Hatha yoga, what most Westerners think of when they think of yoga, has always been based in physical practice. Still, the Eastern traditions and spirituality of many styles of Hatha Yoga are what draw so many people to yoga. They’re also what put so many others off.

As a result, in the last decade or so, “secular yoga” classes, or what I call No Om Yoga classes, have been popping up all over the place. That’s rewarding to me because I’ve been teaching No OM Yoga for years in my Yoga for Athletes® classes. No OM Yoga is all about removing the barriers that keep people from trying yoga.

No OM Yoga trades Sanskrit terms for plain English. As the name implies, there’s no chanting in No OM classes. People who want to benefit from yoga—from increasing their flexibility to lowering their stress levels—don’t have to pay to chant along with songs (or instructors) they don’t really relate to. Strong, fundamental poses that can be adjusted to your own ability are taught instead of the intricate “pretzel poses” people often associate with traditional yoga. No OM classes are non-competitive and newcomers are welcomed and made to feel at home. And there’s no place for the whole “intimidation factor” that many people feel walking into some yoga classes.

No Om Yoga is sometimes confused with other types of secular yoga, especially Power Yoga. Even yoga pros sometimes make the mistake. Yet Power Yoga instructors often still use Sanskrit terms for poses and include chanting in their classes. And some Power Yoga classes can be out-and-out pretzel-poser competitions. The intimidation can be sky high, especially for newcomers. The first Power Yoga class I took, the teacher started class by having everyone do handstands! But maybe the biggest turn-off for me with a lot of Power Yoga classes is the whole teacher-as-guru thing. Whether they mean to or not, many Power Yoga instructors wind up with students who treat them like celebrities (and big egos to match).

No Om Yoga isn’t about anyone’s power but your own. “I’m not your guru, you are,” is how I’ve been putting it for years. No OM Yoga is about welcoming newcomers, not acting like your class is an exclusive club. It’s about a straightforward approach to yoga that keeps people practicing instead of putting them off. Most of all, No OM Yoga is about sharing all the great physical and mental benefits of practicing yoga with people who can use those benefits now more than ever.

First, amazing news about The No OM Zone Yoga Workouts DVD. Since its release last December, it’s gotten all kinds of great press. Most recently, Shape magazine featured it as June’s Fitness DVD of the Month and The Washington Post gave it a nice review alongside their review for America’s Biggest Losers star, Jillian Michaels’, new dvd. Needless to say, we appreciate all the nice press (check it all out here).

Even better, last week the No OM Zone broke into the Amazon Top 10 bestsellers for all yoga DVDs! This is amazing news. It’s really gratifying to know so many people are choosing and using it! And we’re a little extra proud since most all other bestselling titles are produced by powerhouse production companies with big bucks for making and marketing their DVDs. We do it all ourselves at YAS Productions…with a whole lot of help from you!

Speaking of which, I want to thank all of you who bought and use my No OM Zone DVD. Those of you who haven’t tried it yet: What are you waiting for? The DVD contains three, 15-minute yoga sessions, each focusing on a different area of the body: Upper body, Core and Lower body. They’re all easy to master (no pretzel poses or Sanskrit terminology) and the degree of difficulty is easy to adjust by going deeper into poses. Best of all, because the workouts are brief, you can fit them in throughout your day. So if you haven’t checked out the DVD, here’s your chance.

As for my new book, “The No OM Zone: No Chanting, No Granola, No Sanskrit,” well, it’s hot off the presses! I got advance copies just last week and I have to say, I’m very excited. It’s been a long road from coming up with the idea, through the writing and editing process, and on to its release. But after getting my hands on one, I know it’s all been worth it. It’s published by Rodale Books and will go on sale in stores and online July 6. (Buy it at Amazon.)

As you can guess if you know me, the book is all about taking a practical approach to yoga. It features a number of yoga workouts designed to appeal to everyday people—including yoga skeptics. Actually, I wrote the book for those of us who don’t want all the gongs and whistles that often come with practicing yoga. It’s for people who just want good old, straightforward advice on how to get the well-known benefits of yoga—hold the trimmings.

Rodale asked us to make a video clip to promote the book and again, YAS Productions did the job! You’ll definitely want to check it out since its come to be known as the “clip where Kimberly strips.” Yes, you read that right. And, yes, it’s still SFW (safe for work). Dying to know how I pulled it off (pun sort of intended)? You’ll have to watch the video.

And be sure to keep an eye out for the book. I’m confident it will move you!

Both L.A. Confidential‘s latest issue—The Fitness & Beauty issue—and Ladies’ Home Journal’s LHJ.com Ladies Lounge blog ran pieces on us last week and needless to say, we’re thrilled.

“The Power of Positivity,” the L.A. Confidential piece written by Editor-in-Chief, SariAnne Tuschman, talks about my history of overcoming cancer to compete as a professional triathlete and, ultimately, to found YAS Fitness Centers. That article is only available in the print version of the issue, so if you want to see it, check out the current L.A. Confidential (on newsstands now).

The LHJ.com piece was penned by Senior Editor Louise Sloan, who recounted the fun she had doing The No OM Zone Yoga Workouts DVD with her three-year-old son. I guess I’m right when I claim “you’re never too young or old to do yoga!”

Big thanks to both SariAnne and Louise for taking the time to talk about all we’re up to here at YAS! I hope you’ll check out both of these writers’ pieces.