Customer Reviews

Yoga Journal's Yoga for Meditation [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Majestic images of Yosemite, serene music, calming narration: with these tools Rodney Yee presents five sessions aimed at preparing the individual for meditation by offering practice in breath awareness, posture, position, and flexibility to assume meditative poses. The last session is a guided meditation. Although the video lists seven props necessary to the video, only three are used: a chair, two blankets, and a block, and the last two are optional depending on your flexibility. MOUNTAIN offers a transition from standing activity to the floor, starting with mountain pose, then flowing through standing forward bend to downward dog to the ground. GARDEN presents chair exercises that stretch the inner thighs and groin in preparation for the seated meditative poses shown in TREE. In TREE, Rodney demonstrates four traditional meditative poses--cobbler, lotus, sage, and hero, including the use of blocks and blankets to make the asanas more comfortable. WIND is a session in supine focusing on the breath, and SKY is eight minutes of meditation guided by Rodney. I found the video relaxing and peaceful. Most poses are easy and well within the scope of a beginner, although GARDEN may prove challenging for individuals without much flexibility in the hips. Even if much of the video is not meditation per se, it still affords an opportunity to quiet mental chatter and relax the body. For me, this tape *is* Yoga for Relaxation!

This is one of my favorite videos among the 6 that I own from the Yoga Journal collection. If you don't have the time to do the entire video even doing part will help relieve stress in your life. Rodney Yee along with Patricia Walden (in other YJ videos) are two of the all time great yoga instructors. If some parts are tough for beginners (really only a couple) don't get discouraged as just "listening" to either of these instructors calms the soul.

In this tape Rodney Yee Takes you through an easy to follow set of poses That Quiets the mind and body. This video will help you to acheive the inner stillness we all look for.Rodney Yee is by far my favorite of the Living Arts Instructors. He has great ability,clear instruction, a soothing voice,and kind eyes.All his videos seem to move right along so it will keep your interest. The only problem with this tape is that it should have ended with a few min. of music so you can stay in the stillness if you like. Instead it Goes right into a commercial for the Yoga Journal Series. Otherwise this tape gives you the foundation to begin a meditation practice. However You will want a book to go beyond the tape.

In this video, master yoga instructor Rodney Yee guides the viewer through gentle yoga poses designed to allow you to focus your attention inward. The practice is divided into 5 segments:

1) Mountain. Rodney describes this as a "quiet flow series," and it contains about 12 minutes of simple stretches to warm up the body.
2) Garden. This 13-minute section focuses mainly on hip opening postures such as twists and forward bends performed while sitting on a chair.
3) Tree. In this section, Rodney spends 10 minutes reviewing 4 basic seating postures used for meditation: cobbler, hero, sage, and lotus. Each pose is practiced with and without a block for variation.
4) Wind. The purpose of this section is to concentrate on breath while in reclining postures; 10 minutes.
5) Sky. In this final 8-minute section, Rodney leads you through a seated meditation. His soothing voiceover instruction reminds you to turn your attention inward and to focus on your breathing.

Although I tend to concentrate on postures rather than meditation in my own yoga practice, I found this video to be enjoyable and restorative. I particularly liked the third section, as Rodney's breathing instruction helped me to really feel a tingling sense of deeper relaxation in my body. Rodney is an excellent instructor; his beautiful form while practicing is a perfect compliment to the gorgeous background scenery. This video would work well for anyone looking to add the benefits of meditation to their yoga practice without having to simply sit quietly in a lotus position.

I like this tape! I find this to be a soothing. Rodney Yee guides you through five different sessions that can be done together or alone. For someone who hates to work out, this was an excellent way to gear my mind and body for a more vigorous practice.

I found that after doing this tape for two weeks, the little things didn't bother me as much. I am able to deal with stress and I can think more clearly when others around me panic.

The tape is beautiful even if it is for the view.

I was reluctant to try something that involved meditation, because I'm more interested in flexibility and posture than meditation. But this has been an excellent introduction to getting comfortable with yoga, and I am now dedicated to branching out into more challenging tapes. Because the emphasis is on breathing properly and relaxing deeply, my body actually feels better in a totally new way: like I worked out at the gym, but without strain and with only the flush of circulation and relaxation. Yee is an excellent teacher and speaker: after several viewings, his voice is still calming and the settings are still beautiful (Yosemite Park) -- not that I see them, because my eyes are closed most of the time. Only one session requires a block to sit on, but I am now dedicated to practicing yoga regularly enough that I made the investment in one. For someone looking to "get started" with yoga at home without strain, this is the perfect tape.

This video was nice, relaxing, and a little helpful. If I didn't have any prvious experince with meditation I would have not known how to continue beyond the instruction given in the video. It's a good tape to add to a collection and program that you already have in place, but not to stand alone.

Nothing intimidating about this video. Makes Yoga & meditation available to the uninitiated. Despite being beginner friendly, has potential for continued growth and practice. Rodney Yee draws the viewer in without affect or distraction.

Rodney Yee is one of the best professional Yoga teachers out there today doing videos. He knows his stuff. Witht this meditation video you never feel lost and you understand the basic principles. This is an excellent tape for the beginner that can't get to a class.

I'm a student, and have been really stressed out lately. I started to get an ulcer (I've had one before), experienced restless sleep, and was generally feeling frazzled. I'm a spiritual person, but was feeling spiritually deficit with not enough time in the day. I was desperate and I bought this DVD.
I only used it a few times, but the result was remarkable and immediate. I'm a hardcore skeptic about all this free-your-mind, natural-healing stuff, but I couldn't be after this. The effects would last me through the day. My posture was corrected. I didn't experience any heartburn. I felt oddly "centered" (now I get what that word means!), and things just sort of fell into perspective. I felt nurtured.
I highly recommend it if you're dealing with stress.