Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it!, March 18, 2002
This is already a firm favourite - and I have quite a collection. Good selection of poses, excellent instructions, lovely lakeside setting, and really possible for beginners, although progressive in nature. What's unusual - and likeable! - about this tape:
a) she does a graceful warm up - something I've never really experienced in yoga videos - standing, lots of hand and arm movements and some knee bends. I liked it. Makes a change from sun salutation warm ups, speaking of which -
b) no sun salutations! Makes a change. You don't always want to do endless sun salutations. And this is a Baron Baptiste/All the right moves fan speaking. I have a recurring problem shoulder and don't always want to do planks, up dogs and down dogs in continuation - as in most power yoga tapes, and even non-power yoga tapes like Total Yoga, or the Buns of Steel Yoga mind/body - which is my staple for "shorter" days. So this is great for bad shoulder days.
c) unusual music choices, from classic to ethnic to slightly jazzy, but never too loud to make her voice unintelligible - a fault on MANY videos.
d) Although this is aimed at beginners as well as intermediates, there is no time wasted hanging around in between poses as in so many other tapes, where you are kept in eg. downward dog for ever while they explain the permutations and effects. The poses move at a good pace - and are kept for satisfying amounts of time, in classic hatha yoga style.
e) No need for endless props - she does have a segment at the end where she demonstrates how to use blocks or straps if you want to - but shows how you can hold your thigh not your calf - encouraging - I don't like to be bothered with having to grab various objects in the course of my search for flexibility and inner peace, it has the opposite effect!
f) She mirrors - leans to her left and tells you to move to your right - something most fitness instructors but very few yoga instructors do (wonder why?) - very helpful.
g) Lastly - I learnt a couple of things about my positioning that I didn't get from other tapes - which impressed me.
So - unless you are rather advanced, this is great, go for it.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relaxing and nicely paced, yet challenging, May 7, 2003
I was immediately intrigued with this video, as its warm-up features no sun salutations, opening instead with slow, dance-like movements for the arms, neck, spine, etc., and abdominal breathing exercises. Although I myself exercise on a regular basis and can do sun salutations with no problem, I felt more relaxed going into the main part of the workout as a result of her more gentle warm-up.Her pacing seems right on-target, slow enough to feel the muscles working (i.e. long holds in Warrior 2, the Plank) and more relaxing than many fitness-type yoga videos I've tried, yet she doesn't spend so much time in a pose that you go beyond the benefit and start to feel uncomfortable. Lots of reminders to pay attention to the breath. I also like the attention she pays to low-back strength and flexibility, as this is an area which I need to work on. She's extremely knowledgeable with exercise and muscles, yet somehow explains in a way that is interesting without talking down to you. The flow is excellent: relaxing, yet arranged in such a way that the time seems to fly by. I feel myself going on auto-pilot, where I just listen and let my body respond to her cues. Within a few viewings, I actually found myself able to perform most of the video without watching...her verbal cues are enough. Her ending meditation is refreshingly devoid of new-age references or extraneous language. Instead, she helps you focus on your breathing and muscle relaxation, with subtle imagery to help you maintain your concentration. I also liked the music, very unusual yet still appropriate for yoga. I love her selection for the ending meditation, sort of brings an "underwater" mood. All in all, I think the "beginner/intermediate" describes this video well; she offers enough options to keep beginning practitioners comfortable, yet her choice of postures (and the length of time she dedicates to each) will ensure that more fitness-oriented and intermediate level practitioners will remain challenged. I would classify this video as one that hits four areas that are very important to me: muscle tone, low-back mobility, flexibilty, and of course stress reduction.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relaxing and nicely paced, yet challenging, May 5, 2003
I was immediately intrigued with this video, as its warm-up features no sun salutations, opening instead with slow, dance-like movements for the arms, neck, spine, etc., and abdominal breathing exercises. Although I myself exercise on a regular basis and can do sun salutations with no problem, I felt more relaxed going into the main part of the workout as a result of her more gentle warm-up.Her pacing seems right on-target, slow enough to feel the muscles working (i.e. long holds in Warrior 2, the Plank) and more relaxing than many fitness-type yoga videos I've tried, yet she doesn't spend so much time in a pose that you go beyond the benefit and start to feel uncomfortable. Lots of reminders to pay attention to the breath. I also like the attention she pays to low-back strength and flexibility, as this is an area which I need to work on. She's extremely knowledgeable with exercise and muscles, yet somehow explains in a way that is interesting without talking down to you. The flow is excellent: relaxing, yet arranged in such a way that the time seems to fly by. I feel myself going on auto-pilot, where I just listen and let my body respond to her cues. Within a few viewings, I actually found myself able to perform most of the video without watching...her verbal cues are enough. Her ending meditation is refreshingly devoid of new-age references or extraneous language. Instead, she helps you focus on your breathing and muscle relaxation, with subtle imagery to help you maintain your concentration. I also liked the music, very unusual yet still appropriate for yoga. I love her selection for the ending meditation, sort of brings an "underwater" mood. All in all, I think the "beginner/intermediate" describes this video well; she offers enough options to keep beginning practitioners comfortable, yet her choice of postures (and the length of time she dedicates to each) will ensure that more fitness-oriented and intermediate level practitioners will remain challenged. I would classify this video as one that hits four areas that are very important to me: muscle tone, low-back mobility, flexibilty, and of course stress reduction.
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