Customer Reviews

Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I love Rodney Yee as well as only a handful of other instructors such as Rainbeau Mars, Seane Corn, etc. who have a real passion for yoga to help balance the body and the mind.
This has 2 about 20 min workouts, Rodney doing the morning & Colleen doing the evening. They both use only basic beginner poses that have a relaxed, slow pace. The great thing about this dvd is the 3 different audio instruction. You can have basic overall instruction that Rodney uses in the past which gives you the pose name, basic instruction about posture, as well as some inspiration teaching such as not being hard on yourself that you aren't doing the best you've ever done, etc. You can choose "pose only" which is just the music & Rodney/Colleen only saying only the name of the next pose. Or you can have the "inspirational" mode which tells you the pose & how it helps your body & other inspirational ways the yoga pose helps you through life in a more positive way, by noticing the positive in your body, etc. This is a great idea to get larger target audience who might all have different taste in instruction, or different needs depending on the day. I think all workout dvds should do this, even offer even more varied choices, especially "instruction only" in case you don't like the music, but do want the instruction, etc.. Most dvds now only offer instruction w/music or just music which is too limiting considering the technological possibilities, dvd reviews will get much less complaints due to varied user's tastes & much more sales. *hint hint*
The pose 42 min guide has Rodney & Colleen taking turns being the teacher/model in a total white studio for poses like: mountain, side bend, back bend, standing fwd bend, downward dog, triangle, wide angle standing fwd bend, side angle, warrior 1, cobra, cobbler's/butterfly, seated twist, seated cross legged fwd bend, seated fwd bend, reclined easy stretch figure 4 ankle crossed over knee then pull to chest, happy baby, reclined twist, bridge, reclined rest with knees up, total rest. They mostly focus on common thing people do wrong & quick basics on how to do it right. There could have been more instruction, but this is good for people who get bored fast.
If you want really deep instruction that answers questions you wouldn't even realize to ask about muscle alignment/use during a pose, I would suggest Seane Corn's Vinyasa Flow Yoga - Uniting Movement with Breath.

Video clip: Youtube under "Rodney Yee Yoga for Beginners"
& quick trailer at Gaiam com

This is one case in which the title does not mislead. If you don't have much background in yoga and need to have all the various postures explained in some detail, this is the DVD for you. Even if you do have some experience with yoga, they will take you back to the basics where you might need a little correction here and there. Also, on the disc Rodney Yee and his partner take you through the steps of two yoga workouts that will lead you in the end to a wonderful feeling of relaxation.

I purchased 3 different "beginner" DVDs on Amazon to try. I am somewhat familiar with Yoga but haven't practiced it in years, and was never that advanced to begin with. I was worried that some of the DVD's would be too easy or too complicated for me. This was perfect. (Incidentally, the one I really didn't like was "Yoga for Every Body" which somehow managed to be both too easy (not challenging physically) and too complicated (using Hindu terminology and a lot of props) This DVD, on the other hand, was great becasue it was simple and straightforward, while being physically challenging at the same time (easy poses to customize to your level of fitness, too) I only wish it were longer. I will purchase more of the Gaiam DVDs with Rodney Yee

I love this video! The pose tutorial is wonderful, and you can tell that Rodney and Colleen want their students to do the poses properly so that they can get the full benefits of yoga. Both the practices can be done by beginners, but as with any and all forms of exercise, if you have an aliment such as arthritis, you should take care not to push yourself into something that may hurt you. If you are not really flexible, well then patient, common-sense use of this practice will get you there. After I did both of the practices, I felt renewed, balanced and firmly planted on the earth. I was really tired when I started, and by the time I completed the programs, I was able to take on the rest of the day with gusto!

Yoga rocks, and this is a rockin' way to start your practice! :O)

I bought this DVD based on the rave reviews of how appropriate this DVD is for beginners. With the exception of one yoga class many years ago, I consider myself a true beginner and was looking for a DVD that would start with a thorough introduction to the basics. While the section on poses does a good job of focusing on common mistakes, the camera angle is awkward and sometimes cuts off when you are trying to follow along. With that said, the attempt at fancy camera work hinders the ability to follow along in true form, and this continues into the workout section. For instance, some shots only display Rodney's head and arms held up, but will omit the position he takes with his legs. I was not able to complete the first workout section; the pace was quite quick and unless you have the poses memorized by name and form, you would not be able to keep up with Rodney. This DVD is best for advanced beginners who are already versed in yoga poses and only need additional instruction to correct form. Discouraging DVD for the true beginner!

First of all I have to say of all the Yoga dvd's I have I like Rodney Yee's the best. I own his Am and PM Yoga and found this dvd to be similar except Rodney only does the morning workout and Colleen Saidman doe the evening workout, compared to Rodney instructing in his earlier released am and pm yoga. The new dvd give you a description on how to align your body and do the movements which I find difficult to visually watch and do at the same time on other dvd's. If you are a beginner this is perfect for you, however, I would suggest later adding other Rodney Yee dvd's and not his am and pm yoga to your collection.

I tried Rodney Yee's Power Yoga video (borrowed it from a friend) and it was very intense, the moves are quite advanced and the speed was slightly quicker than where I am at in my practice. I decided to get his Beginner's video because I want to make sure I have all the techniques correct before furthering the yoga practice. Its broken up into three sections on the menu. The first section is all move and postures, and poses where he and another yoga instructor goes over at least 20 common yoga poses in detail, shows you the right and wrong ways, etc. Then there is a "Energy" video that is about 15-20 minutes long taught by Rodney Yee(don't quote me on this though) and a "Rejuvenation" taught by the other instructor, which has awesome stretching poses to work on elongation and flexibility.

If you are completely new to yoga, this is a great video. But even if you're not but want to familiarize yourself with the poses, this one is great to have. Plus, the two sessions included are great for morning or evening practices if you don't have an hour and a half to go to a yoga studio!

Excellent program for beginners (and those of us over age 65). Relaxing format with good information. I will likely order more Yee tapes in the future.

My wife and I just did the instructional portion of this DVD and were both impressed. The ability to adjust with guidance based on your flexibility and strength limitations was great, as were the relaxed instructions from both Rodney and Colleen. A great DVD to get started with!

I'm in my 20s, relative beginner to yoga, and I've been practicing almost every day for several months now. I've ordered several beginner yoga dvds, but I'm disappointed in this one. (especially considering all the good reviews)

I ordered it because I saw a glimpse of the pose guide, which appeared helpful. Aesthetically, the exercises on the beach looked peaceful, the music non-intrusive, and Rodney Yee seemed to have such a soothing voice (a big plus in a yoga instructor).

But the exercises move waaaaay too quickly. Doing the practices felt like I was being ushered along hurriedly--like I was late for a meeting or something. Kind of the antithesis of what yoga is all about, right? The instructor would even say, "Stay here for a cycle of two breaths," but s/he would only give enough time for a single quick one.
Aaaahh!! Cue aggravation, another thing you don't want to get out of a yoga session.

Given all the good reviews, I was really surprised. Granted, I'm only a beginner, but I feel like the whole point of yoga is to get into the poses...if only for a few nice breaths. I felt so short-changed with this DVD; there's no way I'm hitting the pause button after every pose. This is probably the last Gaiam or Rodney Yee dvd that I'll be ordering.