When it comes to yoga, I am definately a beginner and don't do it often because some yoga programs are too challenging for me. This one is great and I'm glad I decided to give it a go. I didn't get it the first time round but I'm finding it getting a little easier with each go and now I'll be enjoying the challenge of progressing to a higher level of it.
This has a gorgeous setting outdoors by the ocean and so that in itself is nice and relaxing. The AM segment is done with standing movements to help energize you and the PM segment is more focused on relaxing and elongating your muscles and nice stretches. I find down dog and sun salutation to be my two favourite moves here. Ellen is a great instructor who has the perfect soft voice for yoga teaching and the way she describes the moves, helps you visualise them without necessarily having to look at your tv set.
While I'm new to yoga, I do find this great. As I mentioned, yoga usually seemed intimidating yet this workout isn't that at all. So if you haven't tried it before (or you have and didn't like it), I think this workout will suit you. It's easy to do and relaxing. I highly recommend it. Element: Am and PM Yoga for Beginners
Let me say first that I'm not a beginner to yoga, but my partner is. We bought this dvd because we both are
fairly inflexible (I still struggle with poses after many classes of yoga postures), and we wanted good stretches and the beginning poses. I also have Tendonitis in both wrists.
While this dvd is set in a beautiful place, the teacher (at least in the A.M. portion of the dvd) quickly leads the viewer/participant through several faster-paced Sun Salutation moves. She does a nice job of explaining the first few moves, including Downward-Facing Dog, but she does not offer modified suggestions -- such as Dolphin Pose or putting towels under your hands -- for those of us with bad wrists. Downward-Facing Dog is also not the best exercise for those of us who struggle with flexibility. Plus, Plank, and Downward-Facing Dog are horrible for the wrists. I did the first few minutes, and ended up taking a few Ibuprofen because the pain in my wrists was so bad. I also had to look up alternatives (listed above) to these traditional postures.
My partner, who has never done yoga (shocking!), felt that she went too quickly. My partner has hip issues, and Downward-Facing Dog hurt her hips.
There are many postures you can do in a beginner's yoga class, and I'm not sure why Elena Brower chose The Sun Salutations poses. To me, they are tedious and also cause pain.
In short, this is a decent dvd for those with no injuries to hips or wrists, and for those who have done yoga before and want a normal-paced class on Sun Salutations. It is not for people who want a gentle, modified yoga for injuries or inflexibility.
I have Elena Brower's other DVD for beginners - and I liked it. This one seems a little jargon-y and wierd - telling us to breathe into our LEFT lung, and to feel the space between the hemisphere's of our brains.
Perhaps you should use it with the sound off - the poses are fine.
Very good DVD with excellent and complete verbal instruction matching what Ms Brower is doing. The pace is very reasonable, not so slow you become bored and yet it is not rushed. Importantly, compared to some other "beginner" DVDs there are enough different poses that one gets some of the potential breadth of yoga. Also, the accompanying verbal description is complete and detailed enough that it can be followed with only episodic need to look at the screen to see exactly what is going on. She also gives the names of the poses so that as one progresses to more complicated routines, the names can tell you exactly which pose you will be going into. My personal opinion is that this is one of the better beginner DVDs
LCW on September 27, 2008 wrote a great detailed review explaining the moves in the 25-30 min each two sessions.
Elena Brower did a great job here of creating flow & keeping the pace calming, slow enough for you to be able to feel how the poses benefit your body, yet fast enough that today's rushed feeling population won't feel bored. She has a great voice that is never irritating or forced slow voiceover like some other yoga dvds. She teaches YOUR left/right so you can mirror her image & follow easily. I've tried over 150 yoga dvds & there are not that many I feel have body awareness like Elena. She has done a great job of telling you what body parts to be aware of in terms of changes & she's very accurate. She will ask you which lung feels more open & to breathe and put focus on them so they are both more open & I never realized my left lung felt soo tight & in the several seconds it really helped open up my breathing capacity. Everything she said was perfect, not too much info, not too little. Even though I was in a rush & normally I'll FFW through child's pose or simple resting sitting poses, I didn't want to miss anything she might teach/say.
This is for beginners, the AM will be more likely to make you sweat, though it's for beginners. If it's not hard enough, you can always go deeper into the pose, hold harder poses longer (replay portion/pause dvd as well), do downward dog with only 1 leg 3 legged down dog), etc. Yoga dvds are very versatile depending on endurance level & beginner dvds tend to have more rest periods, so you can hold or re-do a hard pose while they are resting. If you want it easier, you can get out & rest sooner then the instructor. The PM is more about easy stretches that won't make you sweat & to relax you to help you sleep.
I find any workouts that don't incorporate body awareness is a waste as well as boring. To be taught to be more aware is empowering as well as feeling of more benefit other then calorie burn or muscle building & positive feeling during & after. This feeling will carry over to mood as well & effect your interaction with the world around you in a better way.
The only yoga dvd instructors I love that are very calming w/o being boring or annoying w/TRUE body awareness are:
Rodney Yee, Rainbow Mars, Seane Corn, Gurutej Kaur, Kristin Mcgee, Wai Lana, Kristen Strohecker, Max Strom, Teigh McDonough, Ateeka, Jacquie Noelle Greaux, Shiva Rea (only for those with endurance) & now add Elena Brower.
Non-yoga/non-belly or latin dance fitness body awareness instructors:
Duncan Wong, Kari Anderson, Liz Gillies, Stephanie Herman, Rael Isacowitz
If you want to take charge of your health, not just lose calories/build muscle (though yoga does that great as well), more body awareness w/o feeling it a mindless workout, give this a chance. - Yoga For Beginners - Yoga Dvd - Beginner Yoga - Elena Brower'
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