Yoga for a Beautiful Face: Easy Exercises to Help You Look Young Again

On the plus side, "Yoga for a Beautiful Face" is a nicely designed book on high quality thick glossy paper, with quality illustrations and photos. It feels like a sincere, well meaning book.

The title, however, is misleading. The facial exercise portion of the book is the first 45 pages only. Half of these pages contain an illustration indicating which portions of the facial musculature are engaged during an exercise, along with a brief explanation of the exercise. The other half of these pages are images of the author captured at one or two points in the exercise, leaving the reader to fill in the parts of the exercises not illustrated..

There book contains a total of 17 facial exercises. For someone who has never seen facial exercises before, this collection will cover the basics. I'd seen nearly all of the exercises before, mostly in a Cynthia Rowland "Facial Magic" video from the 1990s that I'd picked up in a thrift store. While the presentation is more modern in this book, I think the author would have been better served to create a DVD for this material. I find the old VHS tape's demonstrations of the exercises more helpful and there is more explanatory material spoken in the tape than is contained in the text of this book. However, the book is easier to jump to the exercise you want to do than a VHS tape.

There are an additional 90 pages of basic yoga moves along with some advice pages that seem a bit out there to me. For example, there's a page that links a long list of conditions and diseases with each verebra. in this list, pimples and wrinkles result from calcification of the 11th vertebra according to the author. Really?

Overall, while I would say seeing these 17 exercises demonstrated would be better, this book does give someone a starting point and the explanations are adequate. The rest of the book wasn't anything I expected or needed (I have yoga tapes and basic books already), but might interest some people. I don't think it would be the best general introduction to beginning yoga, but the stretching, breathing, and relaxation exercises shown might be helpful to some.

In Yoga for a Beautiful Face, Lourdes Julian Çabuk exceeded the limitations of her title. She does indeed give yoga exercises to smooth out wrinkles and tone the skin. Each exercise is accompanied by gorgeous photographs that leave the reader no doubt as to how to execute the exercise.

However, our faces are maps to what goes on internally. Çabuk asserts that a "radiant facial beauty stems from a healthy lifestyle including exercise and nutrition." Çabuk lays out an easy to follow daily program that contains proven paths to a healthier existence. Highly recommended!

-Library Thing

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The Yoga Bootcamp Box: An Interactive Program to Revolutionize Your Life with Yoga

I have been using Baron's Videos and DVD's for years and he's definitely my overall favorite instructor out there (I have over 80 Yoga programs on Video and DVD so I am very familiar with a good deal of what is out there).

My main purpose for purchasing the Bootcamp box was for the Yoga flows. I have been practicing yoga 7 days a week for about the last 8 years and am always looking for more short practices to use along with my longer practices. The three 20 minute flows "Vinyasa Flow", "Hip Flow" and "Core Flow" are wonderful sequences that anyone can fit into their daily lives. The Yoga Cards that come with the set are excellent for helping you learn and remember the poses along with the verbal instruction on the CD's.

I haven't done the 75 minute practice yet but I am looking forward to it because I have done Baron's longer video practices such as "Soul of Strength" and "Power and Precision" and they are really great (and really tough).

Still, if you did nothing else but rotated among the three different 20 minute flows on a daily basis, it would be enough to keep you strong and flexible from head to toe. As Baron even stresses in "Journey Into Power", "A little bit of yoga done a lot is better than a lot of yoga done once in a while".

Also, I would HIGHLY recommend getting Baron's Video called "Transform Your Life, Yoga with Baron Baptiste" which is from a PBS special where he takes 40 students through a week long bootcamp. It is very inspiring and also has a bonus 20 minute "Power Yoga Basics" practice after the feature. It's a great routine and very easy to fit into any morning.

The overall Bootcamp concept is very interesting and I would love to go one one of his actual bootcamps someday, but for a very small price one can implement much of those practices right now at their home. Even if you can't devote yourself to the complete bootcamp experience, just incorporating his basic principles of eating and the yoga flows (and meditation) can make a difference in your daily life from the moment you receive the Bootcamp Box forward for the rest of your life.

The great thing about a home Yoga practice (especially a vinyasa power yoga approach which will eliminate the need for weight training) is that you NEVER have to miss a day of doing your practice. It doesn't matter what the weather is like, you don't have to drive to a gym or class, you can't make excuses for not having enough time (since anyone can spare at least 20 minutes). Just roll out your mat before you eat and shower each day and you are ready to go :)

I have even found it possible to squeeze in 20 minutes of yoga at home when I've had to be at the airport at 6 AM (which means waking up about 4:30 AM and starting my practice at about 4:40 AM :) ). The microscopic amount of sleep you sacrifice by rising a bit earlier will be nothing compared to the benefits in terms of well being and energy you will reap from the 20 or so minutes of Yoga. I have also found I can always bring my mat with me on trips (by folding it flat a few times rather than rolling it) and have even practiced in tight spaces in Hotel/Motel rooms.

I'm only writing all this for the purpose of emphasizing just how realistic it is to have some form of daily yoga practice under almost any circumstance.

Even if you're not up for a more physical Vinyasa practice, I'd recommend trying some of the "Yoga Zone" basics tapes (all have Two-20 minute routines which are very good, or Suzanne Deason's "Stress Relief Yoga For Beginners" which is about 20-25 minutes and will put you through a full range of movements. In the least you can do Rodney Yee's AM yoga which is about 15 minutes long, his Power Yoga Set is also quite excellent, less than 30 minutes each, "Stamina" is my favorite of the three).

Along with many of his Video/DVD programs, I also have both of Baron's books, "40 Days to Personal Revolution" (his latest) and "Journey Into Power" (my favorite of the two). I would highly recommend purchasing "Journey Into Power", it is very comprehensive and inspiring, it also has a section on a "Cleansing Diet" which if followed will not only help you lose weight but give you tremendous energy.

Since using his approach to nutrition (which is really very simple, it's based eating whole fresh foods, staying away from processed foods) I have been able to up the level of intensity of my Yoga practices, only rarely having to do a more gentle practice. This has increased my strength considerably and has built a lot of lean muscle.

So, lose the excuses, roll out your mat and jump start your day and your life!

Namaste

This was a great purchase-4 yoga routines and a meditation. One disc has 3 twenty minute routines, perfect for busy days. A 20 min. vinyasa flow that covers the majors. A 20min. that works the core like nothing else-it burns but not in a "please stop now" kinda way. A 20min. hip routine that feels so good. And lastly a 10min meditation that is great for developing a practice. Disc two has a 75-yes, 75 minute class. This class works you top to toe. The audio format does take some getting used to especially if your practice is usually in a class or video. Familiarity with the poses is a must! The set contains flash cards which detail the poses and their modifications. The book is basically a cliff notes version of Baron's books.

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This is an awesome package!! So nobody is confused: this package consists of a small paperback book, flash cards, and 2 AUDIO CDS (not DVD) with 4 yoga programs and 1 meditation practice. I love it and use it all the time. I have looked at other reviews here and found that I disagree with most of them, but I think it is because you will view this package differently based on how much yoga you know. If you are a true beginner, it will be too difficult to understand the poses just from listening. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend "Journey Into Power: Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, Level 1:Beginner" (it is a DVD that also has the extra benefit of showining 9 of the basic poses in detail on a pose tutorial). Once you get comfortable with the poses and the techniques, movements, and breathing, then this CD set is really awesome!!! I find that it is very easy to use. For me, now that I know more yoga, it is more distracting to keep looking at a video screen to see what is comming next. As far as the cards gothey are very helpful. I found that they are completely in the proper order and are very helpful. The best thing is not to spread the whole deck out in front of you. Go through the stack a couple times before the practice to familiarize yourself and then take the stack and put it at the front of your mat and flip to the next card for each pose. This way you won't get confused. The first couple times you may fumble around a bit until you get the hang of it, but this is certainly no reason to give up. The rewards are great because this set helps take the yoga more into yourself and away from a video screen or other people. Only then can you see the true benefits to yogathe inner self and inner peace. I have found that now that I have used this set for a couple months, I do not even need to refer to the cards and now I am really able to get a good yoga practice because I have no distractions. I highly recommend this. If you are a beginner, please try the DVD I recommend and when you feel like you have mastered that, then come back to this set.

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I bought this set because I didn't like having to crane my neck to look at the TV during yoga videos, so it seemed like an audio guide would be a good idea. However, I find the routines hard to follow you really have to go through the flash cards and memorize the poses and their names beforehand. Otherwise Baron Baptiste will say "now, chatttarangadanda vinayasana" and you are like WHAT? And you have to scramble through the cards, which kind of breaks up the flow. Also, maybe I am slow, but having done each of the routines about three times, there are still points where I miss something and suddenly I am supposed to be standing but I am laying on the floor. This makes it very hard to maintain the rhythmic breathing. If only they would include a list of the poses in order for each routine! This seems very simple and I can't believe it is not included. I also like being told when to inhale and when to exhale the Yoga Zone DVDs (for example) are very good about this and I miss it here. HOWEVER, I find the routines to be very nice, and the cards are lovely and include modifications of the poses for beginners. I think that once you know all the poses and have some idea of the flow of the routines so that you're not scrambling to keep up and can relax enough to focus on flow and breathing, this set will be super. But it's not something where a beginner can just open the box and have a satisfying experience.

Also, the set is meant to be used as a three-day intensive experience where you change your diet and devote your weekend to yoga and meditation. I have not done this but it seems like an interesting idea.

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Prior to pregnancy and having my 6 month old daughter, I was a regular practicer of yoga. I was used to going to intense heated power yoga classes and because of time was looking for something intense yet doable with my unpredictable schedule. This was exactly what I was looking for -the yoga practice is intense yet invigorating. The CDs are perfect and so much better than trying to watch a TV screen. It allows you to get more into your practice as if you were in a class. The 20 minute programs have been my favorite and no matter what kind of day you have had you can fit 20 minutes into your day. For me it has been the perfect thing to do right before bed. Baron's voice is slightly annoying but you quickly forget and then don't notice it. The 75 minute CD is good and thorough like a normal class. I would recommend you are familiar with the poses and their names prior to getting so you don't even have to bother with the cards but just jump into practicing. I would highly recommend this product to people familiar with yoga and looking to practice at home.

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The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises: Four Weeks to a Leaner, Sexier, Healthier YOU!

i purchased this item for kindle and much of it is unreadable because it is in charts that you cannot read and cannot change the size of (i have 20/20 vision) Also i just tried to return it in order to buy the print copy and not be out the 14 dollars but it turns out that you cannot return digital content on amazon. Its only 14 dollars but i am really bummed i cant use the book because i cant see any of the recommended exercises---DO NOT BUY THE KINDLE VERSION OF THIS BOOK especially if it is a kindle program on your phone

Very comprehensive overview of hundreds of exercises that can be done using gym equipment, home equipment (stability balls, dumbbells, etc.), and/or no equipment. The photos detailing each exercise are in full color and the accompanying explanations are detailed, specific, and easy to follow.

The book is broken down into chapters dedicated to body parts: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, Quadriceps & Calves, Glutes & Hamstrings, Core, as well as chapters for Total Body and Warmup Exercises. There is also a chapter on how to put various exercises together for specific-goal workouts (e.g. "The Get Your Body Back Workout", "The Skinny Jeans Workout", "The Bikini-Ready Workout", "The Best Sports Workout", "The Best Three-Exercise Workouts"). In addition, there are chapters dedicated to Nutrition, Cardio Workouts, the importance of Weights, etc.

All in all, this is an extremely comprehensive book that is not at all about gimmicks or shortcuts but is simply well researched and well presented. It will literally replace several books I've bought on this subject in past years. I'm not easily impressed by books on this subject and yet I'm extremely impressed by this compilation. Well done Adam Campbell and contributors!

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I bought this book as I work for group exercise at my campus rec center; I was hoping it would give me some ideas for new moves/exercises for my class routines. It does have lots of exercises... but it'll spend several pages with the same exercise just adding different equipment/positions: i.e., squats with weights, squats w/o weights, squats in wide stance, squats in mid stance, etc... each that cover the span of two pages and it counts each as a new exercise. It's great for beginners to sculpting and includes a ton of overview, but not many safety details or progressions (which is essential for any exercises!!!). Likewise, it assumes you have all kinds of equipment: weights, barbell, step/bench, etc., so half the book is useless if you're trying to do this stuff at home. The workout plans in the back of the book are great, again for beginners, but no one should ever really do some of these things without first having gone to a professional to make sure they're doing it properly... overall, it wasn't a waste of a purchase and it's a well organized book, just underwhelming for the very boastful title!

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Purchased to do exercise and keep in shape on Kindle. Would Not recommend for the Kindle. Very difficult to follow with chapters and directions. Diagrams very small. Constantly changing font. Certain items even enlarged needed a magnifier to read.

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The book is excellent for having colorful detailed pictures of 619 varying forms of exercise movements using weight or strength training. My only issue with the book is that the Women's version is nearly identical to the Men's version. I bought both, one for me and the other for my husband, thinking it would offer something different, because a woman's body is different than a man's and does not lose weight or build muscle at the same degree. I was sadly disappointed. Buying both is a waste of money. The information is exactly the same as well as the exercises, it also has the EXACT amount of pages in each book.

The diet plan section was too brief and did not go into enough detail. The cardio section was dismal at best. Some of the nutritional information was iffy, like High Fructose Corn Syrup being nutritional similiar to sugar,that's a crock. Look up HFCS and find out how they manufacture it. Any synthetic food should be limited, but natural is better thank synthetic, and as the book states both should be limited. But it didn't say any of the harmful effects that HCFS has on your liver and how it's works harder trying to process HFCS. My theory, if God didn't grow it, don't eat it.

What I did like was the exercises, I like how the sections were divided and how it went into detail describing the muscles being worked for that section and why it is important to work that particular muscle group. It's very easy to navigate through and it has exercises to perform for home or for the gym.

I think the price is too high for what they deliver, but if you can find it cheaper than the listed retail price which is 24.99 plus shipping which is nearly $4, I say go for it. But it's definitely not worth 28.00.

I will be sending this book back and keeping the Men's Big Book for my husband.

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The Perfect Distance: Training for Long-Course Triathlon (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series)

I was thinking of moving up to the halfor full-ironman distance triathlon, and this book seemed a logical choice. As far as I know, it's the first volume dedicated to half-iron training and racing. The author spends the first few chapters going through the basic theory of training and "design science," but then dives right into the specific detail of the three sports and training for this distance. The individual chapters on swim, bike and run are as useful and detailed as any other triathlon book, with some later advances in bike aerodynamics, power metering, and running technique.

But the best and unique aspect of the book are the specific workouts, case studies and race strategies for the half-iron distance, including categories for beginner, veteran, and elite triathletes. What works for one group may not work for others. He does give separate examples for different levels, and beginners should stay with the simpler stuff in the book.

If you have read either Friel's TRAINING BIBLE or Byrn's GOING LONG, you'll feel at home with Rodger's similar approach, but his style and emphasis are different. His writing style is clear like Friel's, but he has more personal anecdotes and humor to go along with the scientific training principles. He used to train astronauts at NASA, so there is plenty of science and technology in the book, but also a lot of heart. Since he started later in life, he has more sympathy for beginners and the average or aging athlete than a pro triathlete or someone who coaches mostly pros. But make no mistake: he's a hard-racing, top-ranked age grouper with lots of world championship racing, especially Ironman and ultradistance, so some of the material can be quite challenging, but also inspiring.

Nice photos of famous folks at Kona, as well as good drawings and diagrams to illustrate swim, bike and run technique. About the only thing that could have been better would be to use the larger page format of the TRAINING BIBLE books, especially for tables and graphics, though for the money this is a well-printed publication.

I am new to 70.3 races and I feel that for my level of triathlon experience, this book is a great tool. The reviews here are spot on.

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I got this book to help me decide if I wanted to start training for a 1/2 ironman. Having a season of various triatlons and duathlons, 5K street and trail running... wicking it up a notch was entertaining so I started reading this book. I also wanted some input on whether or not a coach is needed, training hours required for a 1/2, limiters etc... This book points out things I didn't think of, like the cost of training for a 1/2.... not only financially but family, time, work balancing.

The book gets into details roughing out training phases, principles etc.. I would buy it again as it has help me put things in perspective...

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A good addition to a library of distance 'how to' books but not one I would suggest for anyone new to the sport who seeks specific instructions of what to do. This book provides a very good overview of the philosophy the half-iron distance training but is lacking in specific progressive training acts to undertake during each training phase.

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If you're looking for a specific training plan, this is not the book for you. This book mostly teaches about how you should approach your training but doesn't really give you any of the standard charts that you usually see. This book would probably be good for coaches but for someone, like me, who is trying to figure out a general guideline of what to do, this book falls short.

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The Bodybuilding.com Guide to Your Best Body: The Revolutionary 12-Week Plan to Transform Your Body

Do not waste your money in this book. Yo can just access the bodybuilding.com page mentioned constantly in this book and you will have access to the same content. I'm a big fan of the page and that's why I came across this book but to be honest, this book was a total dissapointment. The mention of Bodyspace five times on every single page was just to annoying to keep reading. Yeah, I get that Bodyspace is supposed to help you by interacting with other people trying to achieve fitness goals but I'm pretty sure the main purpose why people join is to post their pictures in little clothes so that others can give them a good rating on the pictures. The transformation stories were the only part of the book worth reading and these you can find in the bodybuilding.com.

Body By Design is a book about a lifestyle plan. It shows the steps you need to take to make sensible changes that will affect your health and fitness for years to come whatever your age. The success stories featured in this book are true stories about real people who discovered what clean eating and exercise could do to make real and lasting changes in their lives. If you are tired of gimmicks and fad diets and you want to start feeling better now, then give this book a try. The body plan in Body By Design gives you all the information you need to become fit and healthy for the rest of your life.

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This book IS a complete "how to" manual for anyone who wishes to transform their body and their life! Like other fitness books, there are great workout, (strength training and cardio), and nutrition plans. These plans are very straight-forward and simple to follow. There is even an "exercise database" section that provides pictures and instructions for the recommended exercises.

Unlike other fitness books, Body by Design addresses other VITAL areas for a body and life transformation. Providing REAL solutions for areas such as motivation, goal setting, food preparation, will-power, tracking progress, inspiration, and support systems gives Body by Design an edge and sets it apart from other books in this genre.

The excellent quality of the hard-back edition matches the excellent quality of the subject matter. Great pictures, easy to read, and awesome real-life stories!

This is a must read AND MUST DO for anyone who desires to transform their body and life!

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I find it very strange that there are around 38 reviews giving 5 stars to this book on the day of its release(december 28, 2010), and about 12 reviews on december 29, the second day of its release and many others the following days. Now I could understand that some people could of read the book in one day and rushed to their computer to write a review on amazon, but the title of this book says: "The Complete 12-WEEK Plan to Transform Your Body Forever". Did this people complete the 12 week plan on few days(some of them on just 1 day)or are those people just bodybuilding.com fanboys who gave the book 5 stars without even reading it? You make your judgment but don't buy this book for the number of reviews because many are fake.

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Kris Gethin's book, Body by Design, deserves a 5-star rating, but not for its awe-inspiring, earth-shattering tips on how to shape up with little effort, but rather for its focus on what it means to truly change your life forever.

Kris Gethin introduces the Body by Design plan by highlighting the core principles on which it is based. Kris refers to these as the "four pillars of power." These principles make Body by Design stand out...we are not just talking about diet and exercise, we are talking about "cutting edge, motivational science" the fuel behind true transformation success.

1. Burn and Build. Burn bridges? Well, only the ones that don't help us meet our health and fitness goals. In the book, you get a quick overview of the scientific research linking obesity to friends. As hard as it may be, Kris is right, to succeed means surrounding ourselves with people who can help us succeed, people who truly WANT to see us succeed. "Sometimes you have to burn a few bridges so you can make way for some stronger, more positive ones to be built."

2. Live Out Loud. If you're serious about transforming your body, then share it with everyone. Everyone? Yes, EVERYONE. Not only will you hold yourself accountable, your friends and family will too. Simply stated, "Your life minus goals equals settling for less than your potential."

3. Get Radical. Another great piece of advice. Don't just tell everyone about your new goal, join a social network; reach out to thousands that will hold you accountable! How does it work? Kris explains that the system of accountability works for these primary reasons: the continuous feedback you are certain to get, the bonds that you create by connecting with others with similar goals, and the confidence that comes from experiencing success! Track your performance and share it with others.

4. Take it Home. I love how Kris admits that "life doesn't exist in a vacuum." Life will present its challenges and to increase our chances of success, we should anticipate those challenges now. Day in and day out, we hear about the "what." In this book, Kris introduces us to the "how." You get the "what to change," "how to change," and "how to make that change last!"

Not only is the content great, but I was pleasantly surprised by the look and feel of the book overall. With tips throughout and inspirational quotes from real people, I found myself hungry for more. I especially appreciated the featured transformation stories splashed throughout the book. These are real people with real struggles; people who have faced truly difficult challenges in life but overcame them by taking control of their health and fitness. You have to read the stories for yourself; your jaw WILL drop.

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AD/HD: Helping Your Child: A Comprehensive Program to Treat Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorde

THIS WAS THE FIRST BOOK ON ADD THAT I PURCHASED AFTER MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED. IT HELPED ME AND MY HUSBAND TO UNDERSTAND OUR SON'S CONDITION AND GAVE US TOOLS TO HELP HIM. I ALSO GAVE THIS BOOK TO HIS TEACHERS AND IT GAVE THEM ALOT OF INSIGHT AS WELL. UNLESS THERE IS MANDATORY TRAINING FOR TEACHERS IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SCHOOL AN AS POSITIVE EXPEREANCE AS POSIBLE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THIS BOOK IS ONE WAY.

I refer to this book often. It provides very helpful information about diagnosing and dealing with children with ADD/ADHD. When my child was first diagnosed as ADD, this book helped me realize that it was a fair diagnosis. Every time I get frustrated with the way teachers deal with him, or need to be reminded about all the implications of his being ADD, this is the book I read. I understand that there is a revised edition coming out soon. I plan to get it as soon as it is out. Dr. Umansky provides professional information with personal stories as examples, which make the book accessible to parents and professionals.

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