Customer comments on this selection.
I love this DVD! Cyndi Lee is one of my favorite instructors and I own most of the products that OM has created. She is a sweet and playful instructor that has created a great blend of yoga that almost anyone can do. There are modifications for some of the more challenging poses in the series which can be very helpful to a beginner. DVD contains some fun extras too - a tour of OM, an intro by Cyndi where she goes through a yoga sequence, shorter class options, etc. Overall, I think this would be a good addition to anyone's yoga collection.
OM Yoga This is not a beginner yoga dvd. There is not enough instruction on how to do each pose or proper breathing techniques. She rarely smiles! I would not recommend this video.
Great Asana, Cyndi Needs to Shut Up Overall, this is a great Asana with challenging pose sequences.
A few gripes:
1. The instructor (Cyndi) will not shut up for 5 seconds! It's hard to get into the poses when she is constatly speaking (often times not about yoga at all).
2.It gets old. There is really only one class on the DVD and it gets old fast.
Advanced beginner/intermediate yoga session This dvd menu contains:
Into: 6 min w/Cyndi telling you about the dvd & w/showing her ability to do many of the poses on here & more, such as almost getting into a full headstand, a flexible wheel, etc.
Beginner/Intermediate class: full hour & 20 min session & chapters: warm-up, sun salutations, standing, inversion prep, back bends, forward bends, finishing poses/relaxation
Class w/o music
Shorter class options: (class divided in segments): Brand new beginner (11 min of warm up only), beginner (warm up, showing shoulder stand in detail & other easy poses), 45 min, energizing, strengthening & relaxation
Asana close-up: how to build up strength to a chadarunga using block below pelvis or strap on upper arms & how to so a forearm stand (using wall)
Visit Om Yoga: 5 min tour of her studio in NY & 3 min on why people love Om yoga
Yoga store: just pics/title, no descriptions
Who did what: credits
Workout:
Set in her studio, looks small, white walls & large windows like most NYC buildings, with 3 people in the back, 2 people in front, 3 women, 2 men.
Intro 3 min: her helping you to be aware of your body, but a little slow.. chanting OM 3x
Seated Warm up 4 min: seated stretching of the shoulders w/arms raised, side torso stretches, easy twisted seated pose & couple other seated stretches.
Arm/Leg/Standing Warm up 4 min: cat/cow, child's pose, downward dog, standing fwd bend
Sun Salutations 15 min: mountain for a min, then sun salutations w/standing poses - sitting fwd bend, lunge, downward facing dog, plank, cobra, downward dog, lunge, standing fwd bend, mountain, repeat, again this time w/chadarunga prep (using push ups to strengthen then increasing in difficulty with subsequent sun salutations), upward dog, downward dog, lunge, standing fwd bend, mountain... now adding downward dog split, then adding a warrior 1 & 2 arms/torso but lunge foot position, adding chair/powerful pose, adding warrior 1 & 2
Standing Poses 18 min: mountain, downward dog, plank, chadarunga, warrior 1, warrior 1 hamstring stretch w/arms overhead, warrior 2, side angle & reverse warrior back/forth for good stretch to held side angle, warrior 2, downward dog, repeat on other side, plank, chadarunga, downward dog, standing fwd bend, chair/powerful pose, standing fwd bend, downward dog, revolved warrior, triangle, standing split, twisted seated pose on then stand w/o hands to starting tree pose, downward dog, revolved warrior, triangle, standing split, twisted seated pose, tree, mountain, crow (1 foot at a time then both), child's pose
Preparation for Forearm stand 5 min: child's pose, dolphin (downward dog w/forearms down to increase strength, downward dog w/forearms straight (downward puppy) w/1 leg raised high, attempt forearm stand 5x, 1 male student shows how to do it w/o wall while others stay in child's pose
Back bends 12 min: child's pose, downward dog, downward dog 1/raised leg, pigeon, downward dog, repeat, downward dog, plank, slowly drop to floor, locust w/raised chest/legs, bow, bridge, wheel & rest 3x, lying spinal twist, kneel
Forward bends 8 min: kneel, staff pose, butterfly, single wide legged sitting side bend, boat, scales pose (holding crossed seated body off ground using arms) 2x, downward dog
Finishing poses/final relaxation 5 min: watching Hillary showing shoulder stand w/2 blankets for 2 min, then everyone else doing it for 1-2 min w/stretched legs & stretching toes, plow/plough, final relaxation w/Cyndi guiding for body awareness for 5 min, then final Om chant & final prayer for all being not to be in suffering, pain, etc.
I found her cuing fine, she used interesting analogies that work, she told you what to be careful of. I would say some of the pace might be fast for absolute beginners who are not in athletic shape. I found this not scary except the harder poses in which case you can just FFW through that or do an easier pose or modification.
What I didn't like is all the prop information that you would have to ffwd through because listening over & over is tedious & boring as well as the slow intro in the beginning. As someone else said, it would be better if info about props & extensive detailed information was put in a different section. Something about this class seemed a bit slow/monotonous but otherwise I love the poses, the sequence overall & Cyndi is a patient w/good intentions teacher though I question her body awareness. I want to give this dvd 3 & 1/2 stars.
More about her & the studio at omyoga com
Amazing! I am not a certified yoga instructor/group fitness instructor/personal trainer, but about to graduate with my B.S in Exercise Science. I love this video b/c it is safe workout while still preserving the integrity of yoga. I don't recommend it for your first yoga video since it is a vinyasa flow style (Sean Corne is a great beginner workout), but if you have taken a few classes or done a few yoga dvds this a amazing. As a fitness instructor I urge people to ask their dr. before doing any exercise especially the backbends, headstands, and inversions. I is always better to take one live class with a certified/degreed instructor to make sure your form is correct, I urge this with any type of workout.
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