Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People (Hardcover)

by Darrin Zeer (Author), Michael Klein (Illustrator) "First thing in the morning, practice this two-minute calming meditation..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Review
As the title implies, Zeer offers a series of short, simpleyoga stretches and poses or asanas designed for the home and office. "Office Yoga" takes the reader from early morning in-bed yoga stretches through workday routines (easily performed in the cramped and hurried atmosphere of the office) and returns home with gentle and lighthearted exercises such as "Yoga for Couch Potatoes."

"At-The-Desk-Relaxation," and "Afternoon Invigoration," offer a balanced mix of traditional Hatha yoga poses (e.g., Sun Salutation, Cobra, and Cat) and adaptations such as, "Keyboard Calisthenics" (for loosening wrists and fingers), "E-mail Meditation" (for calming nerves), and "Crowded Elevator Stretch" (to restore energy ). The exercises are enlivened by Michael Klein's retro, New Yorker-ish illustrations, as well as the occasional inspirational quote from the likes of Fred Astaire and Buddha.

Zeer doesn't spend much time teaching yoga concepts; this is a day-planner for relaxation, with a simple, easy-to-follow yoga routine for relieving stress. But it serves that purpose well. (Beliefnet, May 2000) -- From Beliefnet

Product Description
Yoga has gone completely mainstream. Sensible people everywhere are saying "Om" and doing postures once a week. Enter the worlds easiest yoga book for the place we need it most: work! Renowned teacher Darrin Zeer brings this ancient Indian art to the modern-day office with a fully illustrated, easy-to-use guide offering 75 stress-relieving stretches perfect for the cube environment. Unlike most yoga guides, Office Yoga offers a fun, accessilbe approach and is useful for both beginners and experts. Excercises are organized by time of day and for a variety of situations--walking stretches, commute exercises, on-the-phone and at-the-copy machine streches. Humorous and colorful illustrations by Micheal Klein enliven excerises that can be performed anywhere from the elevator to the conference room. This handy little book will fit nicely on any desktop, and makes a great gift for the workaholic in your life.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1 edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811826856
• ISBN-13: 978-0811826853
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,311 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #12 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Stress > Exercise
  #15 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Stretching

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little gift idea, August 21, 2000

By A Customer

I just bought this book and I love it. The style is simple and easy to use. Each page has a clear, concise yoga tip, and the inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout are a wonderful compliment to the highly practical content. One of the best things about this book is that it is elegant--a finely crafted hardbound book with unique illustrations and a small cozy size that feels fun to hold. The book can be easily tucked away anywhere in the office, or toted along in a briefcase or knapsack. This would make a perfect pick-me-up gift for a friend or office co-worker. "Office Yoga" would be just the thing to include in a stress relief care basket.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fellow desk jockeys -- this book is for us!, April 6, 2000

By	Steven D Briggs (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

The first time you open and use Darrin Zeer's "Office Yoga" this book will earn spot on your desk top. You will want to keep it where you can grab it easily. It's as entertaining and fun to read as it is helpful. Turn to any page and you'll find ways to quickly relieve stress and ease muscle tightness by breathing deeply and stretching your muscles -- as you sit or stand at your desk! If your legs, back, neck or shoulders feel cramped or sore at the end of your office workday, Office Yoga will teach you to use the free minutes here and there to stretch and relax while you work. Whether you're a couch potato or a gym rat or somewhere in between -- Office Yoga will help keep the knots out of your muscles.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy, Simple, Fun, February 20, 2001

By	"vegangirl" (tucson, az) - See all my reviews

Okay, this book is exactly what the title says: SIMPLE. However, that doesn't necessarily detract from its worth. It's a small volume, about 93 pages, and about 6" X 5". In my opinion, it's the perfect size for busy office workers who already have cluttered desks! It's fun to hold, easy to carry around, and includes cute illustrations. A lot of the names of the stretches are fun and creative, such as "Close the Deal warrior pose" and "Late Client Stretch."

Besides the easy stretches, which range from stretches for your fingers, wrists, hands and upper back to stretches for your legs, ankles, etc., there are other nice features, including a couple of stretches you can do in bed right after you wake up, and evening relaxers so that you can transition from your hard day at the office to a relaxing evening at home.

Some other features of the book include little reminders that we all know but don't often think about, such as taking a break and walking around outside, practicing lovingkindness, keeping our desks organized, drinking lots of water, making our meals a meditation, etc. In addition, there are plenty of nice, positive quotes strewn throughout the pages.

This is not the most detailed book, or the most comprehensive, but I personally find it very useful in its simplicity and user-friendliness.