Photo Credit: Jasper Johal

Prior to November 15^th 2012, I can’t say I’ve ever read a Woman’s Health Book.

I’m a male who like’s Monday night football, martial arts, and prefers to read Men’s Health. But I happened to a see a book with the title Woman’s Health:The Big Book of Yoga, and it was written by Kathryn Budig, so I had to read it.

How could I not? Kathryn is one of the youngest, coolest and most widely respected yoga teachers. She’s also just a nice person.

From my own personal experience, she saved me possibly thousands of dollars in hospitals bills by recommending a wonderful yoga mat where I don’t slide off of.  Prior to the email I sent to her, I had a mat that I purchased for $5.75 and I had been using it for over a year until one day I slipped across the room and almost knocked out three people in front of me.

This didn’t just happen once it happened on numerous occasions until an instructor kindly came up to me and told me I needed a new mat. So I emailed Kathryn, and she very kindly recommended one to me.

I also took a class with her and found her to be very knowledgeable and professional. So that led me to the purchase of a book with the title “Woman’s Health” in it.

To be completely honest most yoga books I purchase end up not being read, I usually give them to my two year old niece to use as a coloring book––but this one is different. This book has everything you could possibly want to know about yoga. I’m not joking––it literally has everything. It’s more like an encyclopedia for yoga.

Sun Salutations A, Suns Salutation B, Standing Poses, Seated Poses, Backbends, Core, Restorative Poses..

One could say the science of an art lies in the details. What I like about this book is it breaks down the asana postures into all of the various nuances. For example, each posture is explained with excellent photographs to display how the anatomy of the body should work.

One major point she address is proper nutrition in the chapter “The Art of Mindful Eating,” which explains why to purchase local and organic foods. It also explains how to incorporate a schedule for healthy eating into your life.

She brings the yoga aficionado Tiffany Cruikshank to demonstrate inversions. And the “Yoga for Athletes” section contains everything an athlete needs to know about incorporating yoga into their sport—including running, cycling, golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, swimming, rowing and climbing.

It also contains a section called “Real Men Do Yoga.”

Most importantly it contains what Ms. Budig is best known for––taking risks. It details all the various arm balances and inversions she’s known for in a very simple way that almost anyone can learn from.

Here are just a few example below of poses she breaks down.

Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)

Photo Credit: Jasper Johal

Flying Pigeon (Eka Pada Galvasana)

Photo Credit: Jasper Johal

Arm Pressure Balance (Bhujapidasana)

Photo Credit: Jasper Johal

If you’re looking for a book that literally contains everything that you want to know about how to properly do postures, check it out!

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Ed: Lynn H.

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