304
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #83,497 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Very Thorough Yoga DVD
I am a yoga teacher who's been extensively researching yoga DVD's and student reviews before I create my own. If you're looking for a yoga DVD that suits you, here's what I discovered:
1) Do your own research to find both the teacher and yoga style that best suits
your personal preferences. Pace, voice quality, clarity, etc. It's like
finding the doctor, dentist, massage therapist, etc. that you like and trust.
2) If you are a Beginner, find a reputable teacher and take a live class first,
if possible. Then research a DVD. Many of the negative yoga DVD reviews I
read came from Beginners who, precisely because they are new to yoga, found
the DVD they bought too challenging, even ones labeled Beginner or Gentle
Yoga. It takes great awareness from a teacher, particularly if they are in
shape, flexible and strong to really remember what it's like to be a
Beginner. Teachers often forget to show modifications and use of props.
3) Watch a yoga DVD first, maybe even a few times, before following along.
So, as far as Zyrka's "Gentle Practice" DVD goes, I found her style to be thorough in explanation, calming, smooth, mindful-based. She offers modifications, the use of props and is very mindful of and speaks to the refinement of body movement.
She teaches what I call classical yoga, not gymnastic yoga (pretzel poses). If you're a hot yoga fan, this DVD probably won't do it for you! I think this DVD is appropriate for Beginners.
I like that she has a section that is devoted to individually teaching several different yoga postures and then does a few different time length flows with them. Again, if you're a Beginner, her referencing the posture name might throw you off a bit but, she does do a good job of verbal cuing. I like that she cues movements a second or two before she actually does the movement which gives the viewer the ability to stay in sync with her. I also like that she incorporates in many warm-ups and basic movements along with recognized yoga postures. There's a lot of material here for your money, too.
