For yoga students who do their homework

Yoga’s popularity shows no signs of slowing, as men, women and children continue to discover

the practice and new yoga studios pop up in neighborhoods around the city. Having a reference such as “Essential Yoga: An Illustrated Guide” can be helpful when studying at home, as an adjunct to classes.

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Essential Yoga: An Illustrated Guide: This handbook features the fundamentals of yoga, from breathing exercises to warm-ups, poses, meditations and routines. Based on principles of hatha yoga, it describes the benefits of each exercise, offers some tips and goes through a detailed description of how to achieve a pose or meditation. Also included are routines beneficial for certain conditions, such as mental fatigue, and for sports, including swimming and golf. Simple line drawings accompany the descriptions.

“This isn’t a substitute for classes, but I’m hoping beginners and people who have practiced for a long time will see this as a resource,” said author Olivia H. Miller, a longtime yoga practitioner who also wrote “The Yoga Deck” series of cards featuring poses and breathing exercises.

Price: $18.95. From Chronicle Books; available at bookstores or at www.chroniclebooks.com.

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-- Jeannine Stein