Rating: 
Summary: excellent for newcomers
Review: I just started looking into yoga to expand my fitness program and found this tape extremely valuable. The instruction is clear and concise. It provides a strong grounding in the basics that is needed to progress to other tapes that are suppose to be for "beginners" but dont seem to be to a beginner like me. I think you'll find yourself quickly growing out of this tape but good basics building blocks are indispensable.
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best tape, but worth having to alternate with
Review: I love Kathy Smith's workouts and bought this to alternate with the Ali McGraw Yoga tape but this one doesn't quite compare. First of all, it is longer so it's not as easy to squeeze this one into your daily routine. Second, Kathy is not a Yoga instructor, but she teaches. There are some tips from a good teacher, but he should have taught the tape so there would be more good form tips throughout. The postures are pretty much the same as the Ali McGraw tape, slightly varied, and she works with a few students in the background. It's done on a set designed to look like a beach, and there's no audible music to add to the relaxation. It's a much more basic tape, not as stylish as the other I mentioned. Whereas McGraw's tape is well balanced, relaxing and aesthetically pleasing, this one is more of a workout that happens to be yoga. It doesn't appeal to the mind as much as the body. But it is worth having if you want to alternate with another tape or if you are so far along in yoga practice you don't need much guidance. END
Rating:
Summary: Gentle Yoga Practice and Great Place to Start
Review: I took this DVD out of my Library our of curiousity along with two of Kathy Smiths other Yoga videos. While I've been practicing daily for 7 years and have been fortunate to be blessed with a wonderful and gifted teacher (whose classes I wish I could attend daily), I rely heavily on my home practice due to my schedule. I find that VHS/DVD's are a really great way to keep a home practice from getting stale and I like to alternate between lots of programs for variety as well as different levels of intensity. Even though I have been doing Yoga for a relatively long time I still enjoy working with "beginners" programs on days when I don't want to push really hard but still want a well rounded practice. I found this program to be a real joy to practice with and have been pleasently surprised by the two Yoga Programs of Kathy Smith's that I've gotten to practice with so far. In fact I'll be trying out her intermediate DVD tomorrow and from what I've seen so far I have great expectations. In fact I plan on ordering the 3 DVD set. I think it's admirable that while Kathy Smith is the featured teacher in this program, she was wise enough to have collaborated with Rod Stryker (who not only developed the routine but also was a co-producer on the video if I'm not mistaken). Rod is the real deal, he's as reputable a teacher of yoga as one might find anywhere so this program is extremely sound and well structured. I feel that Kathy does a great job of leading you through the program, she paces the program well, has clear and concise instruction and is an inspiring model. I can see how some might feel there are some poses (particularly those in lunge positions as well as Downward facing dog) that might be a bit too much for a brand new beginner, but if these weren't included the tape would become pretty useless very quickly. The key is just to do what you can and rest when you need to, you will eventually build up strength incrementally. Another positive thing about this program is that it is not filled with "too much" verbal instruction and therefore maintains a flow which makes it very "practice friendly". There are other very good introductory programs out there but often those become hard to practice with because they can get too bogged down with details and therefore are cumbersome to practice with. Anyway, I highly recommend this program for beginners or even those more advanced who (like me on this particular morning) want to have a gentle yoga program to practice with to alternate with more intense programs. Namaste
Rating:
Summary: Not So Good
Review: I was an absolute beginner. I had never done Yoga before, so I thought that this would be a good place to start. However, I was wrong. I found that the flexibility of Kathy Smith somehow discouraged me. It is a hard workout and you must do it on a regular basis to actually get any results. I would think that for a beginners video, it should have been shorter and not so intense.
Rating:
Summary: nice for beginners
Review: I'm new to yoga
I just picked up this dvd to try the yoga out for the first time.
I don't know how good this dvd is compare to other yoga dvd's since I never tried them, but this one does it for me.
I was gonna try several dvd's out to find one that suits me, but I think I'm gonna stick w/ this one for a while.
It's about 50 minute workout divided into 3 sections.
It's easy to follow except one or two poses that kindda make you sweat. The narration is also clear and make it easy to understand what you are suppose to do.
It gives you full body stretching workout which you cannot get from jogging or other simple excersises.
You will sleep more comportabley and defintely feel different throughout the day.
Rating: 
Summary: Great if you are a total beginner
Review: If you are already in decent shape this is a good tape for beginners to Yoga. I tried Yoga about a year ago on a tape for "beginners" and it was soooo difficult and they used so many props that I was very discouraged and quit. I decided to try another tape since I can't afford Yoga lessons. This tape is not too difficult if you are already in good health and in shape from exercising and it stretches your muscles and relaxes you. Don't use this as a way to lose weight - this is basically just for reflection, relaxation, balance and stretch and is great to be used in combination with aerobic workouts. You will need a mat, a blanket, a chair, a towel and a belt. It lasts about 55 minutes but goes very quickly.
Rating:
Summary: Finally! A Yoga Tape I Can Do!
Review: If you are truly a beginner, as I am -- this is the video to start with. As a newbie to yoga, I've purchased 5 different "beginner" tapes. Most caused frustration and discouragement. The Rodney Yee and Suzanne Deason tapes by Living Arts were just too fast paced and challenging for me. But Kathy Smith's New Yoga Basics is perfect. The pace is slow enough so you have time to get into the pose...her instruction on alignment is very specific...and the poses are challenging without being impossible. After doing this workout only twice -- I think I'm already hooked on yoga. Thanks Kathy!!
Rating:
Summary: Finally! A Yoga Tape I Can Do!
Review: If you are truly a beginner, as I am -- this is the video to start with. As a newbie to yoga, I've purchased 5 different "beginner" tapes. Most caused frustration and discouragement. The Rodney Yee and Suzanne Deason tapes by Living Arts were just too fast paced and challenging for me. But Kathy Smith's New Yoga Basics is perfect. The pace is slow enough so you have time to get into the pose...her instruction on alignment is very specific...and the poses are challenging without being impossible. After doing this workout only twice -- I think I'm already hooked on yoga. Thanks Kathy!!
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Kathy Smith
Review: If you have never tried yoga at all, I would not recommend starting from ground zero with a video--any video. There are a lot of little details about position and breathing that make a real-life experience necessary. That said, this is a very good yoga workout for novices who have tried yoga and want to start working it into their lives. The video is thorough and accommodates people who are not familiar with the moves or very flexible yet. As usual, Kathy Smith's instruction and the video production are top-notch.
Rating:
Summary: Good Beginner Yoga Video
Review: If you're new to yoga, I'd definitely recommend this video. Kathy is very detailed in explaining each pose and how to breathe properly. She eases you into yoga and gives you a very thorough workout. Once you've been doing this video for a while and have the poses down, you may want to advance a faster paced yoga video as this one will not be as challenging. Overall, this is a great video and a wonderful doorway to the world of yoga!
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