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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.

The practice of ‘Yoga” which originated in India more than two thousand years ago was little known to the Western world until recent times. In the past few years there has been a renewal of interest in Yoga in the land of its origin and the reported and much publicised benefits of Yoga for physical health and mental peace have attracted many in the present day stressed out world. Numerous yoga practitioners have been seen spreading their wings in advanced countries like U.S.A. and trying to teach different versions of yoga – needless to say that commercialisation of any skill has become part of today’s money-centered world and there is no dearth of gullible public ready to hang on to any magical mantras which they believe will give them health and peace. There are, however, a few who sincerely try to pass on to the general public the knowledge and wisdom of the sages of the past in the matter of physical fitness, mental well-being and spiritual advancement through the medium of ‘Yoga’.
Among the few purists in the field of yoga as enunciated by the sage ‘Patanjali’ in India 2200 years ago, B.K.S. Iyengar stands out as the real stalwart. In his book “Light on Life” (published in 2005) we can clearly see that he practiced, taught and wrote on the principles, philosophy and physical practice of Patanjali’s original teachings with unalloyed purity, stressing the aliveness and relevance of this philosophy and practice to the modern world.
Iyenger has always practiced what he preached. The story of his own yogic journey from a weak and sickly child to a master of yoga and a yogi in a very real sense, is indeed impressive. Time and again he stresses the need for a wholesome yoga practice (as opposed to a mechanical physical exercise) where every part of our body, every cell is consciously involved in the ‘asanas’ performed; where the physical fitness is not the only purpose, and where our mind, body and soul are all in unison. Yoga has to be also a kind of meditation. This indeed was the underlying philosophy of ‘yoga’ (meaning ‘union’) as originally developed by the Indian sages.
Going into the basics of the meaning and philosophy of yoga, he has explained in his own inimitable style the external and internal components which combine to make a unique human being and how to go about achieving the goal of final union with the soul energy. Iyengar then very lucidly explains how to methodically translate this goal into practical action by learning to live in the natural world, strving at the same time to progress step by step towards the higher goal.
Iyengar not only emphasizes the benefits of yoga practices but also tells us how to find joy in their performance. The perfectionist that he is, he enjoyed teaching others too the aesthetics of yoga practices. No wonder, therefore, that the BBC Television once hailed him as “The Michelangelo of Yoga”.

This is a book of immense benefits for the beginners and serious practitioners of Yoga.

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Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting is written for teachers and serious students who want to understand hands-on help in class. That makes it more specialized than a beginner’s general yoga guide. Its focus is not simply on doing the poses yourself, but on how one person can support another safely and clearly.

What does the book include?

The description says the book demonstrates adjustment and assisting techniques for more than 65 postures and includes a generous number of photos. It also says the book discusses some of the more sensitive issues that come up between yoga teachers and students, which is important because physical adjustments are never just mechanical.

Why do adjustments need care?

Touch can be useful, but only when it is wanted and appropriate. A good adjustment depends on consent, communication, and awareness of injuries or limitations. Students should feel comfortable saying no to hands-on assistance, and teachers should be ready to offer a verbal cue, a prop, or a demonstration instead. That is part of good teaching, not a lesser option.

What do reputable sources say about yoga safety?

The NCCIH yoga overview notes that yoga is generally safe when done properly, but sprains and strains can happen. It also advises people to ask about an instructor’s training and to modify practice if they have medical conditions. A book like this may help a teacher think more carefully about alignment, but it cannot replace supervised practice, experience, and ethical judgment in a real class.

Who is this best for?

This one is especially useful for teacher trainees, instructors, and students who like to work in pairs or who want a deeper sense of how posture assistance works. Readers looking for a simple home yoga routine may prefer a more general guide.

Related on Veggie-Blog: What Is Yoga? and Yoga Videos Are Not All Equal: How to Pick One That Loosens Tight Muscles.

Book: Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting by Stephanie Pappas
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Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the only modern authoritative source that correlates the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. Hatha yoga is comprised of stretching, strengthening and breathing exercises in upright, lying down and inverted postures. Yoga teachers and students, personal trainers, medical therapists, or anyone who is curious or troubled about how the body responds to stretching and exercise will find in this book a cornucopia — partly new and partly old — of readable and reliable information. It was written and edited to meet the needs of a general audience largely unschooled in the biomechanical sciences, and yet to attract and challenge the interests of the medical profession. This book features 230 black and white photographs and more than 120 diagrams and anatomical illustrations.

H. David Coulter received a Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in 1968. Dr. Coulter has been practicing yoga since 1974. He was initiated by Swami Veda, trained under Swami Rama and studied under Pandit Rajmani Tigunait at the Himalayan Institute since 1988.

Book: Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H. David Coulter
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The old version of this post said that the poses of yoga have long been used as a foundation for athletic training, and that videos now exist for everyone from Olympic athletes to people who want “blissful relaxation.” It promised a look at four yoga tapes and then reviewed only two. Those two reviews are about workouts from the VHS and early DVD era, so I have kept their lessons and added what today’s research says about learning yoga on your own.

What do you need to start?

The old post says all you need is comfortable clothes and a non-skid surface such as a sticky mat. That still holds. Cleveland Clinic’s guide to yoga props agrees that a mat helps stop you from slipping, and a blanket or a towel can stand in for other props. If you are new to yoga, our guide to warming up, breathing and listening to your body is a good first read.

What was the “boot camp” video like?

The first video was an 85-minute power yoga class led by a Los Angeles teacher, with 13 students working through continuous movement meant to build strength and endurance. It had a five-minute introduction to basic poses, but the reviewer said the rest of the class was extremely hard for anyone who is not very fit, and that the teacher paid little attention to the beginner struggling at the back of the class. The reviewer’s test was blunt: unless you can do push-ups, balance on one leg without difficulty and have a strong core, pick an easier video. That is a useful self-check, though I would add that you should stop whenever you feel pain, sharp strain or dizziness.

What made the second video work better?

The second video was a 55-minute strength-and-endurance class in the Yoga Zone series, led by Lisa Bennett, and it followed one beginner and one more advanced student. The reviewer liked that the teacher spent time showing the beginner modified versions of the poses so she could finish every section, and that veterans could learn from the harder options. She also praised the teacher’s clear descriptions of good form, down to the angle of a bent knee and the direction of an extended arm, and her calm, encouraging manner. Those three things (modifications, form cues and a calm teacher) are what to look for in any video.

Are videos as safe as a class?

Not always. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that yoga is generally safe for healthy people when it is done properly under the guidance of a qualified instructor, and that learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks. The most common injuries are sprains and strains. Older adults, pregnant women and people with conditions such as knee or hip injuries, severe high blood pressure or glaucoma should talk with a health care provider first. If you choose a video, start with a beginner session, follow the modified versions and avoid extreme moves such as headstands until a live teacher has checked your form.

How hard should a workout be?

The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines count active forms of yoga, such as vinyasa or power yoga, as moderate-intensity activity, and recommend that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days. A gentler, more meditative style such as hatha is a better fit if you want relaxation. The video linked at the end of this post is a beginner-level yoga video. For a longer discussion, read our posts on choosing a yoga video for beginners and yoga videos that loosen tight muscles; our guide to the posture basics explains the poses that videos use.

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