Review of "Yoga in
Nature: Yoga Basics, Beginner/Intermediate" from VideoFitness.com
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"I was
trying to think this morning how to classify this yoga video and it felt to
me like a Total Body Conditioning Yoga tape to me (with some increased
flexibility and stress relief). It's made for Beginners and Intermediate,
but can be beneficial to advanced yoga fans too. I consider myself in the
intermediate to advanced range and really felt like this video relaxed and
conditioned my body from head to toe.
I can't remember all the yoga postures, but one
unique thing about this video is that it doesn't have any sun salutations.
Evamarie begins with some standing stretches in the upper shoulder and neck
region and slowly works her way down. She even has you do some Flamenco hand
exercises that work and flex your fingers (much more challenging than they
appeared when I previewed it). The first half of the workout(which was 59
minutes in all) is done standing up (with familiar poses like Warrior 1 and
Triangle). Then she does a series of cat poses, planks, abdominal work,
sitting, side, and lying postures.
I can't forget to tell you that the music in
this video really is outstanding. It's loud enough to be heard and enjoyed,
yet doesn't drown out Evamarie's voice. The style and tempo of the music
changes, but it is all very enjoyable. The music just makes or breaks a tape
for me!
After the workout, Evamarie takes you through a
segment of Bonus Tips and Information. I only watched this when I previewed
it the first time, but it was fun to watch. She shows how to give yourself
the proper ambience for yoga, what props can be used for, how to use proper
form, and the variations and modifications for a multitude of poses. That
last part was the most beneficial for me. I'm always curious from one yoga
tape to the next, how changing a pose just a bit changes how it works or
conditions my body. (This segment sort of reminded me of the 2 tapes that
the FIRM produced for strength training "20 Questions About Fitness" and
"Form Points." Great information).
I've only done this video twice, but I can see
myself adding it into my yoga regime quite regularly. Definitely a keeper!
Instructor comments: Evamarie is much different
from any other yoga instructor I've worked out with. She has a free-er
style, wears a scarf-type sarong over her bike shorts and a matching scarf
in her incredibly long hair. At first I thought that might be distracting to
me because I'm used to instructors just wearing spandex, but her attire
seemed to fit in with the natural setting just fine. And her style had a
distinct dance experience flair to it. At the beginning, there are clips of
Evamarie doing various yoga postures and dance movements. She is very
flexible, fit, and has a natural flow to all she does. Her introductory
words sound rehearsed, but once she begins the yoga workout, she sounds very
natural in her precise cuing. She has a pleasant deep voice. I don't end up
watching the TV much when I do a yoga video so I can keep good form and not
get distracted and Evamarie was very easy to follow just by the sound of her
voice. You can learn more about Evamarie and her yoga/dance experience at
www.treeoffitness.com."
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