Yoga Teachings

Today, most yoga practitioners and teachers believe that apart from providing relaxation and peace, yoga is about the seemingly limitless capability of a person to be in control and unite with him or her inner self. With these underlying principles, yoga can be an effective way of stress management if used properly.

The True Meaning of Yoga

Be definition, the word “yoga” came from a Sanskrit term which means “union or joining.” It is considered as almost an ambiguous term because it encompasses a wide range of purely physical disciplines to purely spiritual. When people talk of yoga, the term “asana” is always mentioned. Asana is known as one of the eight types of yoga wherein mental and spiritual well being than are prioritized compared to physical endurance. Today, the two words have become almost synonymous to modern-day yogis because they embody the same concept: relaxation though meditation.

Are You Considering Learing Yoga?

If you’re planning to practice yoga as a form of stress management, it shouldn’t be as confusing as it seems because you don’t need to learn all the concepts and philosophies behind it. This ancient tradition that requires deep meditation has been proven as an effective way to relax, what you need to learn are the basic information you will need for you to apply the concept in your everyday life.

Starting out with yoga

People have different reasons and purposes for practicing yoga. This is because through yoga, people may explore the almost limitless possibilities of health and relaxation. Since this ancient form of exercise can help people delve into depths of the meditative practice for spiritual discipline, it can also be used to manage stress and maintain physical and emotional health.

If you are going to use yoga as a form of stress management, it is best to understand your main objectives and your level of interest because these can definitely help you find the right yoga program.

The first thing that you have to bear in mind before you totally indulge in practicing yoga is setting and determining your goals. You can do this by knowing first what are the possible health and fitness benefits you can get from yoga. Most yoga practitioners agree that the major potential benefit of yoga is to relieve stress.

Apart from this, it can also increase of strength and flexibility, creation of balance as well as the improvement of breathing and overall posture. On the spiritual aspect, yoga can serve as an exercise that can help you soothe your nerves, calm your mind while increasing your focal and concentration skills.

After determining your goals, it is best to undergo a general check-up. This is very important because it will help you know your limitations when it comes to practicing it. Discussing with your physician the advantages and disadvantages of yoga in your total health and well being is very important to ensure that you will not suffer from any complication. Since yoga involves physical endurance, you might also want to visit an orthopedic before you undergo a class to avoid injuries that will come with the postures and positions.

Aside from knowing your goals and updating your overall health status. You must also consider the qualification of your yoga instructor, your physical and emotional limitations. The best time suitable for you to practice yoga, the basic yoga poses before slowly advancing to the difficult positions, and proper equipment and clothing to be used before using yoga as a means of stress management.

Explore a unique daily fitness regimen with actress Ali McGraw and yoga works, presenting a combination of short and long physical workouts and meditation periods to achieve well-being in body and mind. Year: 1994 Director: Claudio Droguett Starring: Ali MacGraw

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A Unique Offering
Considering this video was released nearly 15 years ago, it’s really aging quite well.

Beautifully shot in White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.. production wise, this is the most cinematic yoga dvd I own. I enjoy the music, and it plays a prominent role throughout. You’ll probably either love it or hate it, but thanks to Eric Schiffmann’s excellent verbal cuing, you’ll definitely be hearing this routine much more than you’ll be watching it. Which is something we all want from a good yoga video, right?

As far as the actual routine is concerned, I find it very relaxing. I’m not what you would call a naturally flexible person, and there are some really nice sequences in Yoga Mind & Body that give my challenged flexibility the continued push forward it needs.

I would say this dvd is friendly towards beginners, but I also think it could scare some of them away. Clearly a lot of people enjoy it.. from beginners to advanced yogis. The flow is steady and smooth, the 45 minutes goes by quickly, and it leaves you to rest in savasana at the end.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a yoga session that’s going to generate a lot of heat and make you sweat – look elsewhere. If your aim is to quiet the mind, stretch, and slow the body down – this should be a welcome addition to your collection.

5 Stars Good Purchase for a Beginner
I’m fairly new to yoga – I know a few poses, have taken a couple classes, and have a dance background – and this DVD has been great. I haven’t made it all the way through because after the first few chapters it gets a bit difficult for me, but I like knowing that I’ve got more challenging yoga to look forward to as I progress. I’ve really got no complaints about this DVD, and I would recommend it for a variety of skill levels.

5 Stars Beautiful
This video is one of the classics of yoga videos – it is filmed beautifully and the instruction is perfect – clear and gentle, which is not suprise given the instructors background, a true yoga instructor.

The poses are accessible to anyone and there is nothing that should be too difficult no matter where your practice stands (I am more towards beginner). The breath work alone makes this a worthwhile addtion.

A must have DVD

5 Stars Great Yoga DVD
Terrific instruction for all levels of yoga. The DVD is worth it for the music alone. Enjoy!

5 Stars great gift
i own the vhs and it’s beautiful. the music is lovely & very do-able, bought this as a gift

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This workout will de-mystify the mystical so that anyone can experience the fabulous benefits of yoga. Today, many people use yoga to help alleviate back pain, reduce stress, and increase flexibility.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Very Good Introduction To Yoga
Sara presents a series of poses on this DVD which help form a basis of starting a yoga practice with very through and precise instruction and alignment, which is important and then provides some additional more challenging material – challenging in the sense that it really is for beginners but a bit of a step up.

It is a good reference DVD to form a nice groundwork and one of a couple I refer to now for my practice.

5 Stars great place to start with yoga
This is a great yoga practice that anyone can do without expert help. You really feel great after doing yoga and this is easy breezy to do. You don’t have to be perfect at yoga to benefit from it, just the focus for a few minutes can make you feel so good. Absolutely worth trying.

4 Stars Basic yet slow-moving yoga workout for beginners
I am a neophyte when it comes to yoga, and in many respects this DVD was an excellent resource. Instructor Sara Ivanhoe, who is clearly an accomplished yoga instructor, walks the viewer through the most basic “daily dozen” yoga moves in about 45 minutes. Each move is explained carefully and is held for six breaths as Ms. Ivanhoe demonstrates the move. From this foundation, Ms. Ivanhoe explains slightly more advanced poses and techniques, but we’re definitely talking approachable, manageable stuff for beginners.

All this is supplemented by the usual “For Dummies” learning aids, like mythbusters and jargon translators. All in all, this is a helpful introduction to the world of yoga.

Why only four stars? Because the workout moves so slowly. After the second time through the DVD, I didn’t need the detailed explanation of each move and simply wanted Ms. Ivanhoe to guide me through the workout without exposition. Unfortunately, there is no “efficient workout” option on the menu, so once you’re familiar with the poses, you’re going to need to keep the remote handy so you can fastforward through her speeches.

This is nothing against Ms. Ivanhoe as an instructor – she’s both knowledgeable and, admittedly, very easy on the eyes. I’m not getting dirty here – it’s essential for a beginner to watch how to do these poses correctly, so it helps to have an attractive, proficient instructor when you’re watching the same thing over and over again.

So while a yoga DVD is preferable to a yoga book in that you get to watch an actual person do the entire pose – as opposed to a mere snapshot contained in a book – the inability to excise the lengthy exposition of each pose is a bit of a problem. Therefore, the DVD isn’t excellent and isn’t worth five stars. But it’s clearly worth four, and any beginner should give it a try before spending money on an expensive yoga class.

3 Stars Ummm… Dummies.. No, VERY beginner? YES
This is a great addtion to the beginners library of yoga… however, after you’ve watched it more than 2 or 3 times you’re going to be ready for something new. The teacher does an excellent job discribing the postures, however this may become TOO much once you’re ready to start flowing in your postures. Being able to choose from the chapters what postures you want to work on at any given time is a great also. ASIN:B001DDY6RG TAMARA’S YOGA FUSION]]

5 Stars Best for beginners
I borrowed this from the library because of the reviews stating it was so basic that you might only watch it a few times. I plan to buy it now though because it is so helpful to an absolute beginner like myself and the slower pace is more relaxing to me. I believe the Yoga for Dummies will better prepare me for the Yoga Journal DVDs which I also enjoy, but am not quite ready for yet.

I’d also mention that my eight year old loves to do this with me and asked me to purchase more of Sara Ivanhoe’s DVDs.

Buy/More Info

Body & Soul Magazine “Best Buy…will revolutionize your home yoga practice… Finally, an at-home yoga series customized to suit your needs!”

realage.com “Editor’s Pick…Yoga for Every Body is an easy-to-follow DVD with lots of routines. It will teach you how to stretch, relax, really breathe… ”

Product Description

Body & Soul Magazine “Best Buy…will revolutionize your home yoga practice… Finally, an at-home yoga series customized to suit your needs!” Get into shape, relieve stress, become stronger and more flexible & increase energy!

Yoga Complete for Every Body allows everyone, from the beginner to advanced students, to experience the joy, power and serenity of yoga. With over 35 routines, no other DVD offers so much to help you learn and progress in the healing art of yoga. Simply select the routine you need on any given day and this amazing DVD will adapt to meet your exact needs. Explore the amazing world of yoga with the most comprehensive and extensive DVD available. Practices range from 15 to 75 minutes.

Routines include:
– AM and PM practices
– Increased flexibility for targeted areas, such as the legs, back, neck, etc
– Strength building practices
– Back and neck pain, including headaches
– Relaxation
– Stress Relief
– Rejuvenation
– and many more!

JJ Gormley is a certified yoga instructor and has taught thousands of students throughout the world over the past 25 years. She guides students with a warm, non-judgmental style that encourages the expansion of physical, mental and emotional limits within the healthy and stimulating context of yoga.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Over 30 routines!
This is an incredible yoga DVD, mostly because of the bang for your buck. There are over 30 routines on this DVD with various focuses, and with progressive difficulty, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I’m sure I’ll be able to use this DVD for years without ever getting bored.

2 Stars choppy video, not really class form
I am a beginner to yoga and was looking for something to take me to the next level. Although, there are many options on this video, it is all pieced together and not in a class format. Did not like this at all! Instructors voice was also annoying.

5 Stars Perfect for every level
I havent used this yet but my wife loves it and she is very particular about her yoga. You can choose the poses you want to do and there are lessons for every level. She says its pretty much the perfect yoga video.

5 Stars Wonderful Variety
I got this DVD to expand on my yoga practice, I am still a beginner for the most part, but I liked that this had a selection of routines from beginner to intermediate and advanced.

There is a good selection of routines in each level that are broken down by time – such as over/under 30 minutes in the beginner section. The under 30 minutes routines has a good one for waking up, another for mediatation, one targeting your upper body, another for you hips and legs and a couple of other routines. The above thirty minutes is the same way and there is a huge amount of variety of poses – the other sections are done the same way.

Very good instructor who is very personable (when she smiles during the interviews it makes you smile) and is really guiding me along to improve.

5 Stars LOVE IT!
I bought thi just the other day and I will say that I love it! Excellent for people just starting out and who want to grow in it. I am only a beginner but it is great for intermediate and advanced people. Has a routine under and over 30 minutes for each and is very relaxing for the mind. If you are interested in starting out with something for your health and peace of mind this is the DVD for you!

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