Yoga for Beginners (2002)
The Total-Body Yoga Workout: Lower Body, Abs, and Upper Body Yoga for Beginners
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Starring Suzanne Deason and Rodney Yee
Produced by Living Arts

Features:

• Interviews with Deason and Yee
  
• Guide to poses
  
• Bonus music
  
• Instructor bios
  

Rating: NR

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Rent it.

Yoga for Beginners is a set of three workouts intended to focus on the abs, the lower body, and the upper body. Each routine combines the stress-reducing benefits of yoga with floor exercises geared toward increasing flexibility, strength, and overall body health. No matter what area of your body you want to tone and shape, you should find something on this disc that is perfect for your needs.

This disc includes three different 20-minute routines, two led by Yee and one led by Deason. There is also a section for learning the basics of yoga, a primer on the props of yoga, and some other special features to be discussed below. Each routine is carefully planned to focus on a different area of the body, but is still appropriate for genuine yoga beginners. Nothing is too difficult or stressful, and viewers who are dubious about yoga in general will find their fears allayed and be well-convinced.

The instructional quality of both Rodney Yee and Suzanne Deason is respectable. Their voices are relaxing and reassuring, increasing the effect of the yoga itself. Both instructors are maddeningly centered, as if they are walking advertisements for the tranquility of yoga. Viewers so in need of yoga’s positive aspects might be driven to fury by these people’s unruffled demeanor, but when you really need to center yourself and find some inner peace, these are just the people to show you how to get there.

There are several special features and additions to this disc. In addition to the three yoga workouts, there are interviews with each instructor and corresponding biographies. There are some previews of other related Living Arts titles, a link to the website, some ads for yoga music, and a Living Arts catalog. The interviews are in keeping with the rest of the disc—low key, relaxing, and well-produced, if not exciting. One of the most useful features for real beginners would probably be the guide to basic poses, with each pose modeled and explained with text.

The audio and video quality are both good. The lovely backgrounds do a nice job of supporting the theme of yoga as a way to counteract the negative aspects of daily life, and the voices and cues of the instructors are clear and timely.

This disc is a good choice for anyone interested in learning how to stretch and more effectively or who needs a way to relax. These three routines bid fair to increase body awareness and allow viewers to unwind at the end of a stressful day, while at the same time promoting abdominal strength and flexibility. Your muscles will get a good workout and gain in strength and tone, while your spirit will also relax and learn a new way to approach the struggles of life. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start living a richer, healthier, and more peaceful life.