5pk: Best of Yoga Zone - Vhs

Well worth it! - I ordered this set ten months ago and I do one tape (2 sessions) 3 to 4 times per week. If you want to lose weight and tone up your body they will work. After doing the tapes for 3 months I started to get asked what I was doing because I was losing weight, now I continuously receive compliments from friends, family and coworkers asking me what I have been doing to get in such great shape. I tell them Yoga. I don t run or do anything else. But you also have to watch what you eat it s a total mind body connection. Because there are two sessions on each of the five tapes you never get bored with them and the instructors are upbeat and fun to workout with. I am really happy that I purchased these tapes they really have made a difference in my life. If you are looking for a fun challenging workout Yoga Zone can work for you too.

Great for customizing your yoga workout - I bought the 5-pack about a year ago, and it s still my favorite set of yoga tapes today. There are two 20-minute segments on each tape which covers something a little different (yoga basics, yoga for abs, total body conditioning, intro to power yoga, and evening stress release). You get a great introduction to different kinds of yoga workouts, the variety makes it so you don t get tired or bored of any one tape, and you can pick and choose according to what you feel like doing on any given day. You can go through two sessions on one tape or mix and match and get a great combination workout. Even if you ve done yoga for a long time, these workouts can still provide a nice change of pace--it s great for getting you back to the basics . The yoga sessions are videotaped at the Grand Lido Sans Souci in Jamaica which makes for a beautiful backdrop, and the background music enhances but doesn t get in the way. The instructors are good at explaining proper form and breathing techniques, and they help you set your frame of mind (i.e., having willful determination but non-concern for results and using yoga and breathing techniques to speak to any stress that you re feeling). Some of the sessions are definitely stronger than the others, but the different styles of all the instructors is preferable to hearing the same person go through the same workout every day. There is consistency between the Yoga Zone instructors in explaining proper form, and they give you options to make the poses easier or more challenging for you. This makes it so the routines can be adapted to individuals at different fitness levels.Having a good variety of sessions to choose from and being able to customize your own workout makes this set well worth the money.

Great Yoga to wake up to (and/or relax you) each day - This 5 pack VHS set by yoga zone is well worth getting in every way. The instructors are easy to follow and very personable.The poses are done in mirror image for you, so that when they want you to use your left leg, they use their right (and since they are facing you it s easier to follow, especially in poses that are more complex). Also they constantly alternate the primary instructor from session to session so you get a lot of variety which I find enjoyable. The routines are very well put together, have a really great flow ,are short enough to fit in on a daily basis, and enjoyable to do. Also I like the way many of the routines will build in sections into longer sequences of poses. So you re not just thrust into a pose, but eased into them in a way that lets your body warm into the pose as well as master each section of the flow. The instruction is very clear and they give very useful ways of helping you with the more subtle details of the poses. In many parts of the sessions there are also a lot of very creative and interesting longer sequences of poses that they have put together (vinyasa (flow) style) which you generally do about 3 times before moving onto the next pose or series of poses. This helps create a nice heat in the body. There are two 20 minute routines on each tape, so you can just do one if you re short on time or energy or both, or you can mix one routine from one tape with a routine from another and still do it in about 40 minutes. The scenery is beautiful, filmed in Jamaica (which I personally find adds a lot to my enjoyment) and has island type music which adds to the overall vibe of the tapes. I highly recommend this set, not only for beginners, but for those folks who would like variety in their practice (I ve personally been practicing for over 4 years on a daily basis). I like to use these tapes when I want enough of a challenge but not an overwhelming one. I often rotate doing these tapes with more intense days (where I might use a video by Bryan Kest, Baron Baptiste, David Swenson etc.). The price per tape is also very reasonable by buying them as a set of 5 rather than individually. While I hate to compare different types of tapes, I would have to say that overall I like the Yoga Zone tapes better than I do many of the living arts tapes. They seem to have an overall better flow in terms of both the sequencing of poses and the pace (many of the living arts tapes, Rodney Yee in particular are a bit too rushed). Still, there are many Living Arts videos I do find comparable: Suzanne Deason s Stress Relief Yoga is a great short tape, Patricial Waldens PM Yoga is excellent, and Suzanne Deason s Weight Loss tape is also quite good for a longer routine which is certainly more than just a weight loss routine.There is only one mistake on all the tapes, and that is in the second session of the Total Body Conditioning tape, they somehow forgot to precede a side lunge with a forward lunge when they switch from doing a lunging sequence from one leg to the other leg. I just rewind here, do the various lunges with the other leg and then forward the tape to the next pose. It s not that big a deal to do because you d be setting up to switch legs there anyway so it doesn t affect the flow too much. It s a shame they didn t fix this, but not something that would prevent me from recommending this set. Just be aware of it when you practice so that you keep the routine balanced. Another excellent set that was just released is from Rainbeau Mars. It s a four tape set in a vinyasa flow style called Sacred Yoga. The first two tapes are more gentle For Beginners and Pure Tranquility and the last two are more challenging Pure Power and Pure Sweat. These are highly recommended also! Namaste.

Great Buy! - This 5-pack is definitely worth it. It s a great beginner set. The teachers make the videos interesting and easy to learn and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. The 20 minute sessions make it easy to mix and match into a customized routine. I have been doing several routines for the past 3 weeks and found it easy and relatively painless to get results in my flexibility and muscles. I plan on buying the rest of the yoga zone collection very soon!

Great Value - I just ordered this set of videos and have been very pleased with them. They are an excellent place to start with learning the various parts of yoga. The tapes all have two 20 minute sessions so they are easy to fit into a busy schedule. I like to pick three out and do a full hour of mix and match, that way I don t get bored with the same routines and instructors. I do believe the relaxation is way too short and some of the instructors are quicker than others but all in all I think these tapes are an excellent, easy way to start on the Yoga track for an exceptional value.