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Contents

BrainteasersBrainteasersBrainteasersBrainteasersBrainteasers The Kit Kat quiz......................................2The chocolate quiz..................................4

JokesJokesJokesJokesJokes Barmy blunders.......................................6Global blunders.......................................8Classroom blunders............................10Chat-up lines and put downs....................12You know you’re a cat lover when…......14You know you’re a dog lover when…..16You know you’re a mobile addict when…..18You know you’re an e-mail addict when…..20How to spend your lottery millions.............22What those text messages really mean......24

PPPPPuzzlesuzzlesuzzlesuzzlesuzzles Amazing Anagrams – the pop world...........26Amazing Anagrams – sport.......................28Amazing Anagrams – place names............30Ridiculous Riddles.......................................32Irritating Illusions........................................34

Amazing factsAmazing factsAmazing factsAmazing factsAmazing facts Triffic Trivia...................................................36Hyper Human...........................................38Super Science............................................40

15 minute15 minute15 minute15 minute15 minute Internet expert........................................42expertexpertexpertexpertexpert Flirt like an expert.....................................44

The think tank...........................................46

RRRRRelaxationelaxationelaxationelaxationelaxation How to chill-out .....................................48techniquestechniquestechniquestechniquestechniques Breathing ...............................................50

How to meditate.......................................52Tips on getting to sleep...............................54

Brief exercisesBrief exercisesBrief exercisesBrief exercisesBrief exercises Yoga......................................................56Chair-based workout..................................58

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Think you know your Kit Kats?The answers can be found at the end ofthe quiz, as well as on the Kit KatWeb site: www.kitkat.co.uk.

1. The Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp bar wasrenamed as ‘Kit Kat’ in which year?A – 1937B – 1945C – 1955

2. The Kit Kat name wasinspired by?A – A stray cat adopted by a RowntreeemployeeB – London’s Kit Kat clubC – The sound of snapping chocolate

3. Due to post-war milk shortages, Kit Katswere made for a time with plain chocolate.What colour were the wrappers changed to?A – OrangeB – BlueC – Yellow

4. ‘Have A Break - Have A Kit Kat’ was firstused in a TV advert when?A – 1957B – 1962C – 1967

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5. The single fingered Kit Kat Chunky waslaunched when?A – 1979B – 1989C – 1999

6. At which position does Kit Kat rank in theUK confectionery market?A – Number oneB – Number twoC – Number three

7. Enough Kit Kats are produced to out-stackthe Eiffel Tower every . . .A – DayB – Five minutesC – Week

8. How many Kit Kats are eaten in the UKevery second?A – 7B – 27C – 47

9. One day’s production of Kit Kats wouldstretch around?A – The worldB – The London UndergroundC – Heathrow Airport

Answers1. A 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. B

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Think you’re a true chocoholic?Let’s see how much you really know!

1. The original form of chocolate was?A – PowderB – SolidC – A drink

2. What is the approximate melting point ofchocolate?A – 35oCB – 70oCC – 105oC

3. How should chocolate be melted whencooking?A – In a heatproof bowl over a pan ofsimmering waterB – In a saucepan over a high heatC – Mixed with water in a saucepan

4. Christopher Columbus discoveredchocolate in?A – EuropeB – Central AmericaC – Asia

5. The cocoa bean grows?A – On a treeB – In the groundC – In water

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6. On a really hot day, where is the best placeto store chocolate?A – In direct sunlightB – In your pocketC – In a cool place, like a fridge

7. Where does the word ‘chocolate’ comefrom?A – SwitzerlandB – MexicoC – Kenya

Answers1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. C 7. B

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In 1876, the Post Office rejected theconcept of the telephone on the groundsthat most people had access to small boys

who could deliver messages for them.

When the young Paul McCartney tried tojoin his local cathedral choir, he was turneddown on the basis that he was ‘tone deaf

and couldn’t sing’.

The first canned food was sold in 1812.The first can-opener, however, didn’t

appear until 1860.

Gloucester town council passed a housinglaw making it illegal for tenants in publichousing to die without giving at least 30

days notice.

Need cheering up during your break?While enjoying a Kit Kat, treat yourself toa feast of mad blunders, cheesy chat-uplines and jokes on the next few pages.

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A criminal suspect was interrogated bymischievous police by placing a metal

colander on his head and connecting it withwires to a photocopier. The message ‘He’slying’ was placed in the photocopier, andthe police pressed the copy button each

time they thought the suspect wasn’t tellingthe truth. Believing the ‘Lie Detector’ was

working, the suspect confessed.

The Beatles were turned down by anumber of record companies before they

finally secured a deal. A representativefrom one of them explained his reasoning:he believed guitar-based groups were on

their way out.

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A business consultant in Swedenworked for 13 years on a book about

the Swedish economy. For safety,he took the 250 page manuscript tobe copied. A worker confused the

photocopier with the shredder, however,and reduced the manuscript to thousands

of tiny strips of paper.

A City Council in California enacted aban on nuclear weapons, and set a

$500 fine for anyone who detonatedone within city limits.

The Vauxhall Nova was not well suited toSpanish speaking countries. ‘No Va’ means

‘It Does Not Go’ in Spanish.

In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chickenslogan ‘finger-lickin’ good’ came out as ‘eat

your fingers off.’

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In 1875, the Director of the UnitedStates Patent Office resigned, and

recommended that the entire patentoffice be closed down. His reason fordoing so was his belief that there was

nothing left to be invented.

A man was arrested at a USairport hotel after he tried to

pass two (counterfeit) $16 bills.

When a cola company first exportedto Taiwan, their slogan ‘Come alive with

the . . . Generation’ was translatedinto Chinese rather too literally as

this drink ‘brings your ancestors backfrom the grave.’

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If you are really naughty at the big schoolyou will get exploded from school and you

can’t go back then.

Two halves make awhale.

‘You are under a restand you will beremembered in

custard for the night,’said the policeman.

These are genuine examples of children’swriting, collected by a school teacher.

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There was no transpot in Roman times.The soldiers had to walk everywhereand some other people came from

Rome on their carrots.

Last week it was Jack’s berthday.He brort a cak to school and we

all had a pis. I had a pink pis.

Planets can grow inpots or in soil.

Planets come from ablub or sid.

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I neverforget a face.

Neither do I, but inyour case I’ll try andmake an exception.

Do you comehere often?

Not if you do.

Do you think itwas fate that brought

us together?

No. It wasjust bad luck.

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You’ve got theface of an angel.

And you’ve gotthe face of a saint

— a Saint Bernard.

Hi there. I’d liketo ask you what’s your

idea of a perfect evening?

The one I was havingbefore you came over.

Hi, I’m a magician.Perhaps I could perform

a spell for you?

OK, can you makeyourself disappear?

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You take the phrase ‘cat nap’ literally andcan often be found enjoying a siesta curled

up in a wicker basket.

You learned to miaowbefore you could talk.

You train as acordon bleu cookjust so you canprepare 5-starmeals for yourmoggie. She

occasionally throwsyou the scraps.

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In order to share a greateraffinity with your Tom, youhave a human flap installed.

You don’t own a nailfile any more, you

simply join your cat inscratching trees.

You want your cat totravel in style so you buy

him a Furrari.

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You tape all series of Pet Rescue just in caseit features one of your canine friends.

Your ideal holiday wouldbe in Battersea Dogs’ Home

You talk to your dog…and it talks back.

Your postman won’t come nearyou in case you bite him.

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Your favourite film is 101 Dalmatians.

You walk on all fours in order to see theworld the way your dog does.

You hate cats.

You often sleep on the floorbecause you don’t like to

disturb the dog who issnoring happily on your bed.

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Your mobile phone provider no longersends you itemised bills…

it costs them too much man-time(and trees) to print them out.

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You’d ratherruin someone’swedding vowsthan miss a call.

A toddler asks for amobile for Christmas,and is upset when youbuy a phone to hang

above the cot.

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You suffer from a bad case of cold turkeywhen your Internet connection fails for a

whole day.

You are the lifeand soul of theparty…as long

as it’s being heldin a chat room.

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You count newmessages, not

sheep.

You’re not incontact with yourparents…becausethey can’t get the

hang of e-mail.

You arealways

flatteredwhen peoplerefer to youas a nerd.

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A break is a good time to check yourlottery numbers. But what will you spendthe money on if you win?

Why not buy your very own island?A haven of tranquillity and beauty in any

ocean can be yours for anything between£50,000 to £10 million.

You’ll want to buy a flash new car, so you’llneed to sell the old one. Why not advertiseit on the side of a European Space Agency

rocket? Yours for just £1 million o.n.o.

How about buying a million lottery ticketswith your winnings? With a million

combinations, you could probably win acouple of hundred tenners, maybe makeup to a million without even winning thejackpot. Your entries alone would put up

the jackpot considerably. Of course, you’dneed to employ hundreds of people just tocheck the tickets. That could put you back

a fortune in wages!

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Buy a football team. £1 million doesn’t buymuch in the soccer world these days, but

it’s a fun way to lose money!

Buy your way into a major movie. If theprice is right you could buy your way into ascene with your favourite actor or actress.

Want to tell someone you love them? Do itin style by spending your money on hiring

the Red Arrows to perform a personalroutine, finishing with a coloured smoke ‘I

love you’ to be seen for miles around.

For a really cool way to waste your wealth,hire a fleet of tug boats and tow a hugeiceberg down from the Arctic into the

English Channel. Then let the world’s bestice sculptors loose on it to create a massivebust of yourself. Once completed, tow it all

around the country until it melts.

Treat yourself to a lifetime’ssupply of Kit Kat.

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Sending text is slick, fast, efficient, conciseand very minimalist - perfect for catchingup with friends during a short break. Butwhen someone texts you, what do thoseabbreviations really mean?

IlBRdyIn5MinsHave to have a shower, choose an outfit,

phone my best friend and put on mymakeup – shouldn’t take too long!

Hlp!EmrgncyHuryHomeQckAaaaaargh! There’s a spider in the bath!

IvStrtedDecor8ngThHouseI’ve done the hard bit – buying the

wallpaper and paint – you can do therest.

* * * * * *It’s snowing.

“ “ “ “ “ “It’s raining.

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NSryCntCalU-Im@MprtntMtngI have taken the afternoon off and am

currently undertaking an important puttat the sixteenth.

I4GiveUNow that I’ve cut all your clothes in half

I’m willing to consider reconciliation.

UCnBoroMyClthsNEtimeULkeI need to borrow your new dress for a

party next week.

IvGtAScret2TelU-PromisNt2TelASoulHere’s a juicy bit of gossip but

don’t pass it on until I’ve finished tellingall my friends.

.... .- ...- . .- -... .-. . .- -.-I’m a conventionalist so I much prefer to

send text in the old-fashioned way.

IDotADoldI seem to have suddenly come down with

a very bad cold.

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Rearranging the letters of ‘Noel and LiamGallagher’ gives:

HELL! ALL GRAND EGOMANIA.

Rearranging the letters of ‘Sir Paul McCartney,ex-Beatle bass guitarist’ gives:

NATURAL BABY! CREATESGREAT SIXTIES LP MUSIC

Rearranging the letters of ‘Rod Stewart’ gives:

WORST DATER

Rearranging the letters of ‘The Rolling Stones’gives:

HELL! SING SO ROTTEN!

Anagrams can reveal hidden meaningswithin words simply by re-arranging theletters. The following pages contain somesurprising anagram revelations for you toenjoy while munching your Kit Kat.

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Rearranging theletters of ‘The singerGareth Paul Gates’gives:

AGHAST, GETEARPLUGS IN

THERE!

Rearranging the letters of ‘Singer CharlotteChurch’ gives:

SCREECHING CHORAL TRUTH

Rearranging the letters of ‘The Brit Awards’gives:

WHAT DIRE BRATS

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Rearranging the letters of‘Monsieur Eric Cantona’ gives:

I RUIN A SOCCER TEAM? NON!

Rearranging the letters of‘Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’ gives:

JOINTLY DANCE TO RAVEL.SPIN HER HARD!

Rearranging the lettersof ‘George Best’ gives:

GO GET BEERS!

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Rearranging the letters of‘Footballer Michael Owen’ gives

AMENABLE FELLOW... RICH TOO!

Rearranging the letters of‘The England football team’ gives:

DEFT BALL-GAME TALENT?OH NO!

Rearranging the letters of‘The English cricket team’ gives:

LIKE CHEERING TEST MATCH?

Rearranging the letters of‘The Wimbledon Championships’ gives:

POSH TIM HENMANCHIPS LOB WIDE.

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Rearranging theletters of‘London VictoriaStation’ gives:

TRAINCONDITION:

VAST LOO

Rearranging the letters of‘Windsor Castle’ gives:

ENTAILS CROWDS.

Rearranging the letters of‘London Bridge’ gives:

OLD OR BENDING.

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Rearranging the letters of‘Liverpool Street Station’ gives:

OLE! TRAINSPOTTERS LOVE IT!

Rearranging the letters of‘The Isle of Man’ gives:

FINE HOTELS, MA!

Rearranging the letters of ‘United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland’ gives:

DARK MINED-OUT LAND OFREIGNING THRONE AND

BITTER RAIN.

Rearranging the letters of‘Cambridge University’ gives:

I’M STUDYING BEER, VICAR.

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What driver doesn’t have a licence?A Screwdriver

What has a neck, but no head?A Bottle

What kind of can neverneeds a can opener?

A Pelican

How do you avoid falling hair?Move out the way

Why did the doctor switch jobs?He lost his patients

Why did the tree see the dentist?To get a root canal

What kind of jokes did Einstein make?Wisecracks

Take a tour of some riddles and illusionsto accompany your Kit Kat on the nextfew pages . . .

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What always goes tobed with shoes on?

A Horse

What is the first thingyou do every morning?

Wake up

What kind of clothes do lawyers wear?Lawsuits

What animal breaks the law?A Cheetah

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Can you see adiamond shape?

Are the dotsblack or white?

Are the horizontal lines parallel or curved?

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Do you see shapes or a word?

Two faces or achalice?

Are these linesthe same length?

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You’ll wonder how you ever got alongwithout these facts!

‘I am.’ is the shortest completesentence in the English language.

The longest recorded flight of achicken is thirteen seconds.

The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.

A broken clock is right twice a day.

The shortest war in history was betweenZanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar

surrendered after 38 minutes.

A piece of paper can’t befolded in half more than seven times,

regardless of its size.

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You burn more calories sleepingthan you do watching TV.

A jumbo jet’s wingspan is longer than theWright brothers’ first flight.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

Most dust particles consist of dead skin.

The phrase ‘rule of thumb’ comes from anold English law that you couldn’t beat yourwife with anything wider than your thumb.

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A human being is an amazing machine(well – it invented the Kit Kat, after all!).Here are some surprising facts about us:

Our brains have about100 billion nerve cells.

Blood travels 60,000 miles (96,540 km)per day through our bodies.

It’s impossible to sneezewith your eyes open.

We use 72 different muscles to speak.

A cough comes out of your mouth at 60miles (96.5 km) per hour.

We blink about 6,205,000 times each year.

Our ears and nose continue to growthroughout our lives.

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15 million blood cells are destroyed in ourbodies every second.

Our hearts, on average, pump 48 milliongallons of blood during our lifetime.

Each square inch (2.5 cm) of our skinconsists of 20 feet (6 m) of blood vessels.

We breathe more than 20,000 times a day.

We walk, onaverage, theequivalent of

five timesaround the

equatorduring ourlifetime.

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When you’ve finished chewing on your KitKat, chew on these amazing facts!

IBM’s ASCI White supercomputer, thefastest computer in the world, weighs asmuch as 17 elephants and can do in onesecond what a calculator would take 10

million years to do.

The energy in one hurricane is equal toabout 500,000 atomic bombs.

There are more than 50,000 earthquakesthroughout the world every year.

The opposite sides of a dicecube always add up to seven.

An average size icebergweighs 20,000 tons.The largest icebergs

weigh millions of tons.

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A lump of pure gold the size of amatchbox can be flattened into asheet the size of a tennis court.

The world’s termites outweighthe world’s humans 10 to 1.

Mercury is the only metal thatis liquid at room temperature.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for1/100th of a second. Thus the saying,

I will be there in a jiffy.

The microwave was invented after aresearcher walked by a radar tube and a

chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

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Why not spend your break surfing thenet? When you’ve checked out the fun atwww.kitkat.co.uk, here’s a selection ofsites to visit while enjoying your Kit Kat.

www.anagramgenius.comContains a fun and free service that willgenerate anagrams from someone’s name ande-mail them to that person.

www.jigsawland.comHundreds of jigsaw puzzles you can do online.

www.classicgaming.com/vaultThis site is packed with all the old classicarcade and computer games. Turn back theclock a few years and have a game ofAsteroids!

www.hsx.comThe Hollywood Stock Exchange – a free virtualstock market where you buy and sell shares ofyour favourite movies, rock groups andHollywood stars. As their popularity increases,so does the value of your portfolio.

www.mensa.orgFeeling clever? If you have 30 minutes to spare,see how you get on with this brainy challenge.

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www.ichef.comIf you fancycooking upsomething exoticthis site hasrecipes fromaround the world,as well as beingan excellentreference source.Or create yourown onlinecookbook.

www.empireonline.co.ukThis site is perfect for finding out what filmsare being shown in the UK. There is alsoinformation on future releases.

www.howstuffworks.comWant to learn something useful in your break(such as how chocolate is made)? Look nofurther than this site.

www.rinkworks.com/dialect/The Dialectizer – translates text or web pagesinto various funny dialects. Just type in the webaddress of your favourite site and see itpresented in Cockney or other dialects!

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These are the top 10 do’s and don’ts forflirting like an expert.

Do . . .1. Smile.

2. Maintain eye contact.

3. Use the person’s name.

4. Be generous in your praise for theirclothes, hair, opinions etc.

5. Encourage them to tell you aboutthemselves.

6. Relax in their company; regard themas old friends.

7. Find mutual connections in the peopleyou know or the lives you lead.

8. Gently tease the conversation towardsromance without being direct.

9. Read their body language.

10. Show that you appreciate a Kit Kat.

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Don’t . . .1. Let rejection get you down. Learn from

it and move on.

2. Give too much away about yourselfimmediately. Learn the attractiveness ofbeing enigmatic.

3. Cling or appear needy.

4. Fidget or look awkward.

5. Wait for things to happen. Make themhappen.

6. Think about how well you’re doing.Just be natural.

7. Forget to be a good listener.

8. Drink too much.

9. Aim too high – go for people you thinkwill be attracted to you.

10. Eat your Kit Kat in front of someoneyou fancy without offering to share it!

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There’s nothing more annoying thanreaching into an empty pocket andrealising you’ve forgotten to buy a Kit Katon the way to work.

Our brains are like computers – we have a limitedamount of short term memory (RAM) but theinformation will quickly vanish unless we save itto our long term memory (hard disk). The knackis to get the information onto that hard disk inthe brain before we lose it. Here are some tipson improving your memory in 15 minutes so thatthis problem can be avoided in future.

1. Concentration. Half of the information cominginto our brains is lost immediately due to distractionsaround you. Concentrating only on one thing willenable more of the information to be retained.

2. Repetition. Some people believe that a fact needsto be repeated seven times in order for it to enterlong term memory.

3. Association. Try to relate information to otherrelevant facts. Grouping information togetherstrengthens the memory process.

4. Pictures. Try to think in terms of pictures, ratherthan words. The brain remembers images more easilythan language, so picture that red and white Kit Katin your mind so that you don’t forget to buy it.

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5. Connections. If you need to remember lists ofthings, e.g. the sequence of roads to your destination,try to visualise the way in which each road connectsto the next one.

6. Music. We use a different part of the brain toremember music, so taking your favourite tune andsinging the words to something you need toremember can be a fast way to get it into your longterm memory.

7. Understanding. It’s hard to remember somethingyou don’t understand. Concentrate on understandingit first, and the memorising will happen more easily.

8. Mnemonics. Some kinds of information are suitedto this technique. The most popular method is to takethe first letter of each word in a list of things to belearned and to create a new word or sentence fromthose letters.

9. Colour. Use colour toemphasise different kindsof information – e.g. whenmaking revision notes.

10. Summarize. Youdon’t need to learn awhole page of informationword for word. Extractthe basic facts and learnjust those.

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Don’t panic when things go wrong! Thingswill work out fine in the end if you use thesetop ten chill-out tips.

1.Sit down and treat yourself to a Kit Kat.

2.Smile. Force it if you have to. Moving the facial

muscles into a smile makes you feel better.

3.Control your breathing (see next chapter).

4.Remind yourself that this day will pass.

Tomorrow will be a fresh opportunity tomake things go right.

5.Write a list of all that is good about your life.

Concentrate on it. Think about it andnothing else for 15 minutes.

6.Share the burden of the stress with someone

or visit a friend who makes you feel good.Talk it through, and suddenly it won’t weigh

so heavily on your shoulders.

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7.Laugh. Watch a comedy programme or treat

yourself to a video of your favouritecomedian. Laughter relaxes tense muscles.

8.Close your eyes and sit in silence for 15

minutes, imagining yourself on a warm beachwith the water lapping at your toes. Or use

the meditation techniques in this book.

9.Listen to music for 15 minutes, preferably

through headphones so that nothing else candistract you.

10.Talk to yourself in a reassuring way.

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Breathing control is fundamental toachieving inner calm. It doesn’t take longand can be done anywhere. Learn thesetechniques whilst eating your Kit Kat,then practise them on your next break.

1.Sit or lie in a comfy position and practise

complete stillness. Start to become aware ofyour natural incoming and outgoing breath.

2.Don’t interfere with the natural rhythm of your

breathing, but become increasingly moreconscious, letting yourself relax into its

continual ebb and flow.

3.Come closer to your breath (better you than

anyone else), keeping awareness of everyinhalation and exhalation, and begin to say

mentally ‘I am aware I am breathing in, I amaware I am breathing out.’

4.Feel the breath flowing in and out of the nose –you’ll notice the breath is cool as it enters the

nostrils and warm as it flows out.

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5.Bring awareness to the throat and feel the

breath flowing down the throat.

6.Next bring the awareness to the chest and feel

the breath flowing through the trachea andbronchial tubes.

7.Feel the breath flowing through the

lungs, followed by the rib cage and thenthe abdomen, observing expansion

and relaxation of each area.

8.Finally, become aware of the whole breathing

process from the nostrils to the abdomenbefore opening your eyes.

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Meditation is known to have positivehealth benefits. It can improve energylevels, help promote sleep and can evenslow down the aging process. Try thesesimple steps to get the best out of yourbreak.

1.Find a quiet, comfy place. Sit in a chairor on the floor with your head, neck and back straight. Clear your mind

of thoughts of the day (and chocolate)and try to stay in the present.

2.Become aware of your breathing and theair moving in and out of your body (fromyour mouth!) as you breathe. Feel yourtummy rise and fall, and the air going in

your nostrils and out of your mouth.

3.Watch every thought come and go. Whenthoughts enter your head, don’t suppress

them, but note them, remain calm andconcentrate on your breathing.

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4.If you suddenly get carried away in yourthoughts, think about where your mindwandered off to, without judging, then

return to your breathing. Don’t be hard onyourself if your mind wanders.

5.As you’re coming to the end of yourmeditation, sit for a minute or two,

becoming aware of where you are, andthen get up gradually.

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The biggest break of the day comes atbedtime. If you have trouble getting tosleep, try some of these common sense tips:

1. It’s essential that you allow time for your mindand body to wind down, so try a relaxing activitybut not vigorous exercise before bedtime liketaking a hot bath, having a massage or listeningto some music.

2. If you’re having trouble sleeping, don’t thrashabout in bed. Get up and do something untilyou’re fighting off sleep, then go back to bed.Repeat the process if necessary.

3. Sleep for as long as your body needs. Todetermine how much sleep your body needs,simply check to see how much you need to feelrested and alert the next day, and adjust accordingly.

4. Our bodies love routine, so try to follow aregular bed and wake up time. Even if you stayup late, try to drag yourself out of bed at thesame time each morning, to help get back into ahealthy sleep pattern.

5. Avoid or reduce your intake of caffeine, alcoholand cigarettes. A few glasses of your favourite tipplemay help send you off into oblivion, but it contributesto poor quality sleep and frequent wake-ups.

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6. Eat light, and include protein in your meal toavoid night time hunger pangs. If you have a KitKat before going to bed, try doing so an hour ortwo before you turn in.

7. Exercise regularly and at the right time. Lateafternoon and early evening is better thanmorning or late evening, however, it’s said thatsome forms of late night exercise can aidrelaxation and improve sleep!

8. Eliminate distracting noises. Close doors andwindows if necessary (although a supply of freshair can help improve the quality of sleep).

9. Don’t count sheep – count your breaths.Breathe slowly and deeply, and concentrate oncounting these breaths.

10. Close your eyes. It sounds obvious, but noteveryone does this and then they wonder whythey’re not sleeping!

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The Basics of Yoga

Unify your mind, body and breath withthis simple, popular movement, The Tree(Vrksasana). (It may be a good idea to finda quiet spot, away from prying eyes, orthey may think you’ve gone mad!)

1.Start by fixing your gaze at a point inthe room or on the wall ahead of youat eye height, and continue to fix your

gaze at that point.

2.Bring your hands together into the

prayer position, keeping the positionat chest height.

3.Keeping your gaze fixed and your hands

in prayer, slowly lift one foot off theground and rest it on the opposite calf.

If this isn’t comfy or you find you’re losingyour balance, then move your foot down

to the ankle. This movement helpsstrengthen the whole leg.

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4.Notice your mind coming right into the

present – this really helps with the balance.

5.Hold the position for as long as

possible (usually for as long as youcan keep your balance).

6.Repeat the sequence by balancing on theother leg for as long as you can without

overdoing it or toppling over.

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Exercises don’t all involve running aroundand sweating into a brightly colouredtracksuit. There is much you can do totone your body from the comfort of yourchair whilst watching television or sittingat your desk at work (but use a staticrather than a swivel chair).

Never exercise without warming up andstretching first. If you suffer from any medicalconditions, consult your doctor before beginningan exercise programme.

1. Seated leg extension.Repeatedly raise and lower your legs slowly,keeping them as straight as you can. Repeat 5times. As your strength builds over time, tryadding weights to your feet to increase theeffort level required. If you don’t have properankle weights available, try just balancing abook or two.

2. Inner thigh squeeze.Place a large ball between your knees (afootball or beachball is ideal). Gently squeezeyour knees together, then release. Repeat fivetimes.

3. Outer thigh.Wrap a stretchy band around both your legs atthe knee and gently pull your legs apart and

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then back together (don’t let them snap backsuddenly – keep it under control). Repeat fivetimes.

4. Bicep curls.Using hand weights (or books), raise yourhands to shoulder level and lower back towaist level again. Repeat five times.

5. Seated bench press.Crouch off the edge of your chair with yourhands behind you on the seat. Keeping yourback straight and close to the edge of the chair,lower yourself down, taking the weight onyour arms, and then raise yourself back upagain. Repeat five times.

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Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd 2003

Illustrations by Kate Taylor

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nortransmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without thewritten permission of the publisher.

Summersdale Publishers Ltd46 West StreetChichesterWest SussexPO19 1RPUK

www.summersdale.com ISBN 1 84024 151 9

AcknowledgementsEmma Burgess, Peter Jeffcock, Alastair Williams,Olivia Edward, Rob Tobin, Stewart Ferris, Stuart McLean,Charlotte Williams, Amy Charter, Jenny Humphreys.

For the anagrams:William Tunstall-Pedoe, Scott Clements, David A. Green,Steve Datson, Kevin Hale, David Bourke, Jaybur, Will Thomas,Ivor Hutchinson, Mick Tully, Mike Mesterton-Gibbons,Joe Fathallah, Nigel Hunton-Carsouls.

Important NoteEvery effort has been made to make this book as accurate aspossible. The authors and publishers shall have neitherresponsibility nor liability to any person or entity with respect toany loss or damage arising from information contained in thisbook.

Kit Kat is a registered trade mark of Société des Produits NestléS.A., 1800 Vevey, Switzerland. © 2003 Société des ProduitsNestlé S.A. Vevey, Switzerland. Trade Mark Owners.