Customer Reviews

Yoga for Yourself

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a woman who owns nearly as many exercise DVDs as the local library, I consider myself a connoisseur of fitness videos. Aside from having all of the body image and health worries that most women face (arms, stomach, thighs, buttocks, weight...), I have suffered from anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and insomnia for years. My doctor suggested that I try yoga as a way to center myself and become more in tune with my body, saying that it would also help with relieving anxiety. I purchased all of the yoga videos I could find, seeking solace in any of them.

Although all of the DVDs I bought said "beginner" on the case, let me stress that NONE of these other videos were for beginners! The instructors kept encouraging me to stretch just a little bit further, really reach into it, all while maintaining control over my breath and feeling the stress and pounds melt away. It's true, my stress and anxiety did melt away--after I turned the DVD off and turned on an episode of "Lost."

It wasn't until I purchased "Yoga For Yourself" that I finally learned that my body can relax and exercise at the same time. You don't have to be a size 2 model or yogi master to perform these poses, and Richmond's calm encouragement actually made me want come back to this DVD every day.

Another plus to this workout is the length. It's hard enough to find the time to eat something besides Chinese take-out or a hamburger to-go, let alone work a grueling exercise routine into a busy day. This video is less than a half hour long, and can be fit around a busy woman's schedule.

This yoga program is accessible to women of all ages, regardless of physical ability or age, and I highly recommend it.

As I was scouring over all the yoga DVDs and reading reviews, I thought to myself, "I just want a good basic yoga DVD so I can do a little yoga for myself!". Then I saw the title of this one and thought, "well, here it is!".

This is perfect. I just had a chance to do it; of course my plan of getting up before the kids and doing it in the morning didn't work out exactly... my 2 1/2 year old joined me. The content is just what I was looking for and the 30 minute time is just right.

I have another DVD I bought and I find I never get through the whole thing before some one wants something or there's a conflict I have to resolve... 30 minutes is reasonable.

I love how she tells you just what each pose is good for, who knew triangle pose was good for fertility problems! You could easily pause it and do a few more of those if you wanted/needed. If you could find the time.

This was made my a stay-at-home mom yoga instructor. She obviously understands the difficulties of getting to a class (Finding a class that works for you and your kids schedule and the schedule of who ever is watching them for you, then physically dropping them off and getting to class) It's no easy task and I have difficulty completely the first step. If I find the perfect class for me it's never at the right time.

I've been doing yoga off and on for years, so I'm not exactly a beginning but I believe this would be a good routine for a beginner, as well as an on again/ off again yogi like me!

Overall all a great DVD for any mom's collection.

[I'm C's wife, K, actually - C's not the one doing the video! *wink*]

I LOVE this program! Ann leads you through a series of breathing and poses that leave you energized, instead of beaten. Beautiful music and scenery - it's calming and uplifting at the same time! And she's gentle and encouraging. I felt so much better after doing this DVD just once; and after a few days, I could feel that my body was much more balanced, and it showed in my general health (and diet), as well.

If you're a woman looking for health and balance in a busy life, this is the best exercise I've found, and it only takes half an hour!

Even though this workout was designed for women of every condition, it works great for men too. Its a great relaxing workout that makes you feel so much better than before you started. Ann takes you through many great poses that help you stretch and breath easier. I feel great when I do this workout and you will too!

This DVD is my favorite yoga workout ever. It works every part of my body that I am worried about, and it does it all in less than 30 minutes! Wow! I feel so great when I am done: totally energized and also very relaxed. The instructor is encouraging and helpful, and I truly enjoy the flow of the practice. The music is upbeat and energizing. It has really helped me with stress and fatigue. Also, I am getting more and more toned and in shape. She also covers a lot of safety pointers, so I feel that I am performing the poses safely. I love it!

I have recently begun yoga, and am not anywhere near proficient, but Ann's gentle guidance and encouragement in her video is very helpful. It is nice to be able to *improve* my health without feeling like an idiot for not already being in great shape.

This is a wonderful video, both relaxing and energizing. I have extremely tight muscles in my neck and shoulders and this video helps me relax enough to stretch those muscles. The instructor has taught me the importance of deep breathing and energy it provides my body. She has a wonderfully soothing voice. It's the only 1/2 hour during the day that I can forget all my troubles and just focus on myself. I love it!

This is a very easy exercise to follow. The moves are simple, fluid and explained very well. You are even instructed/encouraged not to over do it several times during the exercise. I don't feel overwhelmed trying to maintain poses. This is excellent for beginners and anyone who is not flexible, just make sure you have the props required to achieve all of the positions. The 'props' can be anything you have on hand at home or you can purchase them. You need a yoga block (I used a book), a strap (I used a thin towel) and, of course, your yoga mat. The mat is essential because it keeps you from sliding.....something that is very dangerous when you are trying to maintain your pose.I tried on my carpet at first but found it to be very uncomfortable trying to remain steady in a pose. The mats are inexpensive and will help keep you safe. Good Luck!

I asked my husband to get this dvd for our 15th wedding anniversary. I'm so happy that he did! I enjoyed the simplicity of the program and the time length. The yoga positions were very easy for me to do, and I felt the results the next morning! Sore muscles are a sign that it's working.

I give Ann Richmond and A+ for a great beginner workout and I look forward to more from her. Highly recommend this dvd for anyone.

I like this one. The poses & approach weren't too advanced or intimidating. Some yoga instructors seem to assume that their entire audience is thin and flexible and healthy, which can be very alienating for anyone who isn't. Ann generally demonstrates each pose first with a prop or in its easier version, and then shows the advanced version, which encourages newbies to actually work at their individual levels instead of hurting themselves by taking on more than their bodies are ready for.

I also really liked the setting--it could have been a river near my home town: attractive, but not spectacular. It wasn't pink sand beaches under a turquoise sky in Maui, and I think that's great. When you're trying to pick up a new exercise routine, you need to believe that this is something you can actually assimilate into your real life, and, unfortunately, pink sand beaches play very little part in my daily life :-( Perfect people on a perfect beach by a perfect ocean just depress me.

On the con side, there's only one ~30-min routine on the DVD and no notable extras. I'd have liked one or two more routines for the money. I also have difficulty matching my breathing to Ann's (I have this problem with all yoga DVDs, to be fair)--it would be really helpful if there were some sort of visual or auditory cue in the background or off to the side to help me manage my breathing.

But overall, I like the poses, setting, and general attitude, so this one is fast becoming part of my regular rotation of yoga DVDs.