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Old 03-10-02, 02:15 AM  
celestialbody11
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Suggestions for an Beginners Yoga Video??

I've taken a couple of yoga classes before, and I'm looking for a good video to reinforce and practice the basics I learned in class. I don't really like Patricia Walden's Yoga for Beginners. (There's something about the 1985 set, her creepy voice, and her strange eyes that turns me off).

I'm looking for something a little more natural, with a nice background, and a nice flow (less segmented than YFB). I've watched Wai Lana on PBS, and she might be an option. Does anyone have other recommendations?

Thanks

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Old 03-10-02, 09:28 AM  
PamelaP
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I've never seen Wai Lana, but I think the Yoga Zone Intro to Yoga tape is great. It moves slowly and has excellent instruction. Living Arts Gentle Yoga is also very good, along with Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss which shows multiple modification options.
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Old 03-10-02, 09:49 AM  
Jane C
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The tapes that helped me

I really like Yogilates 1 - its a yoga/pilates hybrid tape. Its an indoor set, but very nice.
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Old 03-10-02, 10:27 AM  
Sharonm
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Yoga beginner myself

I've only taken a couple of yoga classes in my life and owned only one yoga tape, Bryan Kest. I love looking at him but couldn't get into the workout. I recently got Crunch Fat Burning Yoga. I love it. It's instructed by Sara Ivanhoe and she's very easy to follow. The poses are pretty basic, down dog, planks, warrior and triangles. I like the music she uses and her presence is warm and friendly. There's also a woman in front doing modified poses.
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Old 03-10-02, 04:35 PM  
Kimberly33
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I second the suggestion for Yoga Zone Intro. I also like their 20-minute workouts. They are much better about including useful instruction than most of the short Living Arts tapes (*I* actually find it helpful to be asked to breathe into my groins, but I can see why many don't). I also like the Gentle Yoga tape and the Crunch tapes, but they have less instruction. The Weight loss tape is another good one.

I've heard very good things about the Wai Lana tapes (plus, I think some TJ Maxx or Marshalls stores might still have some), but I've never tried one.

Good luck!

Kimberly
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Old 03-11-02, 08:18 AM  
Lydia L
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Flow: Water

You may want to check out Tracey Rich Flow Series: Earth.... it's one of the few yoga tapes that I can truely recommend to a beginnner... indoor setting-- but the background is very nice... light and airy. She really connects the breathing with the movement and moves slowly enough so you can get into each pose without rushing. Modifications are shown and I enjoy the flow of this workout. It's available through Amazon.
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Old 03-11-02, 12:02 PM  
tiffanywu
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Go, go Yoga Zone!

I second/third/fourth the suggestions to try Yoga Zone. I found they really do provide a lot more instruction on form than Living Arts does. Introduction to Yoga is excellent and Conditioning & Stress Release has some different poses for stretching out the body.

Living Arts' Yoga for Weight Loss (with Suzanne Deason) is a great 45-minute practice that shows lots of modifications for beginners and more varied poses but there isn't a heck of a lot of actual instruction about where to put your foot, align your spine, shrug your shoulders, etc.

Crunch Joy of Yoga is a little more demanding strength- and coordination-wise so I'd save that as a tape to grow into after you've done the beginners' Yoga Zone tapes mentioned above. Ditto for other more "intermediate" tapes like Yoga Zone's Flexibility and Stress Release and Crunch Fat Burning Yoga.
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Old 03-12-02, 09:44 AM  
txkimmers
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Yoga Zone for sure

But the older ones: Conditioning and Stress Release is a great starter tape. They have a series of new Beginner Tapes that I really hated, and not just because at that point they were too easy.

There were four core tapes that they started with, they are frequently sold in a box set, and that is what I would recommend from Yoga Zone. I love Alan Finger's voice.

I have tried and tried to get into the Living Arts tapes, and I admire and respect P. Walden and Rodney Yee, but I just can't get a groove on with their stuff.
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Old 03-12-02, 02:35 PM  
Colleen
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Yoga Zone, etc.

The Yoga Zone tapes with Alan Finger are excellent for beginners. The poses flow nicely, and the instruction is very detailed. You can buy the boxed set at www.graveyardmall.com for $20. The set includes Conditioning and Stress Release, Intro to Yoga, Flexibility and Tone, and Meditation. The set is an indoor studio, but it's very pleasant (I didn't like the beginner video with Patricia Walden either!)

I also love the Crunch yoga workouts (Fat-Burning Yoga and Joy of Yoga) with Sarah Ivanhoe. The instruction is good (not as detailed as the Yoga Zone tapes listed above, though). One student in the class shows modifications of the poses, which is helpful for beginners. The set is an indoor studio, as in other Crunch tapes. These workouts are available on DVD as well as VHS.

The Living Arts tapes have beautiful scenery (except for the beginner tape with Patricia!), but don't have much instruction. If you have a DVD player, the Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss DVD would be a great choice. It has a "yoga studio" feature that allows you to zoom in on Suzanne or one of the students and get detailed form instructions. This feature is available for most of the poses. Both the DVD and video show four levels of modification, which is very useful for beginners. The desert scenery is gorgeous (I think it was shot in Sedona, AZ?).

I found a couple of yoga books which have been very helpful:

Yoga: Mastering the Basics (S. Anderson, R. Sovik)
Yoga Mind, Body, and Spirit (D. Farhi)
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Old 03-12-02, 03:39 PM  
Barb L
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For an inexpensive intro to yoga, you can't go wrong with Living Arts AM and PM Yoga as a set--about ten bucks or less at WalMart, I think. You'll find out from these why people like and dislike Rodney and Patricia. The scenery is gorgeous.

I've recently discovered Sara Ivanhoe's Crunch Fat-Burning Yoga. Don't let the title put you off. It's a very good, modifiable yoga session, and Sara is great.

I also like Suzanne Deason's Yoga for Weight Loss (again, that's a marketing title--it's just regular yoga, with modifications shown by three background yoginis in all sizes).

There are many approaches to yoga. You'll want to be alert to tapes that involve fast or energetic movement, as opposed to those that are slower, in which you hold the poses for a time. Some people prefer one or the other. Both involve strength, breathing, and balance. Both can get your heart pumping, and can make you sweat.
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