Book Review: Yoga Chick: A Hip Guide to Everything Om by Bess Gallanis

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 16, 2006, 18:54 GMT

Portable calm in a fashionable format, this is a hip, modern young woman\'s guide to yoga techniques, theories, and general well-being. Two-color illustrations throughout. ...more

Who or what is a “yoga chick?” According to Gallanis she is “a hip young yogini who embraces all life’s possibilities on and off her yoga mat.” Don’t let that definition fool you, this user friendly guide provides a gentle introduction to would be practitioners of all ages. Written with in a chatty, upbeat style the reader learns some basic yoga philosophy including mindfulness, getting grounded and the importance of breathing. This is followed by information regarding proper clothing, setting up a home studio, creating the proper mindset with practice tips for safety before moving on to the basic stances.

Each pose is illustrated with a line drawing and written description including breathing control plus where to expect to feel the stretch and what muscle group to focus on. The poses work up in degree of difficulty and concentration but none of those illustrated are beyond the reach of the beginner. Scattered throughout is information about diet, the chakras, vegetarianism, doshas, creating your personal sanctuary and more to get the beginning yogi pointed in the right direction as well as adding a warm, hands-on approach to this ancient practice.