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Yoga Zone - Yoga for Weight Loss (Beginners)

Yoga Zone - Yoga for Weight Loss (Beginners)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Disappontment
Review: I loved the first Yoga Zone series. I liked this instructor when I taped several shows from the television series. I found this tape very repetious. I felt like I was doing the same thing over and over and could not wait for the tape to end. I bought this tape based on good reviews from other customers, what a disappointment.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Yoga Zone for weight loss
Review: I own 2 Yoga Zone videos, both for beginners. This one, led by Al Bingham, and another, led by Alan Finger. I must say that the tape led by Alan Finger is by far the better video. As a matter of fact I rarely, if ever, workout to the tape instructed by Al Bingham. Alan Finger's tape has a much easier to follow format and a relaxing tone and pace to it. This video was performed on a beach and while beaches are pleasant, I find the beach and Al Bingham distracting and difficult to follow compared to the other video.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loved this DVD
Review: I'm pretty much brand new to yoga and love this DVD! I bought it because I'm familiar with Yoga Zone from watching the Health Network. I miss it now that we've moved! This DVD is great for beginners, but it's still difficult enough that I know I can work up to full postures. Also the modifications are wonderful--this is truly a program one can grow with!

The workout is about 35 minutes long and I couldn't believe I was actually working up a sweat. After only three days of doing the program, I can tell a huge difference in my flexibility and my husband says he can see improvements in my overall appearance.

There's a bonus 20 minute conditioning program, which is great, but I'll probably alternate between the two, because the first workout tires me out (and yet leaves me totally relaxed--it's awesome!)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Flowing and Heating Practice
Review: I've done this tape several times and really like it a lot!
I have a huge yoga Video/DVD collection (over 70) and practice
every day rotating videos to suit my energy levels and to keep
things fresh.

The things I like about this practice are:

1. Al Bingham is an excellent easy to follow instructor.

2. Modifications are shown by one instructor and the full poses by the other.

3. Much of it is based on the Sun Salutations, but it is broken down incrementally so that your body has a chance to adapt to each posture.

4. I found that it generated a good amount of heat and sweat.

5. It's only about 30 minutes which makes it very doable in terms of fitting into a schedule, plus you can push pretty hard without it becoming impossibly long so you don't have to worry about petering out.

6. It's challenging physically but all the poses can be done by most people in reasonably good health (no crazy poses that you need to be Gumby in order to perform).

7. The Yoga Zone programs in general have a very nice feel to them, a nice presentation in terms of the scenery and the instructors are not intimidating.

8. The pacing is flowing but not rushed.

Just a suggestion for those doing this regarding the chair poses. If you find them really tough (and they certainly can be), just start straight legged, the as you slowly sweep your arms overhead (or in front of you) gently lower down to the first "edge" of tension and breathe there. Don't push yourself EVER to the point of pain, just mild discomfort. You can also practice them dynamically, start higher up (straighter legs) and on each inhale raise up a little to release the stress and on each exhale just gently go a little bit lower than before. This makes the pose much safer and builds heat.

Anyway, I like this video, the bonus video is also an effective practice and only about 20 ,minutes so it's a nice practice to either alternate with for variety or to use on days when time is short.

Namaste

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Flowing and Heating Practice
Review: I've done this tape several times and really like it a lot!

The particular things I like about this practice are:

1. Al Bingham is an excellent easy to follow instructor.

2. Modifications are shown by one instructor and the full poses by the other.

3. Much of it is based on the Sun Salutations, but it is broken down incrementally so that your body has a chance to adapt to each posture.

4. I found that it generated a good amount of heat and sweat.

5. It's only about 30 minutes which makes it very doable in terms of fitting into a schedule, plus you can push pretty hard without it becoming impossibly long so you don't have to worry about petering out.

6. It's challenging physically but all the poses can be done by most people in reasonably good health (no crazy poses that you need to be Gumby in order to perform).

7. The Yoga Zone programs in general have a very nice feel to them, a nice presentation in terms of the scenery and the instructors are not intimidating.

8. The pacing is flowing but not rushed.

Just a suggestion for those doing this regarding the chair poses. If you find them really tough (and they certainly can be), just start straight legged, the as you slowly sweep your arms overhead (or in front of you) gently lower down to the first "edge" of tension and breathe there. Don't push yourself EVER to the point of pain, just mild discomfort. You can also practice them dynamically, start higher up (straighter legs) and on each inhale raise up a little to release the stress and on each exhale just gently go a little bit lower than before. This makes the pose much safer and builds heat.

Anyway, I like this video, the bonus video is also an effective practice and only about 20 ,minutes so it's a nice practice to either alternate with for variety or to use on days when time is short.

Namaste

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: terribly boring
Review: Instructor's voice is not peacecful, and he cannot pronounce the word which I probably cannot spell but have heard many times: "Namaste." Poor cinema and sound. Camera angles are not very professional and do not vary much. Check out Rodney Yee's videos and compare. They are much more engaging. I have watched this twice and have no interest in doing it. Time goes slowly. It is very regimented and no fun. After the first session, there is a meditation. The script is good, but who gestures during a meditation? Far to American for this confirmed Anglo! There is a bonus session at the end that gives very good detailed info on proper positioning, but you are asleep or angry by the time you get there.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: terribly boring
Review: Instructor's voice is not peacecful, and he cannot pronounce the word which I probably cannot spell but have heard many times: "Namaste." Poor cinema and sound. Camera angles are not very professional and do not vary much. Check out Rodney Yee's videos and compare. They are much more engaging. I have watched this twice and have no interest in doing it. Time goes slowly. It is very regimented and no fun. After the first session, there is a meditation. The script is good, but who gestures during a meditation? Far to American for this confirmed Anglo! There is a bonus session at the end that gives very good detailed info on proper positioning, but you are asleep or angry by the time you get there.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: AL IS ANNOYING
Review: Quite frankly I found the instructor in this video very annoying..perhaps it was because he spent an inordinate amount of time explaining the poses. Overall, I think Yoga Zone' other tapes are some of the best videos out there, and so are their instructors. Al just didn't do it for me.

In addition, I found the layout of the class extremely odd. You do a class for 30 minutes, and then do relaxation, and then go into what they call a "bonus session" at the end- for an additional 20 minutes. The "bonus session" doesn't teach you anything new-it is just repetitive of the original 30 minute session.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: mediocre
Review: The workout is good and is a nice medium duration program, in addition to the bonus short program. The flow is challenging enough. The instructor gives good verbal cues, which is really important in yoga because some of the postures do not allow a good view of the TV. I find that Al Bingham, bless his heart, is hard to listen to. Perhaps this is a petty criticism, but he sounds like he's trying really, really hard to be sincere. It's a bit of a turn-off. But, bonus points for the beautiful setting.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent; makes me feel like a dancer
Review: This 30 minute (not including the 20 minute bonus section which is nearly idential to the first session) video is fabulous. The instructor has two assistants, one who demonstrates the modifed poses, the other who performs the poses in a way that only an experienced yogan can. The "class" begins with the instructor teaching several poses individually. When doing the video the first few times, I found this extremely helpful. However, after having taken this "class" many, many times, I STILL appreciate the first fews minutes where each pose is practiced individually because it helps to stretch me out and focus on the intricacies of the movements that i'm about to perform.

MOVEMENT is what is key about this video; for, after learning the basic psoes, the instructor does a fabulous job of beautifully combining those poses into a series of movement. There's not too much resting after the first few minutes, but who needs it? The video is short and it feels wonderful to flow into strengthing positions. Alhough the class feels more like dancing, it's INTENSE dancing. If you are not dripping with sweat after 15 minutes, you're doing something wrong.


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