Product Details

• Actors: Kathy Smith
• Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony
• VHS Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305150109
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,957 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fitness guru Kathy Smith leads a gentle introduction to yoga, with plenty of adaptations for special needs. She starts with very simple postures for body awareness, proper breathing, and relaxation. Smith explains how to do each pose correctly, how to use your breath, how to modify if necessary, where to focus your concentration, how the body should be aligned, and what parts are working. Her instructions are clear and explicit. Modifications are offered for both more and less flexible exercisers, letting you adapt the yoga practice to your own level. Some of the poses seem like traditional stretches you're already used to, and Smith makes the transition to the more challenging poses easy to follow. If you've been intrigued by yoga, but are intimidated by the poses you've seen among experienced yoga practitioners, this is a terrific starting place. (Floor poses: 22 minutes; standing poses: 22 minutes; guided relaxation: 10 minutes.) --Joan Price

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was a yoga absolute beginner, August 25, 2000

By A Customer

This video was my first real intro to yoga (after first purchasing, viewing and returning yoga Journal's Yoga for Flexibility - for beginners (not)- with Patricia Walden). I love this tape. Kathy is great explaining the moves, all moves are done slowly and deliberately, and one of the things I love about this video is she focuses on the individual pose and the pose is held, rather than flowing more quickly from one pose to the next. Kathy explains how the viewer should be breathing through the pose, and she keeps reminding you to do so. she has an obvious passion for yoga and for instructing yoga and introducing yoga to newbies. She is excellent. I purchased this and New Yoga at the same time thinking that this tape might be too easy for me (having been out of shape at the time and with no yoga experience, I know better now). You can probably guess, I was WRONG. Just because this tape is slow and relaxing does not mean it is not challenging. I'm still challenged, 3 months later, but I've also graduated to New Yoga. This tape now for me is extremely relaxing yet deliberate and solid. I think it will be in rotation for a long time to come.

64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't be a better video for the beginner, March 11, 2001

By A Customer

The use of this tape will lead you to thoroughly enjoy yoga, as I do. Having both of Kathy Smith's introductory and intermediate versions, New Yoga Basics and New Yoga, the former is the choice for the beginner. Even with New Yoga Basics, there are a couple of difficult poses; however, with several months practice, you should be able to do with ease. Three aspects make this tape stand out from the others. First, you are given sufficient time in the pose to feel the stretch. Second, during the time holding the stance, Kathy gives suggestions on correct form. I felt she thoroughly covered how ones body should be aligned while in each posture. Third, she reminded throughout the video to take long, slow and deep breaths. Also when you should inhale during the movement and exhale. This video is most effective in teaching the beginning student, because Kathy gives you adequate time and tips about proper form. She also emphasizes the importances of breathing to induce relaxation and supply the muscles and brain with the necessary element for energy - oxygen.

80 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect, May 14, 2000

By	"acw5677" (Napa, California) - See all my reviews

I began practicing yoga a few weeks ago and this was the first video I tried; it is still my #1 choice for home yoga workouts. I felt the results of the workout immediately; after 2 days I saw small, but noticible improvements in balance and flexibility and I was slightly sore in all the right places. After each workout I feel refreshed, calm, and relaxed. Kathy has a soothing voice that interjects instruction on breathing and positions at all the perfect times. It seems like she knows exactly what you are doing wrong and tells you, making you concentrate on correcting it. She tells you what should be happening and what you should not be doing. It is also nice that she states the purpose of each pose is in regard to the parts of your body that are being exercised. The easy-to-follow poses are held for the right amount of time; as soon as you think you can't stay in the pose any longer, it is over. After doing the video two times, I was able to follow simply by listening to Kathy's instruction rather than looking at the screen. The workout time (approx. 50 minutes) is also perfect. I highly recommend this video for yoga basics, breathing, stretching, and toning. I'm 20, but my 14 year old sister and 50 year old mother are always jumping in to my home yoga workouts; they love this video too. Make sure you watch it a couple times before actually participating and it will be much more rewarding.