On a recent trip to Europe, the most important piece of paper in my travel wallet turned out not to be my driver's licence, my Visa card, or even my passport, but a laminated sheet of yoga poses torn from the back of Travel Yoga: Stretches for Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More! by Darrin Zeer (Chronicle Books, $12.95). It didn't help me rent a car, secure a hotel room, or cross a border, but it may well have kept me out of prison for the murder of incompetent airline baggage handlers.

Stuck in the Zurich airport with no suitcase and a forfeited train reservation to the south of France, I had a full 24 hours to test the publisher's claim that this "ultimate on-the-road companion…with more than 50 tips and techniques to help you relax and rejuvenate" was an antidote to the indignities of modern travel.

Even a seasoned traveller-or perhaps especially a seasoned traveller-will appreciate this cheery book, with its reminders to "master the art of waiting" and "find pleasure in your travel experience". There is practical information about how to pack better, sleep better, and even sit better, but the real value here is the straightforward descriptions of simple, effective stretches-with playful names such as the Mile-High Massage, Flight-Got-Bumped Rag Doll Stretch, and Turbulence Tension Tamer-that can be performed in even the tightest economy-class seats. It's probably nothing you don't already know-it's just packaged in a way that makes it seem like good medicine.

At just 12 by 16 centimetres, the book was compact enough to tuck into the too-small-for-much-of-anything side pouch of my suitcase. Fortunately, I'd removed the aforementioned cheat sheet of stretches before I stowed the book; in future, that handy card will be a permanent part of my carry-on kit.