I contributed this review to Really Into This

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Happy Reading, friends!

Special thanks to Alpha for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I love me some restorative yoga. While we are all homebound due to COVID-19, I thought I need to get my breathing, stretching & flexibility in order.

I really love this book. There are all sorts of easy modifications for you to create a restorative yoga practice at home. The pictures are great & the instructions are clear. This is a great addition to anyone who is looking to start yoga, improve flexibility, and/or just need a refresher.

This was an excellent book to learn yoga. There was the moves and the equipment you would need to do that move. It would include why the move would help you, for stress, back pain etc. The photos were beautiful and this would make a great book to give for a gift.

Although a few poses, especially chapter 3, are beyond me, this was a fairly well detailed book on the basics of stretching and calming yoga. Not extreme like other ones I've seen, and a good tip and advice with each pose. I like that there are variations for different skill levels, and also for cautions to prevent injury. A good introduction and instructional book. Highly recommend.

I must confess that I’m only a novice with regards to yoga. I have attended a few yoga classes here and there and even took a shot at hot yoga once or twice. I found this book to be extremely informative about restorative yoga. It provided background that was very interesting and helpful. It has directions that were simple to follow as well. I would highly recommend this book to anybody interested in restorative yoga whether you’re a novice or an expert I think you’ll find this book very useful.

Now why have a Restorative Yoga book when there are so MANY yoga videos online now? Precisely why! There are so many. Some days I do not want to scroll through a bunch of videos and I don't want to be talked to or talked through anything. I want quiet which is why restorative yoga appeals to me after a long day. Restorative yoga was developed by B.K.S. Iyengar of Iyengar yoga. Restorative yoga helps with chronic stress, chronic pain, insomnia, headaches, women's health issues. etc. To practice restorative yoga you need to be warm, quiet, still, and in a dark place. You need yoga props such as blocks, a bolster, a towel, a blanket, a strap, and a mat. To start you need to get to a still place by a breathing sequence and a simple flow to warm up like cat-cow, low lunge, eagle pose, spinal twist. Then the restorative poses. The photos are plentiful and in color. The photos are of men and women and of different ages. The instructions are detailed and clear. Each pose shows a different way to do it according to the ability to use the props. Each has a suggested amount of time to hold the pose. The last chapter has restorative flows. Somedays I am tense and I just want to do a few poses and stretch my muscles in silence and just hold those poses. Especially now with everything going on in the world. I want to shut out COVID and discord and just Be and Breathe. I also read on healthline.com that although restorative yoga is not "active" per se, women who practice restorative yoga do burn calories and lose weight, especially abdominal fat. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book and stretch in return for a review.

Restorative Yoga by Caren Baginski is a great reference book. It starts by explaining what restorative yoga is. It then gives guides to different types of poses. Each type has it's own section and each individual pose has an abundance of pictures and instruction. Even if you are new to yoga, this book breaks down the poses in a way that makes them easy. It ends with different sequences you can do. This is my favorite section because you can pick a sequence for what you currently need.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

I requested a copy of this book on NetGalley as I’m an enthusiastic yoga participant- but lacking in knowledge of the various types. I’m interested in modifications as needed to be able to extend a pose. But in terms of a resource for home practice it’s just not something I would ever use. If I need to modify a pose with that many adjustments it’s just not going to happen.

Thanks for the opportunity to review the book - but in terms of purchasing I will have to pass.

I've been looking to get into yoga and this was the perfect read for finding relaxing and useful poses. Would recommend for those looking to try yoga as an emotionally comforting practice.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. I enjoyed this book and the format. The poses can be done from beginning level to advanced students. Everybody will benefit with concise instructions and plenty of photos. This is a great resource for all who need restorative yoga to relax their body and soul. Very well formatted and presented beautifully.

I was excited to pick up this book because while I truly enjoy practicing yoga, sometimes a full on session is simply too much. When it's one of those difficult days when everything is just too much, all I want is for the world to stop turning. This book won't do that - but practicing restorative yoga actually might.

I didn't know about this type of yoga before, but it turns out it is a true powerhouse of relaxation which supports mental and physical health, alleviates headaches, improves sleep, helps resolve chronic stress and chronic pain, This beautiful book edition contains a multitude of photographs which show how to perform a pose step by step, accompanied by detailed and simply written instructions. I can expect it to be potentially life-changing.

I was simply mind-blown that yoga can be such an accessible practice to people with chronic pain, disabilities or advanced pregnancy. In fact, I would love to gift this book to my grandparents who complain about restrained mobility.

The only drawback of performing the given practice is the need for so much equipment. However, I believe than most of it can be substituted with carefully selected household items like pillows, bath towels, folded yoga mats, etc.

*Thank you to the Publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in return for an honest feedback.

A useful, mostly-visuals guide to restorative yoga (I'm still not sure how this is different from yin yoga?). Tons of photographs showing prop setup, moving into and out of asanas, variations and modifications. Some nice, albeit short, sequences are outlined at the end.

Could not read downloaded copy as it did not convert for Kindle, sadly. I would love to review it if this can be rectified.

I am a certified yoga teacher with a focus on restorative and yin yoga. This book is perfect! The images and instructions make poses extremely easy to follow. I will absolutely incorporate it into both my practice and teaching.

Great book for all yoga students everywhere! I appreciated the descriptions and photos. It was a very thorough book that beginner to advanced yogis can benefit from. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A soothing introduction to the practice of restorative yoga. Baginski begins with basic equipment needs (I may have paused in my review to order some yoga blocks...) and a history of restorative yoga. For each pose, she has an equipment list, step-by-step photos, and variations in intensity. You will definitely want to get out your mat and do a supported relaxation pose after reading this. Should be popular with readers who are interested in mindfulness, wellness, recovery from an injury, and yoga in general.

Great instructional book on restorative yoga. I used to take restorative yoga at the gym and this book is a great and instructional way to start up my own home practice. Lots of great tips on the benefits of a restorative yoga practice, history of, and the types of equipment needed (yoga mat, yoga blocks, chair, blanket, bolster, etc). The book includes photographs for each pose are very helpful AND photographs of the poses in variation forms. Each pose "page" includes a “precautions” note that lists anything you should be careful or any health issues you should be aware of before going into the posture. Some of these poses I have done previously in classes but not all variations are available in a gym. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work these poses out in my home. The book also includes the poses to make a restorative sequences to help you through or help you with insomnia, headaches, jet lag, and more.

Caren Baginski goes into every detail you would need to practice restorative yoga in this book.
As someone who needs to be practicing stretching and yoga, I found it to be a great reference guide whether as a complete beginner like myself or for the more advanced person.

Thank you so much for this review copy. I am just starting out with Yoga and I found this book very helpful! It is very easy to follow along.

First, I want to thank the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review <i>Restorative Yoga: Relax. Restore. Re-energize.</i> by Caren Baginski prior to its publication. Although I am grateful to the publisher, the review is completely my own.

As someone who has been interested in yoga and yoga flows for years, I was definitely interested to learn a bit more about restorative yoga. It's a yoga practice I've heard about, but haven't been overly familiar with. Thankfully, this isn't a book I can really spend a lot of time spoiling, so here is my basic review.

I think the book is beautifully shot. I really appreciated the diversity of images (age and racial). I do wish there had been a bit more body diversity when it came to the size of the yogis featured, but this is a pretty minor complaint.

My only caution with this book is that you really should pay attention to the general expectations for equipment to really get the most out of the book itself. Most of the equipment is pretty standard (yoga mat, blanket, blocks, etc.). However, to get the most out of the book, you should have both a flat and round bolster. Personally, I have looked into bolsters, but I have never purchased one, so a lot of the poses within the book wouldn't work for me at the moment. There are still many flows that don't use bolsters, but a lot of them do. As such, if you're going to get the most out of the book, definitely make sure you have all of the equipment necessary.

As for the writing within the book, it's very straight-forward and easy to read. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow, so I definitely think beginners and more advanced yogis will definitely benefit for this book as a whole.

I've been able to spend time with Caren Baginski's beautiful new book, Restorative Yoga. This book is just over 100 pages long and is filled with yoga poses meant to be held for several minutes each, not for stretching but rather for relaxing, restoring, and re-energizing. Readers at any level of fitness will be able to follow the deatiled directions and use the images to see how to set up each pose. There is also information about what to expect to get from each pose, and how to transition out of each pose.

I love that the people demonstrating the poses are of all ages and sizes. Many of the poses offer a modification, and all poses mention precautions to be aware of.

My favorite part of the book is the "Restorative Sequences" chapter. In this chapter, the reader is taken through a series of poses (the poses we have aready learned how to do individually) to support or relieve different situations: easing low back pain, recovering from fatigue, calming anxiety, and soothing headaches are just a few that seem especially crucial at this time.

As a reader already familiar with yoga, I feel comfortable trying all these poses. The one limitation, which the author does address right from the start, is props; bolsters, straps, and blocks are recommended, but not necessarily required. If I cannot get these props, there are details for how I could substitute folded towels and other items, but I feel like I would be missing out a bit if I don't have all the props. Plus, there is something to be said for the ease of tucking a bolster under my knees, versus folding a towel just right for a smilar (not quite the same?) effect. In the "Restorative Sequences" chapter, however, there is a sequence of poses that require minimal props, certainly a great starting point for anyone who wants to try some of the poses before investing in other items.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Caren Baginski, and DK Limited/Penguin Random House for an e-copy of Restorative Yoga in exchange for my honest review.