Rating: 
Summary: A lovely introduction to Yoga and a fantastic DVD!
Review: I'm new to yoga and after reading all the reviews, this DVD seemed to be the perfect introduction and they were right! Right from the start, the imagery and sounds are relaxing and beautiful (what a wonderful setting!) and help to place your mind in just the right zone. The workout itself was easy to follow and challenging enough for someone used to working out but new to yoga. Both during and after the workout - if that is the right term? - I felt relaxed and rejuventated and had no trouble following Suzanne Deason's intruction even when I wasn't able to look at the TV. Even though I was able to do the 1/4 modified workout first time, I can see myself continuing to use this DVD for a long time to come because of the effect I feel on my mind and my body. I'll definitely be integrating this one into my usual workout schedule.The DVD itself should get 10 stars. There are 4 different versions of the workout and the chaptering is placed at sensible intervals. The four versions are aimed at different fitness and flexibility levels and have different soundtracks customised for the version you are doing. I wish all fitness DVDs were like this! Suzanne is clear about what this DVD is really about; it's more about getting you onto the road to a healthier lifestyle not about shedding pounds - shame on those marketing people! You won't be waving your arms and legs about at top speed but you will be improving your body and your mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Should simply be called Yoga conditioning. Soothing.
Review: I'm sure the marketing gurus felt they had to include "for weight loss" in the title. That really doesn't belong. This DVD is more about the smooth, gentleness of yoga. This isn't power yoga. Please read the other reviews regarding the slowness of this DVD. I like its calmness. The music is soothing too. I'm turned off by quick, fat blasting yoga. Fast yoga is like slow aerobics. I like the poses and the length of time they're held. Deeson gives excellent instruction. She's very thorough, even to the point of telling you when to breathe. I don't think that detracts. Her voice is soothing. My only problem with this DVD is that I can't access Deeson's further studio instruction in the modifications. According to the help section of the DVD, it states press the enter button when you see the icon in the corner, which looks like a solid white. On my screen, it's not solid white and when I push enter, nothing happens. Maybe my DVD player is too new or there's a problem with the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Should simply be called Yoga conditioning. Soothing.
Review: I'm sure the marketing gurus felt they had to include "for weight loss" in the title. That really doesn't belong. This DVD is more about the smooth, gentleness of yoga. This isn't power yoga. Please read the other reviews regarding the slowness of this DVD. I like its calmness. The music is soothing too. I'm turned off by quick, fat blasting yoga. Fast yoga is like slow aerobics. I like the poses and the length of time they're held. Deeson gives excellent instruction. She's very thorough, even to the point of telling you when to breathe. I don't think that detracts. Her voice is soothing. My only problem with this DVD is that I can't access Deeson's further studio instruction in the modifications. According to the help section of the DVD, it states press the enter button when you see the icon in the corner, which looks like a solid white. On my screen, it's not solid white and when I push enter, nothing happens. Maybe my DVD player is too new or there's a problem with the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Some good and bad features
Review: I've done this DVD workout a few times, and all in all it's not a bad routine. I usually skip through much of the first part where she gives breathing instruction because it is just painfully slow. The conditioning part of the workout is actually not bad, and as many others have mentioned the ability to see the workout modified for your level is a fantastic addition. Overall though, I enjoy Alan Finger's Yoga Zone workouts much more than Suzanne Deason. I feel he gives much better instruction, and provides superior guidance on each section of his programs. I also do not care for the new age style comments she uses throughout the routine. I love Yoga for the physical and relaxation aspects, but don't care for the "whole being" comments so much. I do also like that the other participants in the video are real women with normal bodies, and not totally buff supermodels as you often see in exercise videos.
Rating: 
Summary: WARNING...May Cause Drowsiness
Review: If I could return this DVD I would. I am a 26-year-old female who has been practicing Yoga several times a week for about 2 years. I was looking for a program that would at least make me sweat a little- and this is NOT it. I would recommend this for inflexible women over 40 and beginners only. Maybe not even beginners. I wouldn't want this program to be your initial impression of what yoga is or can be. I suggest Living Arts Total Body Workout- with individual Abs, Lower Body & Upper Body segments. I purchased Suzanne Deason's Yoga for Weight Loss because she is an instructor on my other DVD- but this is definitely not for the young and active.
The scenery is beautiful, but the music is more of a lullaby. I found myself yawning several times during the seemingly endless 45-minute program. My suggestion: if you can touch your toes then PASS on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Easy workout with results
Review: My wife and I started using this DVD two to three times a week. I thought I would have trouble sticking with it but this workout has a 10 minute warmup, a 20 minute workout and a 15 minute cool down. I was amazed that I actually look forward to doing this workout. It is a meditation combined with stretching and positions that leave you feeling relaxed while at the same time energized and emotionally refreshed. I have recommended this DVD highly to all of our friends and we still use it regularly after 2 years. There are 4 levels of instruction and the DVD features make it easy to watch all four together or each one separately as you grow and become more flexible. I never thought Yoga would be so easy and enjoyable. We also both lost a lot of weight combining this with a sensible diet program.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific multi-views - A great way to build up yoga practice
Review: Sure, it's not Tae-Bo, but it is not supposed to be. This is yoga, pure and simple. I really like this DVD - beautiful environment and music at a nice pace. But the most wonderful functionality that you can get in this DVD is the multi-views. It gives you the ability to gauge your own ability, and follow an instructor that is at your level(fully modified, 1/2 modified, 1/4 modified). You can start at one level, and change the view when you become stronger and more flexible. Most surprising, some of the instructors are not model-thin! Another great feature is the ability to "drill deeper" into the pose. During the workout, you have the option to position the cursor to learn more about the pose - it flips you into a studio view of the main instructor teaching the pose - then it flips back into the workout. If you are heavy and are looking for a way to get moving, or if you just want a gentle yoga practice that you can build up slowly - this is a great DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Yoga in Nature
Review: The stunning beauty of the red rocks and panoramas of Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona Arizona makes this video one of the most beautiful yoga workouts to date! The blue mats are just striking against the background and that makes this quite visually pleasing. If you love exercising in the evening, this workout is perfect to promote a general feeling of well-being and relaxation. Suzanne Deason has created a calming escape you can enjoy for 45 minutes. While I can't say for sure that you will lose weight while using this particular video, I know you can condition your body with Yoga and Pilates. I like the combination and have many DVDs and videos. So, I recommend this in addition to all the other workouts you own. Variety seems essential in keeping us all motivated! The theory behind this workout is that yoga can be used for therapeutic applications. Being overweight has a lot to do with an imbalance in your body's physiology and an internal disconnection between the mind and body. If you think about when you overeat it might be when you are feeling stressed. It is much easier to keep to your healthy nutrition plan when you feel calm and in control. I also have come to believe that when we are stressed, our bodies pack on the pounds. So, this workout gives a calmness to your being and in this way you help to control the bodies healing process. There are four workout levels: Complete Workout - For anyone who has experience in yoga. All you need is a yoga mat.
Slightly Modified (1/4) - To build strength and stamina.
Partially Modified (1/2) - When your flexibility improves.
Fully Modified - If you have tight hips or hamstrings, you can use a strap, bricks
and a blanket. All the workouts contain a 10 minute "Body and Breath" warm-up section to loosen the muscles and heat the core. The breathing cues are excellent and you will find yourself enjoying the deep cleansing breaths. This is followed by "Active Yoga Conditioning." A mirror behind you is helpful at first until you learn to moves. Or you can just do some backwards and still see the screen. Many of the poses where chosen with larger bodies in mind. This is great for people who are just starting yoga. You will notice that three of the instructors are definitely more like the "normal size" woman. It was comforting to me to see women who modified various poses as I often have to. Instead of feeling like I could not do the poses, I felt I was reaching a level that was comfortable for me. You may also find you can do some of the poses from the advanced level and some from the modified. You feel so proud of yourself when you can finally feel comfortable doing most of the advanced poses. Finally you enter the 14 minute cool down phase called: "Balance and Relaxation." During the workout you might notice a Personal Instructor Icon. On my DVD control I had to select the "ok" to get this feature to work. There is also a nice way to get to various workout levels. You just press the "angle" button. Once you watch the complete workout/combination workout, you can then figure out which level you are at. After watching the combined workout, you will more than likely enjoy just working out with one instructor. You have the choice of four instructors. I find that my yoga and Pilates workout "moments" have become so healing and nurturing. If you wish to make your setting even more comfortable and are familiar with yoga, I would recommend a nice duvet/comforter covered in a soft fabric. Once folded in half, this gives you a nice soft padded space on which you can place your yoga mat, etc. If you need props, there is information in the pamphlet that is included with the DVD. Think of exercise as your own private mini-vacation and suddenly exercise is something you start to look forward to. You could also walk for 30 minutes before starting these exercises or walk in the morning and do this video at night. An exercise program for the entire mind/body/spirit connection. The 16-page full-color pamphlet also contains a mini-nutrition guide, tips on healthy eating and a weight management guide. Develops concentration, patience, body awareness, muscle tone and a sense of emotional calm. If you are new to Yoga, this might be the best place to start. I can also recommend "Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss" with Suzanne Deason.
Rating:
Summary: Great program! Geared for your growth, and DVD makes it easy
Review: This is a great program! I have a very basic understanding of yoga, and though this workout is challenging, it wasn't too tough for a relative beginner, like me. The best part about it is that four different ladies are doing the workout, each at a different level - from fully modified to regular workout - and with the DVD, you get to choose which lady you'd like to follow! I enjoy this feature tremendously, as I look forward to moving up the levels. There is also the "personal instructor" feature - during the different poses, an icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen, telling you the personal instructor feature is available -- all you have to do is hit enter on your remote and it takes you to the "yoga studio" where Suzanne Deason shows you the correct positioning. Then it takes you back to the workout! Neat! The workout is 45 minutes, but it takes place in 3 sections, and you can choose if you want to do all 3 sections, or any one of them alone. Some yoga programs move too fast, but this one moves at just the right pace. The explanations of the positions are thorough enough that your eyes don't have to be glued to the TV the whole time. Suzanne Deason is gentle, respectful, and sincere. All in all, a great investment! (Oh, and if you haven't already, do get the yoga props -- they help a lot if you're not a pro at yoga.)
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be thin to do yoga!
Review: This is by far the smoothest yoga routine I've ever seen, and the desert scenery is breathtaking! Yoga in it's pure form is about breath, focus and meditation, as well as the poses, and Susanne Deason does an excellent job integrating all these aspects. In the west, all the focus is on exercise and doing the poses, but breathing and focusing is an essential part of yoga that makes it much more effective! And much to my surprise - there are very overweight women doing yoga and doing it well! I weigh 180 lbs and exercise regularly and do a lot of yoga and it's great to see other women the same size who do it too. You don't have to be a skinny toothpick to do yoga! I've known that for 10 years, but you wouldn't know if you look at any other yoga DVD or video. I love the way the instructor uses voiceover to talk you through the routine while the 4 people do the poses at various levels. She explains so much more than someone who's talking and doing the routine at the same time, and explains it beautifully. Beats me why they call it weight loss yoga. The routine is slow and soothing, and I haven't lost a pound since I started doing it - but I enjoy it anyways as a great form of relaxation, toning and meditation. I did not give it 5 stars because of the misleading title only. Otherwise, it's a great workout and would be awesome for anyone who is overweight and intimidated by the super thin, athletic and flexible bodies in all the other yoga DVD's and videos out there. In fact, the second thinnest woman does the most modified & easiest version and two heavier women do the more challenging levels. Overall - great for overweight yoga enthusiasts and beginners and even someone like me, who likes to do moderate yoga, but is not a beginner.
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