Customer Reviews

On the Ball With Sara Ivanhoe: Yoga Workout for Beginners

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you, like me, are overweight and not very fit, but very interested in doing yoga well, this is the video for you. The use of the stability ball allows those of us who are less like gumby and more like bluto to acheive the harder positions and stretch without killing ourselves. If you are a larger person, some of the traditional yoga positions put enormous pressure on your joints and extremities, but using the ball allows the weight to be more evenly distributed and makes it much more comfortable and pleasant to perform the routine. Sara Ivanhoe is knowledgeable, very personable and a pleasure to spend time with. The workout is somewhat challenging, but is well paced and gives you ample time to achieve each pose. I cannot say enough good things about this DVD.

My sister the yogi insisted I get started doing this ancient form of exercise. She's been doing yoga for years, and while I did yoga in high school, I've been a drop-out for decades. Ok, ok, I'm getting started, really, I am, Sis!

I chose this Yoga DVD because it was labeled for "beginners" and also because I have a large exercise ball gathering dust. I liked the idea of using the ball for support because I am clumsy as hell, and the ball acts as a sort of yoga block as well as making you use your small muscles as you strive to balance. (I was told by a professional trainer that this is why free weights and walking are superior to static machine exercises, because the act of balancing uses many more muscles.) So I pumped up the big ball and dusted it off, got out a sticky mat (you need one for this) and took off my shoes and put on some suitable yogi pants and a soft tee shirt. I then tested the ball, as the DVD instructs you, to make sure it was at the right firmness to position me correctly.

Ms. Ivanhoe has a clear, pleasant voice, the filming is bright, well-positioned and easy to follow. The workout was moderately challenging for me--nothing I couldn't do, but not overly easy. I felt the workout immediately in my abdominals, while getting a pleasant stretch to my entire back. You start with a series of movements, each position flowing into two or three more "asanas" to make a set of exercises. The first set uses the puppy pose (head down, back arched inward) and the pyramid pose (rather like stretching the hamstrings before working out.) You roll the ball down and put your hands on the ball rather than on the mat as an advanced pose might have you do. A nice back stretch. The second set used the cat pose (arching and swaying your back) and ending up in the plank pose--lying prone on the ball, using your hands to support you in a horizontal position that makes you use your abdominals. The next set was the "Salute to the Sun" --four more moves. Throughout, the instructor tells you which asana to inhale on, and which to exhale on--this is important, says my sister. The key to Yoga is knowing when to breath and this is not always part of every instructional tape or DVD. When I was done, I felt my abdominals had been worked--I felt "centered" which is the aim of this set of yoga exercises.

I rate this five stars--definitely good for a beginner (assuming you have no health issues you must discuss with your physician) and a great way to get started in yoga. I enjoyed every moment of this workout on the ball.

Sara has such nice way about her - she is measured, patient and has a soothing voice. This dvd is really geared towards those that can't do yoga positions on their own and need the ball as a means of support. For a true yoga enthusiast, it offers variation but not enough stretch to fulfill.The sun salutation series is almost pointless with a ball if you are used to doing them on the floor. Don't confuse this with a stability ball exercise tape - this is a beginner's yoga tape with a ball as a prop. Great tape if you don't expect more than it offers.

Sara Ivanhoe is known for her precise instructions and nurturing teaching style. In "On the Ball" she focuses on core muscle groups by using the ball during yoga postures. This may seem like it would make the postures more difficult and that is the case while doing warrior. While doing downward dog (called puppy dog pose) and cat/cow, the postures are much easier with the ball.

During chair pose the ball is held over the head so you are using it more as a weight and this presents a balance challenge. So throughout you are either using the ball as a supporting feature or as a weight. If you have long legs you may find you move the ball out of the way on a few of the standing poses while it becomes more useful when doing pyramid and the final series of stretches.

Overall I felt I got a good workout as I could feel the work I'd done on the core muscle groups. The balancing aspects of yoga are slightly enhanced with the ball so you are using more muscles to keep yourself stabilized. I think this will be mostly enjoyed by beginners or intermediates who want some balance challenges.

~The Rebecca Review

Finally!!! I was able to do Yoga and not feel strained trying to hold a pose. I really enjoyed using the ball in this way and I find that Sara is a great instructor, with very clear precise guidance to position your body properly and really get into each pose.

It was soothing, relaxing, invigorating... she explains modifications to make the poses easier or more challenging. There's lots of room to grow with this DVD, not counting the bonus extras.

I'm extremely pleased with this purchase and I will be doing this workout often!

This workout is super...the concept of using a balance ball to do yoga poses is great. I love my ball workouts, but most of them are pilates-based and not very relaxing. Sara is a great instructor. I have enjoyed her Candlelight Yoga dvd for a long time and was glad to see her as the instructor of this practice. This is a good way to get started in yoga, and a nice way to use your ball for a relaxation exercise.

Ok, so I rented this because I was curious. I have a balance ball, and had no idea how it could be incorporated into yoga. I have been doing yoga for years, so I thought "beginner" would be too easy. However, I really like Sara Ivanhoe (her early Crunch yoga DVDs are cute and fun), so I decided to give it a chance anyway. For me, this is a good routine to do when I am low energy and need something much more mellow than my typical workout. The poses were a lot of fun, and because I wasn't straining, I could focus on my alignment. The routine doesn't move too quickly, so I felt as though I had time to arrange myself on the ball. I also was able to follow the instructions Sara was giving without straining to watch her or having to turn around to look (good routine choreography!) I did find that in some poses the ball rolled out from under me and was difficult to use as a balance tool, but most of the time I found myself thinking: "Wow, I'm tempted to use the balance ball in my regular yoga practice, this is great!" I was about to sell off the balance ball, but thanks to this workout I'll keep it around.

The first time I did this I was like no way am I ever going to be able to get into some of these poses! I however love the calm and very warm way that Sara works through the poses. After several weeks of working with this DVD I can get into all but one of the poses, The Eagle Pose (which I am going to blame on short legs and arms). I feel the flexibility and love the way I feel stretched out after I finish. I love using the ball for my workouts as it supports my back and helps me to get into poses that I might not have ever been able to do! The pace is slow and steady and you go from easy into more challenging and then cool down! It is a great DVD for people who have never done yoga before and want to use their ball in their workouts!

Performing regular Yoga I quickly became nauseous using some of the positions (downward dog, etc.) Using the ball as the DVD shows I over came this. Also much easier on the back and shoulders.

I find most yoga videos very difficult, simply because I am not very flexible or very good at balancing. That's why I love this DVD. The ball is used as a prop to keep you balanced and properly aligned. Many poses which I find difficult to impossible become doable with the ball. For this reason, this DVD is probably too easy for anyone who is not a beginner. But for a beginner, it is a perfect way to build up confidence and flexibility. I also love Sara Ivanhoe, the instructor. She is encouraging without being obnoxiously bubbly and has a soothing voice.