Veggie Blog

The original version of this article introduced Weight Loss – I’ll Show You How: Using the Tools of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation by Joanne Baker. The book links Kundalini yoga, breathing, meditation and eating habits to weight management. Its emphasis on changing routines, rather than chasing a dramatic short-term result, may interest readers who enjoy the reflective side of yoga.

What does Joanne Baker’s book propose?

The historical description outlines Kundalini exercises, breathing practices, meditations, mantras and practical dietary suggestions, together with lists of habits the author regards as helpful or unhelpful. It also makes bold claims about the glandular system, metabolism and weight loss. Those are the book’s promotional claims, not established medical facts. Yoga cannot guarantee that everyone will lose weight or prevent future weight gain.

What does the research say about yoga and weight?

According to the NCCIH summary of yoga research, some studies suggest yoga may contribute to modest weight reduction, particularly when it helps people become more physically active and develop sustainable eating habits. The evidence does not support a promise that breathing exercises alone will change someone’s hormones or reliably produce weight loss.

Body weight is influenced by many factors, including health conditions, medication, sleep, food environments and individual biology. The World Health Organization recommends individualized, long-term care rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. A yoga book can contribute to a routine, but it is not a replacement for nutrition support or medical treatment when these are needed.

A practical, gentler approach

Instead of treating yoga as a test of willpower, begin with sessions that suit your mobility and experience. Combine them with enjoyable movement, nutritious meals and adequate rest. It may also help to notice whether stress changes your eating habits, without turning every meal into a judgment about yourself.

Can you still buy the original book?

I could confirm that the title and its earlier Kindle edition exist, but not that the original edition is currently purchasable. As with any weight-loss book, assess its specific claims critically.

Book: Weight Loss – I’ll Show You How by Joanne Baker
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What can yoga possibly have to do with billiards? In The Yoga of Pool: Secrets to Becoming a Champion in Billiards and in Life, Paul Rodney Turner explores that unusual connection. His book is about the mental side of pool: focus, confidence, visualization and the habits that can make a player more consistent. It is not a manual for yoga poses, nor does it pretend that flexibility alone will improve your cueing.

The inner game of billiards

A good pool player needs more than a technically sound stroke. A crowded room, a missed shot or a tight match can interrupt concentration. Turner’s approach invites players to notice these reactions instead of letting frustration decide the next shot. The author’s own account links his years of billiards practice with time spent studying spiritual teachings in India. In the book, that experience becomes a framework for discussing composure and self-development.

What can readers expect?

On his official book page, Turner describes concise chapters about the ingredients of a good billiards game, including the practical use of visualization and mental management. This makes the book particularly relevant to regular pool players who already know basic mechanics but want to work on their match temperament.

Does visualization guarantee better performance?

No. Visualization can be one part of a practice routine, but it does not replace coaching, sound technique or hours at the table. Players can experiment with a simple pre-shot routine: check the line, settle their breathing, picture the intended contact and then commit to the stroke. Improvement still needs to be tested during actual games rather than assumed from a book’s claims.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains that relaxation techniques may help people manage stress. That supports the idea of learning to settle one’s nerves, but it does not establish that a particular pool method creates champions.

Is this book still available?

Yes. At the time of this review, the author offers The Yoga of Pool in digital and printed formats through his own store. That is a more reliable purchasing route to check than assuming a historical Amazon edition is still in stock.

Related on Veggie-Blog: Sports Fitness.

Book: The Yoga of Pool: Secrets to Becoming a Champion in Billiards and in Life by Paul Rodney Turner
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you)

From the creator of the bestselling “Office Yoga” comes the ultimate guide for harried travelers and commuters, with 50 tips and techniques for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Ease the aches, ease the pains, and ease on down the road. From the creator of the best-selling Office Yoga comes the ultimate guide for harried travelers and commuters. Taking the age-old practice of yoga and adapting it for our modern lives, author Darrin Zeer has compiled more than 50 techniques to help travelers relieve muscle tension, master the art of waiting, create hotel room harmony, blow off steam, and arrive revived. The removable guide in back is especially useful for frequent fliers, outlining stretches perfectly suited for small spaces. Packed with playful illustrations by Frank Montagna, Travel Yoga offers a host of techniques guaranteed to soften any landing.

Darrin Zeer spent seven years in Asia studying the Eastern arts of healing. An advocate for a more balanced workplace, he has appeared in Time, on NPR, and in hundreds of other media outlets. He lives in California.
Frank Montagna is a Los Angeles–based illustrator whose work has appeared in New York Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmo Girl, Modern Bride, and several other publications and books

Book: Travel Yoga by Frank Montagna
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Not every yoga book is concerned with better alignment or inner peace. Rob Dinsmoor’s The Yoga Divas and Other Stories takes the more unpredictable route: a collection of autobiographical, comic and sometimes awkward encounters from life as a yoga practitioner, teacher and ordinary human being.

What kind of stories are inside?

The original book description ranges from the discomforts of sharing a room on a yoga retreat to the eccentric characters met in classes. It also reaches far beyond yoga: there are accounts involving a dog adopted under dubious pretences, adventures in Central American jungles and memories of ill-fated creative projects. The point is not to teach a posture but to find humour in situations that refuse to unfold as planned.

Is it a yoga memoir or a short-story collection?

It is best understood as a personal collection with yoga among its recurring settings. The author’s observations can be sharp, sceptical and affectionate at the same time. There is no reason to expect an illustrated training programme, a teaching certificate manual or a guide to a specific school of yoga.

Who is likely to enjoy it?

Readers who have spent time in studios, workshops or retreats may recognise how earnestly people can pursue serenity while life keeps supplying comic interruptions. Others may simply enjoy travel mishaps, colourful characters and personal essays that do not take themselves too seriously. The humour may be irreverent; it is not the tone of a quiet meditation handbook.

Can you still buy it?

Yes. Digital and paperback formats are still listed, although availability depends on region and the format you choose.

Related on Veggie-Blog: What Is Yoga?.

Book: The Yoga Divas and Other Stories by Rob Dinsmoor
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Despite its name, Highest Yoga Tantra by Daniel Cozort is not a guide to ordinary stretching, fitness classes or the commercial use of the word “tantra.” It is an introduction to the advanced contemplative systems of Tibetan Buddhism. Readers interested in Buddhist philosophy and the historical structure of tantric practice will find a very different subject here from the one presented by most exercise-oriented yoga books.

What does the book cover?

The publisher describes a four-part work. It begins with foundations shared by sutra and tantra, then moves into the generation stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. The next part surveys the completion-stage yogas, and the final part compares the completion stages associated with Kalachakra and Guhyasamaja. These are technical concepts within Tibetan Buddhist traditions, not a sequence of postures suitable for casual home practice.

Why distinguish tantra from modern fitness yoga?

The same word can be used in very different contexts. A reader looking for a relaxing evening yoga routine could be surprised by Cozort’s detailed discussion of religious texts, contemplative models and subtle-body terminology. This is best approached as a scholarly orientation to a specific tradition. The book is not a stand-alone invitation to perform advanced ritual or meditation techniques without training.

Who would benefit from reading it?

It may suit students of Tibetan Buddhism, comparative religion and contemplative studies who are comfortable learning specialised terminology. A general reader can also use it to understand why Tibetan tantric systems do not fit neatly into modern ideas of yoga as fitness. Expect explanation and context rather than photographs of accessible poses.

Is the book still available?

Yes. The publisher Shambhala/Snow Lion lists a paperback edition, ISBN 9781559392358, with a current ordering option. This provides a separate verified purchase route while the original Veggie-Blog Amazon identifier remains unchanged below.

For wider background on meditation rather than tantric instruction, the NCCIH summary of meditation and mindfulness is a useful neutral reference. It should not be treated as an explanation of the tantric stages in Cozort’s book.

Related on Veggie-Blog: Where Did Yoga Come From?.

Book: Highest Yoga Tantra by Daniel Cozort
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you)