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Old 09-14-07, 06:45 PM  
CarlaVeg
 
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Talk to me about Erich's Backyard Series

I want to expand my yoga library as I hurt my back badly and I can't do much lately I'm seeing a chiropractor right now.... hopefullly I can go back to do aerobics, weights, ect, soon. In the mean time I will focus on yoga....

how is the backyard series???? how does it compared to Yoga Mind and Body?

TIA,

Carla
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Old 09-14-07, 08:30 PM  
SharonNYC
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The Backyard Series is very different from YM&B. The production values are at ground level: just a camera focused on Erich's mat in his backyard. He does the practices with voiceover. The Beginners DVD is a lovely general practice, but it's demanding enough that I would be wary if I had injuries and not a lot of class experience. It's also not as flowy as YM&B. I prefer it but it's definitely not as feel-good.

The backbend, inversions and lotus DVDs in the series are more advanced and require (in my opinion) lots of experience before you undertake those practices. The lotus, in particular, is difficult unless you realize you don't have to go near the full pose. I love these DVDs but I've had years and years of great class experience.
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Old 09-14-07, 09:43 PM  
KathAL79
 
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I really enjoy Erich Schiffmann's practices, including the Backyard Series, but I have to agree with Sharon. Admittedly, some of the seeming "negatives" make these more endearing to me, but the fact that these don't have a ton of form and alignment instruction and modifications (Erich's trademark is really his simplicity of speech) should give you pause in considering these.

I think Beginners is a wonderful DVD that belongs on as many yogis' shelves as possible. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to absolute beginners to yoga, especially if they're absolute beginners to exercise, but it's one of those "beginning" practices that's also useful for more intermediate students looking to return to basics. The shoulder stretches are fabulous, but you should have some upper body flexibility already or know how to modify. And there are no sun salutations, just Erich's half sun salutes. There are a number of backbends, however, which might not make this ideal for an injured back. (I'd clear those types of moves with a doc and/or yoga teacher w/ experience and knowledge appropriate for dealing with back pain.)
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Old 09-14-07, 10:43 PM  
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I absolutely love the Backyard Beginners DVD. It is a gentle practice and doesn't include difficult poses, but has instructions throughout that help me get deeply into the poses. It has nice hamstring and shoulder openers, nice music, is filmed outdoors, and the voiceover is calming and not distracting. The DVD has a very unpretentious feel to it. It's intelligently done without taking itself too seriously. I like the fact that the production values aren't sleek.

Backbends and Lotus are much too advanced for me. I don't have a lot of class experience. I've been doing yoga by video and CD mostly for the past few years. I can do small parts of these two DVDs, but at some point in the practice it becomes too much. I'm generally fit, but am inflexible by nature and have a back injury. I haven't tried the Inversions DVD. I just know it would be much too advanced. I can do crow and a handstand with an assistant (no way I'd try this in my living room), but that's about it.

You can look at clips of the DVDs at ihanuman.com to see what you think. There are also reviews posted. I think Beth (aka Toaster) has some terrific reviews of these.
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Old 09-15-07, 07:27 AM  
KateTT
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I absolutely LOVE Erich's series. In fact, plan on Backyard Beginners or Backbends today! Yes, the production values are basic, but still done very well if you ask me. And the 'meat' of the practice makes it all worthwhile.

The only one I just could not do was Inversions. I find Lotus to be a wonderful leg and hip opener, and Backbends just makes my back feel divine when I'm done. Backyard Beginners has one of the BEST shoulder opening sequences EVER!

I'd say get any, but be prepared to work into it. It's NOT for beginners...well, ok, so Backyard Beginners is ok.

Hope your back gets better! Yoga is the key I believe.
Kate
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Old 09-15-07, 08:09 AM  
SharonNYC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by junadelam
I haven't tried the Inversions DVD. I just know it would be much too advanced. I can do crow and a handstand with an assistant (no way I'd try this in my living room), but that's about it.
Juna, Inversions doesn't go much beyond the foundational poses: headstand and shoulderstand. It's the sophistication of the approaches and the variations within the poses that make it challenging. I can't do all of Erich's variations but I don't find the actual DVD that difficult. You just have to be prepared to come down from the inversions to watch for a while now and then. (And sometimes say to yourself "yeah, right")

There's a great core engagement prelude to shoulderstand.

If you're not already doing headstand though -- this is not the place to start. And I do Erich's headstand with a wall. Again, I like his entry very much.

But yes, it's not a beginners' practice.

ETA: In general: with an acute back injury though I might avoid all but therapeutic yoga. I have chronic back stuff and when there's a flare I go toward practices like Barbara Benagh's Stress Relief Yoga or Beginners . Some very basic yoga poses, like triangle, can be very back-stressful if you're symptomatic.
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Old 09-15-07, 12:10 PM  
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I have Beginners, Backbends, and Inversions. I love Beginners and Backbends, and I like using Erich's voice on Inversions for company while I do my own headstand against the wall and make attempts at his shoulderstand variations.

All of these are well over an hour long, so I don't do them as often as I otherwise might, but they are chaptered nicely. I often do part of Beginners or Backbends -- the first 15-30 min. of Backbends is a fabulous stretch with nothing real scary or difficult. (I don't find the whole Backbends vid scary or difficult: the pinnacle pose is wheel, which I find difficult, but can do.) He doesn't provide copious instructions but what he does offer is fabulous, and I love his philosophy of working with a pose, doing what you feel today.

Carla, I suggest you go ahead & get the Beginners DVD, see if you like the approach and pace of it. If you don't, you can always get rid of Erich on the Exchange!
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Old 09-15-07, 01:18 PM  
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Another vote for therapeutic yoga, like Barbara Benagh's Yoga for Stress Relief and Gary Kraftsow's new Viniyoga Therapy for Upper / Lower Back Pain.
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Old 09-15-07, 01:24 PM  
SharonNYC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathAL79
Another vote for therapeutic yoga, like Barbara Benagh's Yoga for Stress Relief and Gary Kraftsow's new Viniyoga Therapy for Upper / Lower Back Pain.
Kath, I have Kraftsow's DVDs on order and am really looking forward to them. I have both his books and use them frequently.
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Old 09-15-07, 01:42 PM  
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Sharon, I'm interested in hearing what you think of the Gary Kraftsow DVDs. I've found them effective, although I use them for prevention rather than treatment. The idea of moving through the range of motion and focusing equally on contraction and stretching rather than just parking in a stretch and popping right out to move onto another pose is interesting and makes sense to me. There's a nice simplicity to these sequences, and I like his strong emphasis on connecting movement with breath.
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