Yoga Journal: Yoga Step by Step, Session 1 - Foundation Poses for Strength & Stamina

Rating:
Summary: Too Much Information
Review: Though I did yoga briefly years ago, I've forgotten most of what I learned then from Richard Hittleman. Today, I exercise regularly, but find myself physically inflexible and uncoordinated. I thought yoga would help, and I've been working with DVDs for a while. While I think the instructional material in this DVD is very complete, the routine it teaches is way too hard for me. The flowing workout is hard to keep up with, and some of the combinations are extremely challenging. It's often tough to perform the combinations and watch the screen to see what's next. The pace of the instruction is very brisk. I often find myself rewinding review sections of the presentation. In addition, Natasha Rizopoulos uses the Sanscrit and English names for poses interchangeably, and I have trouble knowing what she's talking about. In general, this video presents more information than a beginner can reasonably absorb quickly, and I don't think it is a good first choice for a beginner.

Rating:
Summary: Inspired Instruction
Review: Yoga can help you fully relax and prepare for meditation or just feel more relaxed while reading or cooking. Your mind will be cleansed and while the world surges around you in all directions, there will be an inner calm you can carry with you all day.

While this DVD may seem to be for absolute beginners, it seems to be more for students of yoga who want to "begin" their own home practice. Yes, you can follow the instructions if you are an absolute beginner because there are variations if you are just starting yoga. I'd consider myself to be intermediate and the workout on this DVD completely heated my body and was challenging at places.

Natasha Rizopoulos has a beautiful teaching style that allows you to fully experience the body mind connection. She encourages you to experience yoga in order to balance your life. After watching her Yoga demonstration you may start to think of Yoga as an art form and not just an exercise routine. She turns yoga into ballet and her upper body strength is astounding.

This DVD has interesting menu options. There are really two main parts:

A 35 minute Instruction Session - You explore the postures in depth
20 minutes of uninterrupted flowing practice

You can follow the Instruction Menu, Practice Menu, go straight to the Yoga Chalk Talk (a great way to explore the poses) or Medical Commentary. The Practice menu has four sections:

Begin Practice (Different from Begin Instruction)
Follow Jason - This is an excellent option if you want to use props like blocks.
Practice with Medical Commentary - A discussion of the nervous systems of the body and why stress hormones can affect your immune system.
Practice without Music

If you are completely new to Yoga, you might want to start with the "Begin Instruction" for the first few days (so your wrists get used to the poses) and then move on to the Begin Practice or practice along with the Chalk Talk to master the poses.

Natasha Rizopoulos teaches you about ujjayi breathing, then teaches you how to move skillfully into downward-facing dog, cobra, upward-facing dog, simple cross-legged pose, chair pose, plank, warrior I, warrior II and extended (right) angle pose.

This is the first DVD in a series of three high-quality yoga packages. You will need blocks and a mat for the first practice session. The orange mats, rich wood furniture, lamps, sage walls, sun filtering through lavender shades and a beautiful wood floor make this a beautiful and inspiring space in which to develop your own home practice.

I can highly recommend this DVD and the entire Yoga Journal's Yoga Step By Step series to beginners (if they follow the initial modifications) and intermediate students (if they want a flowing practice session to warm and energize their bodies). Advanced students may enjoy this as a refresher course. Even after years of yoga practice, it is exciting to find out there is so much more to learn. This is a must-have series for
anyone who is interested in yoga.

~TheRebeccaReview.com