Customer Reviews

Kathy Smith - New Yoga Challenge: Intermediate

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Another great Kathy Smith tape! I am not an absolute beginner, but I am still very new to yoga and I thought this tape offered great instruction, along with more variety in the poses than other tapes I've seen.

After doing this tape only 3 times, I can see the difference in my flexibility and all the muscle soreness from other exercise has disappeared! The "beginner" in her video is always clearly visible, so you can always see the modifications to more difficult poses. This means you never feel frustrated that you can't duplicate Kathy's ultra-flexible moves, and that helped motivate me to keep with it.

All in all, I think this is a great intro to the benefits of yoga and I highly recommend it.

After exhausting many other relaxation efforts, I bought this video on a fluke. My daily life is extremely busy and stressful. By the end of my average day, my muscles and joints are sore, and very stiff. My head is full of worry and I generally feel lousy. However, that's all changed now. After only a few attempts at "Kathy Smith's New Yoga" program, I felt tremendous stress relief. I found myself breathing deeper, more fully, and with sound ryhthm. My muscles are growing more limber and I feel more at ease in my mind. Yoga does clear out the clutter in your head and body, using a series of deep breathing techniques combined with stretching and standing poses. It may seem challenging at first, but each and every time you complete the program you will find your muscles growing more limber and your breathing more relaxed and controlled. I recommend "Kathy Smith's New Yoga" for both the beginner (like myself) or someone more experienced. The tape flows very smoothly and is broken into two parts, so beginners are not overwhelmed. There are people showing both beginner and intermediate poses throughout the video, which cuts down on injury potential. Excellent video, you'll get your money's worth with this one!

I have done this yoga tape over and over and over again since I bought it in '95. The Ali Magraw video is badly put together, but great to watch, the yoga am/pm videos are way, way, way too easy, but this video by Kathy is the very best one I've ever seen. The jane fonda yoga puts you to sleep. Great job in this one, Kathy! Hope you do more yoga videos! This one is tops!

I'm a yoga tape junkie (I probably have 12 now), a do-it-yourselfer who has managed to build a rewarding practice with informed at-home study. This was the tape that started it all, and is still one of the best. It's a melting-pot of styles, with just the right level of instruction for beginners who catch on quick. It's also a great full-body workout, with a nice balance of vinyasa and standing poses, foward and backward bending, action and relaxation. Plus, Kathy's a rare bird for a work-out queen-she's motivating in both appearance and presentation without being too perky (a la Denise Austin). And though she's known better as an aerobic instructor, she clearly knows her stuff-which shows in both her verbal cues and perfect postures. Get this one and Ally McGraw's tape, and you're set.

This video is great for beginners and intermediates. The poses are designed for novices to learn, and later alter when they reach the next level. Good explanations are given and, as always, Kathy Smith puts the viewer's safety first.

I found this work-out very invigorating. Kathy was very informative about correct postures and stances, which other tapes may lack. She held poses for an appropriate amount of time to create a challenge and work up a little sweat. I found the second part of the tape a little disappointing in its intensity. But overall, a wonderful tape for beginners.

I have several Kathy Smith videos, but this was the first yoga video of hers that I had purchased. I love it. I exercise in the morning or else I will never get around to it, yet I actually look forward to doing the yoga routine. I usually do only the standing pose section of the video, but by the end I feel both energized and relaxed.

One nice thing about the video is that it is broken down into two parts, so if you are short on time you can do one half of the tape (about 1/2 hour). Kathy's instructions are clear and easy to follow. With some videos, I feel as though the instructor is racing through the video instruction, but I found the pace of this video to be just right. Kathy shows modified positions of poses for those who are less flexible. Some of the poses (for me the balance poses) are difficult, but I already have gotten better at them in just two weeks.

The video also is a decent workout. I am sweating by the end, even after 30 minutes, because the sun salute, chair pose, and the warrior pose work your muscles, in particular, the muscles in your legs.

Finally, the production values lend a relaxed air - the lighting is muted, the music is soft and relaxing (I actually close my eyes during some poses), and there are no hyperactive workout folks in the background. I recommend this video and plan to order Kathy's Yoga Challenge.

If you find the concept of yoga interesting, but you aren't sure about the spiritual aspects, or if you are just confused by the different types, then New Yoga is for you! I have several yoga tapes, but I constantly come back to this one because it is a nice balance of styles and difficulty, It doesn't delve deeply into the spiritual aspects of yoga, which are important but often scare away the beginner. A good video for a first look at yoga. Try it, you'll like it!

This tape is excellent for beginning. Kathy explains exactly what you need to do and how to breath while doing it. Breathing is a key factor in yoga. She tells you not to worry if you don't get it at first, it will become easier the next time. She gives you time to get into the positions, and also gives some beginning challenges. I like that it's split in two sections; if you don't have time to do the entire session, just do the first or second part. I'm 5'3" and I feel 2" taller when I'm done with this tape not to mention revived.

I watched a yoga program on television & it looked like something I might want to try. I have a herniated disc in my lower back and this particular program was too advanced for me. However, it spurred me into going to the video store to see what else was out there. Years ago, I bought one of Kathy's fitness tapes, so when I saw that she had a yoga tape, I knew that I would like it. She knows how to make a video that is easy for people to use. After "working out" with Kathy, I saw that a problem between my shoulder blades (that can only be corrected by a chiropractor), was corrected. I found that I couldn't do the "upward dog", because of my herniated disc, so I just skip that exercise. I still have a great workout & I start breaking into a sweat when I don't feel that I've done anything. After working out to this tape, I feel good & I can see that it is what I need to "stretch out my body".