Wai Lana Yoga:Easy Series

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: I found this easy series just right for me as a beginner. I have had to do some for less time than shown and have over the last couple months strengthened incredibly. This is really the only exercise I do and my muscles are firm and movement is coming much easier for me. When finished I feel like I've had a full body workout. It is refreshing and energizing.

Wai Lana has a soothing voice that my husband calls monotone, but I find is slightly melodious and very easy to ignore when I'm doing something else, but easy to hear and calming to listen to when I do. She moves between poses rather quickly, but after a while I got used to this. If this is bothersome to you at first you can do the "One Asana at a time" or just do the poses in less time to give you time to rest more between poses. Wai Lana has beautiful outfits that change throughout each session and a variety of beautiful backgrounds. Her outfits are very modest and not form fitting (a plus for men who don't want distraction). She wears an elastic belt around her waist, which helps you see what she is doing with her waist. She is very descriptive of how to do the poses and what benefits you are getting. Because her voice is non-intrusive it isn't irritating that she talks most of the time. She says nothing extraneous that would distract you from the pose and over a long period of time of using the DVD hearing her say the same things each time doesn't get irritating.

On the main menu you have "Start Workout", "Extras", and Introduction (which is the same on each DVD). The "Start Workout" is the entire work out for that DVD. The workout itself consists of about 35 minutes of postures. After that is a time of music and meditation. Under "Extras" it lists "One Asana at a time", which does as it says; "Customize your workout", this lets you do the asanas (poses) in any order you wish with 17 asanas (on the beginner's I didn't count there others) and 20 slots for your choices, so you can do one more than once or some not at all as you don't have to fill all the slots; "Guidelines" this is a basic rundown of things to do and not to do to get the most out of it and prevent injury; "Wai Lana's Little Yogi's" (only on the Beginners DVD), this includes some snippets advertising her children's DVD; "Using Yoga Props" (only on the Toning DVD), which is a 12 minute segment with a model (not Wai Lana) with a man's voice explaining how to use the mat, block, and strap and also shows the Hero and the Shoulder Loosening poses modified; and "More from Wai Lana", which covers all the things she has to sell - her other DVDs and tapes, her music CDs, mats, etc. You can also see those things on her website: www.wailana.com.

Each DVD comes with an illustrated book showing a picture of each asana, its English name, and what it physically benefits most. This is useful if you are going traveling and don't have a DVD player, doing the set outside, or if you want to do the set at your own pace.

There is also an option on the main screen of each that allows you to change from English to Spanish.

The Beginner's DVD includes these asanas: Blowing tree, Hummingbird, Folding Triangle, Wraparound Twist, Diving Pose, Krishna Pose, Churning Butter, Easy Arrow, Boomerang, Easy Wheel, Easy Spinal Twist, Easy Bow, Mini Sit-up, Head Roll, Cannonball, Yoga Nidra, and Meditation.

The Relaxation Workout includes: Three-Step Leg Lift, Rock & Roll, Sitting Eagle, Arm Circles, Shoulder Rolls, Shoulder Lifts, Reaching Backbend, Windmill, Tree Pose, Easy Camel, Alternate Leg Stretch, Biking Pose, Drawbridge, Side Leg Rise, Locust Lift, Sacrum Massage, and Meditation.

The Toning Workout includes: Energizing Breath, Neck Exercises, Tiptoe Squats, Flamingo, Dynamic Forward Bend, Triangle Stretch, Cobra Stretch, Grasshopper, Cat Stretch, Sunset Stretch, Leg Lifts, Lower Body Rock, Inclined Bridge, Leg Gyration, Samadhai Pose, and Meditation.

Side note: the asana Wai Lana is doing on the front of each DVD cover is not included on that DVD, so don't pick the DVD(s) you buy by the asana pictured on the front.

You can also buy each in this series separately, though buying the set may save you money.