If you’ve ever harbored the desire to do the splits, this desire probably left you around age 13, eclipsed by equally brutal preoccupations like romance or acne. Written by Eiko, a yoga teacher based in Osaka, the book has you do several minutes of yoga and gentle bouncing every day for a month, at which point you’ll be able to do the splits while seated on the floor. The book has sold more than a million copies; Eiko’s instructional videos on YouTube have been viewed 6.7 million times. First, Gumby-like bendiness is not the book’s sole mandate — Eiko contends that the ancillary benefits of being able to do the splits include weight loss, improved balance, injury prevention and peace of mind. Eiko recommends that, with any move, you push yourself to 70 percent of your capacity.

Source: New York Times February 23, 2018 05:03 UTC