Product Details

• Actors: Charles Matki
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: KOCH VISION
• DVD Release Date: November 11, 2003
• Run Time: 40 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000DJYOB
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,431 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Yoga Zone’s Gentle Yoga is the perfect start for those new to yoga, providing the gentle and healing benefits of yoga. These two encouraging and easy-to-follow yoga sessions are slowly paced, emphasizing simple and effective postures. These are stretches that anyone at any fitness level can do. Gentle Yoga allows you to unlock the stress that can inhibit the body’s ability to heal, releasing tension and bringing your body and mind to a warm place. Led by Yoga Zone senior teacher, Charles Matkin, on the beautiful island of Jamaica. These two 20-minute yoga programs will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, while creating a wider range of flexibility. Yoga becomes the best part of your day with Yoga Zone’s proven formula of result-oriented programs with age-defying gentle exercises. Consult your physician before your begin this, or any exercise program.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn't call this gentle...., December 18, 2005

By 

Teedums (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yoga Zone: Gentle Yoga for Beginners (DVD)

I have only tried a few Yoga Zones, but this is not one of the better ones, it is okay at best and has a few flaws. It is divided into 2-20 minute sessions, both led by Charles Matkin. The setting is outdoors at the Grand Lidos San Souci resort where many of the Yoga Zone videos are filmed.

The first session, Charles is joined by Lisa Bennett. They start with sun salutation while on their knees with hands clasped behind their back, then moving arms out and up with palms together, later rising up on the knees and bending forward at the waist. Then they move into a spine stretch, followed by a hip opener stretch, where you are seated with your heels together and hands behind you. Next are some standing poses, first downward facing dog, then lunge pose on the right leg later adding arms up and out to side then leaning forward. Unfortunately the left side is completely missed in this pose so if you want to do it you will have to rewind or stop the program. You will stretch out in seal pose, before moving into side lunges first on the right, then left. Then you will do a seated spine stretch where legs are out in front with hands behind you. Towards the end of the program the music becomes rather loud which is a bit distracting, to add to this there are some more challenging poses ahead. First table pose, which is repeated a few times and held for a bit the last time. Then you will do scale pose, Lisa does the modification where she is on her elbows, while Charles goes for the advanced version where arms are out and legs are straight. Following this you will do a seated stretch with one knee in, other leg out while reaching opposite arm to extended leg, then you repeat on the other side. Then you will move into plank pose, done on either knees or toes while moving into downward facing dog, these two are combined for a vinyasa, before finishing with more planks into chatarangas. A few final stretches remain, cobra into locust pose, childs pose, extended bound angular, and final relaxation pose.

In the second session, a sunburned Charles returns this time assisted by Jean. They are sitting on the beach this time which provides a nice backdrop. You start on your knees and do some shoulder rolls before going into a neck stretch. Then you will move into cat pose which Charles calls a "groovy pose", then you will do a combination of cat and seal pose. Then you will work the abs a little bit by doing a crunch variation with arms extended in front, then you will extend the legs up in the air and slightly back, this felt weird to me personally. Next is the clock which is basically pelvis rolls, then moving bridge poses where the hips and arms lift up at the same time. Following this is lunge pose, high or low while adding arms, then a cat-seal pose combination. Next you will stand for a "Sun Breath", arms up and out then diving down into a forward bend, this is repeated once or twice. Then you will do a standing camel pose, standing forward bend, before finshing out on the floor with bound angular, hamstring stretch, reclined bound angular (restorative pose), another moving bridge and finally coming into a cross legged seat.

While I don't have all of Yoga Zone videos, this is not one of their better efforts, and certainly not gentle as the title states. The first session also appears as session 2 in Total Body Conditioning, which overall would be a better choice than this one. This would be better suited for those experienced in yoga and definitely not for complete beginners. Fortunately most of Yoga Zones programs are good, but this one missed the boat.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yoga Zone fans be warned...., November 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Yoga Zone: Gentle Yoga for Beginners (DVD)

...that the 1st session on this DVD is a re-packaging of Session 2 from the Yoga Zone Total Body Conditioning for Beginners DVD! This is not mentioned in any way on the Gentle Yoga DVD. How disappointing, considering that there are many other decent programs from the Yoga Zone TV series that they could have used without "double-dipping" on this one.

That being said (if you don't have Total Body Conditioning), Session 1 is a decent program. However, Charles does skip a lunge pose on one side. In this program Yoga Zone tried to edit the mistake....unsucessfully. One moment Charles and Lisa are lunging with their left leg and literally 2 seconds later....Charles and Lisa are lunging with their right leg! If Yoga Zone couldn't edit that any better then they really should not have even used this session on the DVD.

Session 2 (with Charles and Jean) seems a bit choppy and without flow. Charles has you do a neck stretch after doing just a couple of shoulder rolls. Seems a bit forced to me. I didn't consider the ab pose (legs up and feet near the head) to be "gentle" at all.

I give this DVD barely 3 stars.

What happened to you, Yoga Zone? You used to put out quality yoga DVD's!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Far from gentle, May 6, 2005

By 

M. Ivey "meesh" (Snellville, Ga.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yoga Zone: Gentle Yoga for Beginners (DVD)

I just attempted to do the first session of this video and it just goes too fast!!!! The stretches are too hard for someone that just may be starting out and it goes way too fast. There's no time to catch your breath and you start to hurt which if this is gentle yoga I would't think you would. I am quite dissappointed. This is defintley not gentle.