Yoga for Yourself
Yoga for Yourself is an uplifting and exhilarating practice designed by yoga certified instructor Ann Richmond. Less than 30 minutes long, it easily fits into any busy woman’s schedule. Women have unique bodies and unique concer. . . More >>
Like others have said on their reviews, this video is great for stay-at-home moms, or moms often on-the-go. It’s short enough to squeeze into your day without getting hot and sweaty, but long enough to feel like you’ve accomplished something. It’s very relaxing and you definitely feel stretched after. The voice-over is very nice and soothing. She also explains why the positions are beneficial.
My reason for 3 stars, are my personal opionions, which others may not have a problem with. The yoga instructor does waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too many arm lifts. Reach up to the sky and inhale, breathe out and lower your arms. It’s ok at first, but after doing the DVD just 4 times, I’ve already had it with that part. She does it over and over and over. It almost feels like a time-filler.
The other thing I don’t like about this DVD, which may sound very trivial, but it actually inhibits my work-out because it bothers me so much, is the setting. Maybe it’s because I’m used to yoga instructors on sandy beaches or studios, but where she does her work-out gives me the willies! It’s like she’s sitting in the middle of a damp swamp! I keep imagining mosquitioes buzzing all around her! Also, it’s pretty dreary and dismal, like it wants to rain. Like I said, this may sound trivial to some, but I’m a very visual person, so this actually affects my work-out.
For a beginner, or woman (I don’t think a man would benefit doing keigel exercises!!!) with little time on her hands, I’d recommend this as ok. For now, I’m partial to Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden.
Rating: 3 / 5
I bought this DVD based on the excellent reviews, and was quite a bit disappointed with it. I have quite a collection of yoga programs prepared by some well-known professionals in this field (Suzanne Deason, Alan Finger, Rodney Yee), and by comparison the Yoga for Yourself DVD is highly amateurish, both from the instructional and visual points of view. Absolutely no instructions are given regarding the proper alignment of the body and how to get in and out of the poses, it is a see-and-copy routine, which is not what a yoga practice is about. The routine itself is a very standard combination of the basic yoga poses (sun salutations, lunges, twists and bends), nothing special here.
My second complaint is about the scenery and camerawork. The instructor (or rather presenter, in this case) is filmed from a large distance, no close-ups, you can’t even make out the face of the woman. The scene is set up on a bank of a dark gloomy river with overgrown trees, the background colors are joyless dark green, brown and gray. The lady is dressed all in black, she is very gaunt and seems pale and melancholic. All this is also very different from the usual light, airy settings for yoga programs, often filmed in breathtakingly beautiful places, which is very important for achieving the overall calming, uplifting and energizing effect.
There are so many superior yoga programs available, I’m sure I’ll never go back to this one.
Rating: 2 / 5
The exercises are very good, there is a little too much space around the figure and the figure becomes distant and small, not enough closeup details and too much scenery shown in the photography during the exercises.
The DVD skips in some area and I have to fast forward to the next chapter.
Rating: 3 / 5
I am relatively new to yoga and was pleased at how comfortable I felt following along with the poses in this video. As I progress, I’m sure I’ll be able to do them better, but for now, it was easy to follow her instructions and adapt the poses to my beginner level. In the past, when I have attended yoga classes at the rec center, I always felt a little stressed out because the instructor would call out yoga positions such as “warrior,” etc. and I’d never know what to do, so I’d be behind everyone else. This video doesn’t use those terms necessarily–it just explains nicely using words (and of course the visual of the instructor) what to do with your body. I also found the instructor’s voice and explanations to be very conducive to relaxation. I am now trying to convince my husband to join me!
Rating: 5 / 5
This DVD is good for a beginner/advanced beginner. I like that it only lasts 30 minutes; it’s easy to fit into my day. You do not work up a sweat with this DVD; I doubt that it burns many calories. You do a lot of stretching, which feels great. The setting, background music, and voiceovers are well done. The best yoga DVD ever? — I don’t think so, but I would recommend it.
Rating: 4 / 5