The No Om Zone: Kimberly Fowler’s Practical Guide to Yoga

Many are using this Deal Days, the Wellness Week™ as an opportunity to try yoga if they haven’t already—and what better way to start than with the most practical approach? Kimberly Fowler, owner of YAS Fitness Centers,  whose four locations in Downtown LA, Silverlake, East Costa Mesa and Venice are spearheading our Wellness Week’s yoga and spinning initiatives in Southern California, appears to have a different take on yoga—a comprehensive, all-inclusive one. And now her advice is yours to have on your bookshelf and incorporate into your fitness routine!

In her “no-chanting, no-granola, no-sanskrit” guide to yoga, The No Om Zone, Fowler guides new and old yogis through the benefits and workings of yoga from head to toe, chapter by chapter. The book is as informative as it is effective— complete with explicit “how to get into the pose” sections for beginners, and ways to modify each pose for those with more experience on the mat. What’s more, the book is a very fun read with a charming sense of mirth from Fowler, offering plenty of interesting bits about how the human body functions and can be worked through with yoga, giving each limb and finger its dues, and even delving into some meditation.

A personal favorite, taken from the guide’s “Hips” chapter:  Rolling into the reclining pigeon pose from the happy cow pose and feeling all my body’s tension uncoil and evaporate almost immediately in just a few easy steps! Yoga made enjoyable is yoga done well, so if YAS Fitness Centers’ classes are more or less a rundown of what this book shares, be sure to stop by if you’re in Southern Cali! If not, pick up The No Om Zone and enjoy its benefits from home on your own schedule; it’s also available on DVD.