Customer Reviews

Om Yoga Class: Beginner/Intermediate

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a good routine to follow, but I have one gripe. You have many different choices of yoga practices (type and length), but it's all identical segments pieced together. I would much rather have just a couple practices, but a unique flowing series rather than broken up chuncks repeated. The main practice is quite good with a fun warm up followed by sun salutes, then standing poses, shoulder stand, then deep relaxation which is a full 80 minute class. At the beginning and throughout the DVD Cyndi goes into discussion on props, form, etc. and you can't skip over it or you'll miss the actual practice. I don't want to listen to this at every practice, so I have to grab the remote and fast forward and that ruins the flow. Her instructions are good, nicely paced, and poses are held for a good length of time. Also, you get extras including a very nice demonstartion by Cyndi Lee, detailed instruction of chadarunga dandasana and forearm balance, a tour of the OM studio, and OM testimonials. Overall this is a very good DVD for your collection

See my other DVD reviews.

I hope this is just the beginning of what we see from Cyndi Lee and Om in the way of instructional DVDs. I was lucky enough to have lived in New York and experienced Cyndi's classes (and the classes of her other excellent instructors at Om) "live." I'm happy to say that the essence of those classes come through loud and clear on this DVD, including her ability to make an hour and a half, energetic workout a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Having moved to a different part of the country, I couldn't be happier to have a trusted and respected yoga teacher in my living room. This DVD will provide beginners with a solid foundation in the yoga asanas, or poses, with clear, helpful instruction. In addition, unlike many other DVDs aimed at beginners, it won't be discarded after a few weeks of the viewer having become overly familiar with the sequences. They are challenging and well orchestrated enough to keep even more advanced yogis happy for quite some time. I also really enjoyed the aspect of this DVD wherein Cyndi allows her students to demonstrate the poses while she continuously instructs them with verbal guidance as well as hands-on corrections. She doesn't try to "wow" the viewers with her own abilities, and focuses instead on being the excellent instructor she is (there is a modest, beautiful introduction in which she demonstrates poses for those who would like to see her take on yoga). The tone of the DVD is one of clear, precise instruction balanced with Cyndi's lighthearted, playful approach to yoga. Eagerly awaiting more ("Om Yoga Intermediate/Adavnced Class," please)!

I should have checked the Amazon reviews before I bought this dvd. As a beginner, I didn't want to spend too much and the dvd looked very beginner friendly - offering many different versions of the class...as someone else noted below, they are all the same! There is nothing 'beginner' about this dvd. There is no real explaination of the movements, Cyndi goes through each move very quickly and gives no real guidance if one does not have the flexibility that an intermediate student has. Ultimately, I had to return 2 copies of this dvd as they were both very poorly made, skipping and stopping. After checking Amazon, I went back to the bookstore and purchased Seane Corn's "Flow" Uniting Movement and Breath. I really like this one! You only have Seane to focus on - she moves slowly and deliberately, so that you know each movement by the time the session is finished. I am very thankful for Amamzon and everyone's reviews. I will always check Amazon first!

I'm in Wisconsin and have probably every yoga tape there is from various Yoga teachers. I've not enjoyed anything more than Cyndi Lee's new Om Yoga DVD. It's so easy to follow and Cyndi is such a bright light. I love all the sequences. Owning this DVD has prompted me to buy all af Cyndi Lee's books and I look forward to delving through them.

Thank you

Jill in Wisconsin

This is not a beginner's class. I wouldn't even call it an intermediate class. In fact, it's not even like a yoga class at all. It's like Kathy Smith doing yoga.

I'm not a beginner, but I still found this to be a really, really difficult and strange yoga class. Cyndi Lee is nice, but she's forgotten what it's like to be a beginner. She doesn't give very clear instructions to the at-home audience. She talks while the yogis demonstrate. She goes between the two yogis in the front and makes corrections on their form, but since we can't see them from the side, they're pointless to us. She promised modifications for beginners, but proceeded to teach to the level of her professional demonstrators.

There were a few points on form that she made that were helpful.

The DVD contains a lot of boring extras too, like a tour of her yoga studio. What is the point of that unless you live in NYC? The DVD is hard to use as well. The highlight points are dark blue and small, the unhighlighted points are black and small, so you can't really see which item you have highlighted. (That's probably just me whining, but it was frustrating to be trying to get back to the main menu and keep ending up on her studio tour!)

There were options that allowed you to make the class shorter, but they were just pieces of the full length class. You could achieve exactly the same effect by pushing the "next" (or "skip") button on your remote.

The optional class for the absolute beginner was a hoot. It was just the warm-up. The class for the beginner (next level up) was the warm-up plus sun salutations (which started out OK, but rapidly progressed to very unusual and extremely difficult variations like jumping from standing forward fold to downward dog; no beginner would know what to do to modify them--what, just lie down in child pose and wait it out?) and I think it also had the final poses (which included shoulder stand--not a beginner's pose).

The best part of the video was that you could choose to play the class without the unsoothing music, but who cares since there isn't going to be a next time? I didn't like the music and I don't like this DVD. Try the Stott Pilates Yoga series beginning with Simple Stretches or Kripalu's DVD (if you can find it) or JJ Gormley's Yoga For Every Body or Gaiam's yoga videos. The Ali McGraw video is really good. I even like White Lotus' Total Yoga or Earth or Water, but not Fire because it's way, way too advanced. (Maybe Hercules could do it . . .)

Anyway, don't bother with this DVD. It's too choppy, the classroom is crowded, and the workout is not much fun. It's also not relaxing and isn't that the point of yoga?

Cyndi Lee helps to bring fun to yoga while at the same time she pays very close attention to the form and execution of the poses by the people in the class. I love her playful manner and style of teaching. As with any video of a class, there is some need for better queing, but if you just watch the video a couple of times prior to trying to follow, I think most people will be able to get thru this dvd w/o having to stop and see how the pose is to be performed. A caution to beginners, as with any exercise video, take each section and do only the parts you're confortable with before advancing -- Cyndi somewhat stresses this point also.

I have purchased several yoga DVDs in the past, but always found myself bored after only a few viewings. This yoga routine is much different than the others in that it consistently engages you in your movement and thoughts at an effective pace. The meditation segments are great on those days that I need to relax but am feeling a little too lazy to go through the whole yoga routine. David Nichtern is great at explaining the history of each exercise and puts in simple words the difficult concepts that are usually associated with deep meditation. Aside from these positives, the music CD that comes inside the DVD is nice to have around, even in the car, to take a mental break whenever it's convenient. It helps me to remember the methods David teaches in his segment and get right back into the swing of things. I'm very pleased with my purchase and feel this is one of the best meditation/yoga combination DVDs ive seen.

This is a fantastic dvd- multiple practices. Fantastic teaching. Love the cheerful class setting. Full of alignment tips. The best explaination of chataranga that I've seen. Worth evey penny.

Cyndi Lee has created an invigorating 80 minute yoga workout for beginners and intermediates. However I think this is much more for intermediates to advanced practitioners. The pace is fairly fast and I was only able to do 45 minutes and I'd consider myself intermediate. You really need to know how to do all the poses which makes this too complex for beginners. Most of the time I was not watching the screen because the cuing was so good I was able to follow along quickly. I don't see how anyone who is a beginner would manage to do the exercises without becoming completely frustrated. Intermediates will however find lots of fun challenges. The flowing sequences energize the body and if you get too worn out you can always take a break in child's pose. The 80 minute workout starts with breathing exercises and then focuses on poses like cat/cow, tree, downward dog, mountain pose, plank, cobra, upward dog, awkward chair, warrior 1 and warrior 2. The sun salutations are fairly fast and quickly heat the body. There are also inversions and backbends. If you decide the main class is too long there are seven other options including one specifically for relaxation. So again, this is NOT a beginner workout, this is not relaxing - this is invigorating! I would only try this DVD if you have a few years of yoga experience.

~The Rebecca Review

I am not a certified yoga instructor/group fitness instructor/personal trainer, but about to graduate with my B.S in Exercise Science. I love this video b/c it is safe workout while still preserving the integrity of yoga. I don't recommend it for your first yoga video since it is a vinyasa flow style (Sean Corne is a great beginner workout), but if you have taken a few classes or done a few yoga dvds this a amazing. As a fitness instructor I urge people to ask their dr. before doing any exercise especially the backbends, headstands, and inversions. I is always better to take one live class with a certified/degreed instructor to make sure your form is correct, I urge this with any type of workout.