[.ca] Flexibility & Tone - Yoga Zone (ISBN 6305661685)

From Amazon.com:
Alan Finger gently guides you through 60 minutes of basic yoga postures with beginner and advanced modifications (two instructors skillfully demonstrate both levels). You'll need a mat, one or two towels, and strap or belt to assist in certain poses. The best part of this video is Finger's specific and explicit instruction on breathing techniques to build energy and heat in the body's system. He cues each breath, and you can watch the instructor's rib cage expand and rise on the inhale, release and lower on the exhale. With breathing as a focus, a dozen yoga postures are introduced and practiced, including potted-palm series, cat, down dog, mountain, sunburst and worship, proud warrior, scale, and cow's head. Many of these poses are also practiced in Finger's Introduction to Yoga video, although Yoga Zone: Flexibility and Tone offers more advanced variations and poses. If you are interested in the mental and physical benefits of yoga--increased flexibility, conditioning and toning of muscles, stress reduction, and relaxation of the mind--this video is a keeper. --Christine Aiken

Hard on the muscles, easy on the eyes:
A friend of mine started Yoga classes about a year ago and has suggested I try it. I thought it was for women and hippies so I resisted and besides I didn't have time for the classes. So my friend suggested I try a DVD and recommended Flexibility and Tone. Well I guess he got his revenge. I no longer think Yoga is for women and wimps. The workout looks fairly easy on first viewing but when performed it is quite strenuous. Maybe I am stiffer than I thought. Anyways I stuck to it and although I would not recommend this as a Yoga instruction for beginners, I would recommend it to people who are somewhat athletic but who wish to increase their flexibility. The instructor provides a good steady pace and the female assistants will certainly help keep the attention of the male viewers (especially the brunette - worth the price alone). It is my first Yoga video so I don't have much to compare with but I thought it was very well done and I plan to continue with my Yoga and probably purchase more DVDs.

not a fan of this yoga video:
This yoga was very boring to do. I returned the vedio because the instructions are slow and boring. The instructor's voice was irratating and his's instructions not clear. I kept the Flexibility tape that the "Yoga Zone" has because it is an ok stretching tape, although I have a better one, but for a change of pace it's ok. I would not recommend buying it though. A much better and uplifting and fun yoga tape I brought is called "Fat Burning Yoga Crunch workout". Now the instructress, Sara Ivanhoe, a certified yoga instructor is great. Very pleasant and clear on her instructions and she does it with you. It is a great yoga tape for beginners and intermediate students. Try it.

Very Good!:
I love Yoga Zone videos! This one is a little more challenging and I definitely feel a workout!

Good, but not as good as other YZ sessions:
Could be my preferences, but this isn't the best of the YZ tapes I own. It seems to flow less well, the poses aren't held long enough, and though the instruction from Alan Finger is great (as always), I just always feel like I want more after doing it. I want to do sun salutations more than twice, for instance. For strength, the Power Yoga for Strength and Endurance is much better. For relaxation, Conditioning and Stress Release leaves this one in the dust. I'm a high-level beginner in yoga, and I only do this one occasionally, and only for the poses that aren't included in my more-favored tapes (cow's head, seated spinal twist).

A love letter to my all-time favorite yoga video:
I'd been doing yoga for a year and a half when I decided to switch to Pilates. Previously I did a steady routine using the Yoga Zone home videos in combination with a local weekly yoga class and, though I saw results (legs were stronger, I was much more flexible and my arms looked great), I was impatient and wanted those long, lean muscles NOW. So, for two months I put away my yoga tapes and worked on those muscles and soon realized exactly what yoga had done for my emotional well-being. Without yoga I became irritable, headachy and slightly overwhelmed by my busy life. So, last week out came my trusty old friend "Yoga Zone: Flexibility & Tone". This review is a love letter to my all-time favorite yoga tape (and I've tried quite a few). Everything about the video, the spartan studio, the low-key music, the slightly pudgy, sweet faced, pleasant voiced instructor Alan Finger, his two beautiful silent assistants, is soothing to me. Not to imply that this tape is a snooze-fest! In fact, it's quite strenuous as my aching muscles can attest after returning to this tape after my two month hiatus. When I finish this routine my mind and body feel refreshed and de-stressed and I always feel like I've done something incredibly good for myself. The instructor and his assistants lead you through a (roughly) 50 minute routine that stretches and strengthens nearly every muscle in your body using seated stretches, downward dog, cat pose, sun salutations, proud warrior and many other challenging (but not overly difficult) poses. The tape ends with "corpse pose", where I must admit, I usually fall asleep because I'm so relaxed at that point. However, I don't think beginners should start out with this tape without first trying one of the Yoga Zone videos made specifically for the beginner. This tape sometimes flows rather quickly from one pose to the next and it may be confusing and possibly slightly discouraging for the new yoga student especially when you're in a sideways (or upside down) pose and can't get a gander at the tv. But once you've mastered the basics it is very easy to keep up with the instructor's voice cues. While you may not see overly drastic physical results with this video the emotional results and the flexibility you'll attain can't be beat! I highly recommend my beloved video!