.