Customer Reviews

Yoga for Weight Loss - Yoga Zo

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This video is great for anyone looking to get into Yoga. Instructor Al does a great job of taking you through the whole work out pose by pose, with clear instruction. You are left with no doubt that you are doing it right.
As well you will also acheive visible results from the video, and you will be able to feel the affects of the video the next morning.
Though with any work out video it may take two to three times before you really get the hang of it.
This video really gave me the Yoga bug, and helped me to develop a real appreaciation for Yoga and it's benefits.

I've done this tape several times and really like it a lot!

The particular things I like about this practice are:

1. Al Bingham is an excellent easy to follow instructor.

2. Modifications are shown by one instructor and the full poses by the other.

3. Much of it is based on the Sun Salutations, but it is broken down incrementally so that your body has a chance to adapt to each posture.

4. I found that it generated a good amount of heat and sweat.

5. It's only about 30 minutes which makes it very doable in terms of fitting into a schedule, plus you can push pretty hard without it becoming impossibly long so you don't have to worry about petering out.

6. It's challenging physically but all the poses can be done by most people in reasonably good health (no crazy poses that you need to be Gumby in order to perform).

7. The Yoga Zone programs in general have a very nice feel to them, a nice presentation in terms of the scenery and the instructors are not intimidating.

8. The pacing is flowing but not rushed.

Just a suggestion for those doing this regarding the chair poses. If you find them really tough (and they certainly can be), just start straight legged, the as you slowly sweep your arms overhead (or in front of you) gently lower down to the first "edge" of tension and breathe there. Don't push yourself EVER to the point of pain, just mild discomfort. You can also practice them dynamically, start higher up (straighter legs) and on each inhale raise up a little to release the stress and on each exhale just gently go a little bit lower than before. This makes the pose much safer and builds heat.

Anyway, I like this video, the bonus video is also an effective practice and only about 20 ,minutes so it's a nice practice to either alternate with for variety or to use on days when time is short.

Namaste

Al Bingham has a unique teaching style. He focuses on achieving and maintaining the correct position for each posture. This particular Weight Loss Yoga practice session relies on time-tested principles to achieve weight loss results.

By removing all the restlessness you experience from daily stress, you can then start to address unconscious eating habits. Suddenly, you are making better choices and wandering in the natural foods isle of your grocery store. Since starting Yoga, I've rarely found myself at a fast-food establishment and when I do happen to be there with my husband, I'm making better choices. For example - salads or low carb options.

So, Yoga works. This I've proven to myself. It strengthens you from the inside out and also helps you focus on your health instead of just "exercising." Yoga actually makes you a more well-rounded person, except you can see it toning your muscles and making your face look more relaxed. In fact, if you skip your Yoga, you start to crave the peaceful serenity of your daily "moment with yourself."

Al Bingham's voice is so pleasant and his instruction style is positive and nurturing. I love how he takes a hands-on approach and really guides you through each exercise. You can be assured you are doing it correctly because he explains each position in depth.

This is one of the most accessible yoga workouts out there. The exercises range from beginner to intermediate with some interesting variations for the chair pose which made the pose less exhausting, and much more creative. You will recognize positions like Warrior 1 and plank pose. There are yoga-style pushups and the entire exercise routine is pleasantly paced. The Sun Salutations are healing and teach you to breathe.

Al Bingham's calming voice makes this a favorite for late night relaxing. The beach scenes take you out of your home environment and give you a mini vacation.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

P.S. Also look for Yoga Zone Flexibility and Stress Release

I love the Yoga Zone series in general, but this particular one completely stresses me out! The instructor is horrible. He overtalks, is way too hyper, and talks more about what NOT to do rather than the correct poses.

I'm pretty much brand new to yoga and love this DVD! I bought it because I'm familiar with Yoga Zone from watching the Health Network. I miss it now that we've moved! This DVD is great for beginners, but it's still difficult enough that I know I can work up to full postures. Also the modifications are wonderful--this is truly a program one can grow with!

The workout is about 35 minutes long and I couldn't believe I was actually working up a sweat. After only three days of doing the program, I can tell a huge difference in my flexibility and my husband says he can see improvements in my overall appearance.

There's a bonus 20 minute conditioning program, which is great, but I'll probably alternate between the two, because the first workout tires me out (and yet leaves me totally relaxed--it's awesome!)

This is a great tape for building heat and sweat. The increased number of awkward chair postures and repetition of Warrior 1, if used to your maximum ability, really get you sweating. So, play around with it and make these as hard as you can without hurting yourself of course.

Any conditioned level of person, from total beginner to really advanced, can get a good workout from the first section. If you are not a beginner, you "should" know that modifications to make asanas HARDER (not just easier, with blocks etc.) are there to do. For example, go deeper into a pose, get your thigh at 90 degrees to floor in Warrior 1,2 and lunge poses. Also, take awkward chair as far down as you can go and tuck the tailbone while reaching up as high as you can, putting palms firmly together. Modifications such as these make any Yoga workout tougher if you want it to be. I highly recommend the Yoga Zone book for beginners; it covers more material than all the videos put together.

For those who did not notice: the bonus workout may LOOK like the first one, but the postures are very different because you are striving to maintain a completely extended spine throughout. For example: the forward bends don't have you hinging at the hips like is usually done; in this workout you tuck the tail and round into the forward bend. Again, focus is on the SPINE throughout, with directions to put most effort into spinal extension rather than the usual parts you're strengthening or stretching. My back feels great after the bonus workout. I hope this review is helpful.

Being new to yoga, I started with a friend by going to classes. However, classes never seemed to be at a convenient time, and I could see cost escalting easily, so I looked to video. I have been using the Yoga for Weightloss video, along with a few others from Yoga Zone and find them to be valuable for the true beginning yoga student. In addition to moving you through a series of poses, instructor Al Bingham and company provide alternative poses and guide you by identifying where your hips, back, neck, etc. should be placed for each position to keep you from harming yourself and providing a better workout. This is great for anyone who has not been particularly physically active, or has past injuries in the joint or back areas. Al Bingham's lighter personality and motivational-like speaking is a nice change from the heavy-weighted philospohical instructor types, although I can see how he might not appeal to everyone.

However, if you are an "advanced" beginner or intermediate student, you will probably find that this video is too easy for you. I quickly outgrew this video (within 2 months of using this and other Yoga Zone beginner level videos at 4 days a week), but the basics it provided me in checking for correct form in my poses allowed me to feel more comfortable in videos that do not provide such info, like the "Beginner" video set of Rodney Yee.

Despite quickly outgrowing this beginner series, it was well worth the money that it saved in classes, provides the basics for correct form and provides me a lighter workout for days that I just don't feel up to speed.

Instructor's voice is not peacecful, and he cannot pronounce the word which I probably cannot spell but have heard many times: "Namaste." Poor cinema and sound. Camera angles are not very professional and do not vary much. Check out Rodney Yee's videos and compare. They are much more engaging. I have watched this twice and have no interest in doing it. Time goes slowly. It is very regimented and no fun. After the first session, there is a meditation. The script is good, but who gestures during a meditation? Far to American for this confirmed Anglo! There is a bonus session at the end that gives very good detailed info on proper positioning, but you are asleep or angry by the time you get there.

Quite frankly I found the instructor in this video very annoying..perhaps it was because he spent an inordinate amount of time explaining the poses. Overall, I think Yoga Zone' other tapes are some of the best videos out there, and so are their instructors. Al just didn't do it for me.

In addition, I found the layout of the class extremely odd. You do a class for 30 minutes, and then do relaxation, and then go into what they call a "bonus session" at the end- for an additional 20 minutes. The "bonus session" doesn't teach you anything new-it is just repetitive of the original 30 minute session.

I first saw the name of this tape on a recommended video list at DietSmart.com. Our climate currently limits one's ability to hike or bike outside; with a small child to consider as well, a tape seemed like a good option. I checked the reviews in this section and saw a bimodal distribution -- lots of 4's and 5's, and a small cluster of 1's. Since I've done some yoga and danced for many years, I tried it out. I honestly think the people who are saying it's too hard on the back are not listening to what the instructor is saying (I thought this meant he would keep you in the Camel position for 15 minutes!): he focuses a lot on breathing, lengthening and correct positioning, and his demonstrators give a modified version where one is possible. If you're new to yoga or to an exercise program, it might be wise to start with the conditioning section that comes at the end; otherwise, I think this is a great workout that tones mind and attitude as well as body. I've often blown off the meditative posture at the end of a yoga workout, but this video shows you how to use it in combination with affirmations to feel more positive about yourself whether you're losing weight or not. Love it!