Customer Reviews

YOGA DANCE: EARTH

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

 

 

I've done yoga for almost 30 years. I've done tai chi for almost 10. Aerobic dance for just about 20 years, and belly dance for probably 5 years. I have exercise tapes of all kinds, even country line dancing. To keep a variety going, I cycle through them, but have always yearned for one tape that combines my main loves -- yoga, tai chi, aerobics, belly dancing, and exotic dance. This is it! I've finally found it! And, when they talk about global dances, they mean it. On this tape, you learn and practice African, Latino, Indian, and Spanish dance techniques. Sarina blends them beautifully with the yoga, tai chi, aerobics and belly dance while really inspiring you by sharing her childlike joy in the music & body movement. Nicely chosen music that neither drowns out her instructions nor is so quiet in the background that you can barely hear it. It is just right, as is her voice and sweet way of instructing you. There are warm-ups, workouts, and cool downs (3 of each) on the DVD. Really, this is something for those at most levels of fitness and dance ability. Start slow, make your movements not so big....then as you get used to the movements and get practiced, get as enthusiastic as she is. I'm addicted to this one and the Fire one. I have yet to try the Water one, but it is my next purchase. :)

I've had Sarina's three Yoga Dance DVDs for a few months and I continue to use them regularly (at least 2-3 times per week).

Yoga Dance Earth is the most aerobic and challenging of her DVDs and you will get a good leg workout dancing African-style to the beat of the drums. You will also work your arms a lot, especially in the third workout.

I own all of Ms. Contello's DVD's and I think that her workouts are very "mindful" and inspirational. The workouts are broken down into 3 workouts on each DVD. Each one is similar to one another, but a little more challenging @ each interval. I REALLY like her music that she chooses and she is very personable in her instructions, which are easy to follow. I would recommend this (and other) DVD's to anyone. It is a really neat twist of yoga/dance/whatever. It brings a spice to any workout collection and also opens your mind a little wider to the way you percieve things in life.

I love Yoga Dance Earth! Serena is very encouraging, not at all intimidating as she leads you through flowing steps, easy lunges (not too low, and with a dancey flair), and some upper body movements to gently tone your body. This is NOT a traditional sculpting workout - there are no weights, etc., and the exercises are hidden in the dance -- but it is a lot more fun! The simple drumbeat in the main workout works well with the fun African/Middle-Eastern style hip and shoulder moves, and she does an encouragig affirmation dance/chant ("I love my skin, I love my face, and I celebrate me!") The three 20-minute workouts are similar in nature, so it's not often that I do all three at once -- but I usually do one from Yoga Dance Water after doing one from Yoga Dance Earth!

Seriously, this dvd is so-o-o short, and quite disappointing. I don't know why it is called Yoga Dance because there is no reference to any yoga posture or explanation of correct ways to hold the body to receive full advantage from the workout. I'm sure this teacher is a very sweet person who has wonderful classes, but this does not transfer well to a DVD program. I have had a lot more success with teachers like Shiva Rea who give real instructions as they teach.

Each section of the video is VERY short. The warm-ups are twice as long as the actual workout and you go for under 20 minutes for each section. If you tell the main menu to play all then you have to wait through credits to get to the next one just to get a decent length of time in your workout - just using the chapters was easier, link all the 'workout' sections together and do those, then do one of the cool downs at the end.

I'm not sure why this is called yoga dance. There are yoga ideals - such as the connection to the earth and the rooting of the heels, and the mountain pose, but really this was more ike a modern dance with mind fusion - not yoga dance.

It was a fun DVD, but it probably won't find its way into any normal rotation of my exercise; it will just be something I pull out when I need a little extra oomph on top of a normal routine.