Customer Reviews

Crunch - The Joy of Yoga [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was the first yoga video I bought when I started doing it about 6 months ago, and it's the only one that has stood the test of time. I've wasted a lot of money and time with other yoga videos, including Yoga Zone, Yoga Journal, Jane Fonda's yoga tape, and they all went straight to the garage sale. This video gives you a very effective and challenging yoga "workout" in half an hour. The instructor is great, the "scenery" is interesting, the music is just right, and the other participants in the video are lively and obviously working just as hard as you are to get the correct form for the poses. Great value.

After doing yoga for a few years, I found this tape. It's a great 30 minute workout. Very easy to follow, not boring because of varied poses and because of the time frame, I've found I can fit it into my schedule everyday.

I've been curious about yoga for a long time and finally spotted this video at a store...it's not what I would call "easy", but it gives a good intro to yoga. The instructor is down-to-earth, warm, and knowledgeable. Her tone is very encouraging. The earthy background music is great. Watching all the other women who participated in this video bend, stretch, and twist into the poses without losing a breath can be somewhat intimidating for a beginner (it was for me), but after 3 or 4 run-throughs of the tape, it gets easier. Worth a try, in my opinion.

I think that this video was great. Sara Ivanhoe, the instructor, has a very soothing voice. Her voice and the music in the background really helps me to relax. This is my first yoga video. I think that it is a good one because Sara gives you modifications if you are a first timer and you don't have the flexibility yet. I just ordered another one with Sara as the instructor. She's great and so is this video!!!

I like the detailed instructions. Maybe because I am technical in nature. I want to do the pose correctly. Correct form is the most effective way to do yoga. I didn't find her voice irratating at all.

In preparation for a live class in yoga, I came by chance across this video. It served its purpose then, and has been the only video of this art I have found so effective in the time allowed. My working schedule is such that a half hour or so is all I can spend dailey. I have been looking for other yoga videos of this nature by Sara Ivanhoe, and/or Crunch. If they are available, please let me know!

Cath Winters

This video is great for breathing and relaxing. If you are like me, I always carry tension in my neck/shoulders. At times, I can feel myself squeezing my shoulders to my ears. This yoga video helps me to release tension because the instructor is always reminding us to breath, roll our shoulders back, and to let go... Ahhhhh, it is a starting place!!! This yoga routine is very basic and includes poses like the warrior and downward dog. The main focus is on leg stretches so this would be a good video for a runner.

I gave the video 5 stars for the following reasons:
(1) Sara reminds you to breath--this is central to yoga.
(2) All poses are clearly demonstrated. The camera angles are great so you can see how the pose is suppose to be done correctly.
(3) Alternative poses are clearly demonstrated by another instructor. You actually get to *SEE* your options (other yoga videos will not always demonstrate these alternatives). So you can go at your own pace and modify the program to suit your needs.
(4) Clocking in around 30 minutes, this video is quick and fairly easy so it is easy to incorporate into your daily schedule.

NOTE: One of the reviewers complained that the instructor is patronizing and/or too friendly. Sara has a very soothing tone, she speaks to remind you to breath and to explain how to position yourself correctly. She also smiles throughout the video--so she is not intimidating at all. I personally found her to be a great instructor because I felt like she wanted me to learn the proper techniques of yoga. But you must decide if these attributes sound annoying to you. I found her commentary helpful and sunny disposition motivating.

I've used this tape for a while now. It's not my first introduction to yoga, but I think it is good for beginners and intermediates. What I like most about the tape is that it is a decent yoga workout in 30 minutes that does not focus entirely on sun salutations as do many other tapes (though poses from the sun salutation are included). It also shows modifications for people with less flexibility (or for a less demanding session). It also takes some of the "mystery" out of yoga and treats it as stretching with breathing. After doing this tape for a while, though, I find that I am beginning to dislike the set alot. It would have been so much more pleasant to have been taped outdoors with some scenery. Otherwise, I think it's a good tape when I don't want to spend a lot of time stretching. I do find that I reach for this tape more than some of my others tapes.

This excersise tape is extremely good. I just started doing Yoga and Pilates a couple of months ago, and really noticed a difference in my body within weeks. The instructor is great, very motivational, and the workout leaves you feeling strong and energized. The directions are easy to follow. It also has alternative methods for beginners, but you'll find that by the third workout, you'll want more. I'm someone who, after graduating from college five years ago, became too busy to work out. When I first started doing the tape, I wasn't very flexible, which kind of frustrated me. But within five workouts, I noticed I was already touching my feet, and the floor. This workout is only about 35 minutes long, so it's easy to do in the morning before work, or at night when I get home. It gives me time to cook afterward, clean up, and watch TV. The best thing is that it's so much fun, you'll want to make time to do it. I highly recommend it.

I fondly imagined that this would be a gentle stretch to soothing music, so was rather challenged by quite a tough workout. One thing, do have a proper mat. My knees did not do well on a towel and I had to purchase a good mat before I could repeat the workout. Further to other reviews, the instructor's very affected speech patterns were annoying and distracting, but not enough to take away from the fact that I will use this tape again and again.