Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The philosophy of all videos in the Crunch line is to make working out accessible to all people, regardless of size or experience. Their yoga videos are no exception, as they take a non-mystical approach and are taught in a very straightforward manner by instructor Sara Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe's down-to-earth style (she frequently uses words like "scooch") is completely non-intimidating; she comes across as a friendly workout buddy.
Joy of Yoga begins with a focused breathing series involving forward bends and down dogs (there are many repetitions of this position) and then moves on to additional standing poses, including warrior, lunges, and twists. The floor portion of the workout consists mostly of relaxing stretches, but there is one tough segment which alternates arm/leg stretches with yogi pushups. This practice is about 35 minutes long. Fat-burning yoga is a more active practice, although not quite to the level of aerobic conditioning or power yoga. Again, the practice begins with breathing and then introduces the use of vinyasas: several poses are combined together in a flowing sequence and then the entire sequence is repeated several times. After a brief warm-up, there is a long, sun salutation-type vinyasa containing lunges, push-up pose, simple backbends, and many repetitions of downward dog. For each repetition, a slightly more difficult variation is introduced, and by the end of this series, your arms and shoulders have gotten an intense workout. Additional vinyasas include twisting lunges, proud warrior, triangle, and side angle pose. This practice ends with a short abs section containing a few boat poses, seated backbends, and two Pilates-like exercises. Finally, there are some brief seated stretches and an even briefer relaxation pose for about 45 total minutes.
Ivanhoe's cues are detailed enough for those new to yoga, and both practices are probably doable by most beginners, especially with the modifications provided. However, for complete yoga novices, I think that some prior familiarity with basic yoga postures would be beneficial. Also, it is important to keep in mind that both of these practices contain some fairly intense moves which demand some pre-existing fitness capacity; Fat-Burning Yoga in particular is a more strenuous practice that will challenge even intermediate yogis. Finally, Ivanhoe's strong emphasis on breathing is a plus for all levels of yoga practitioners, and those who like her friendly, no-nonsense style are likely to enjoy these videos.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Crunch - The Perfect Yoga Workout: The Joy of Yoga & Fat-Burning Yoga (2001)
""Upbeat, athletic-style yoga class of basic standing and floor postures."" Shape Magazine Two complete yoga workouts led by a friendly, down-to-earth instructor. They both feature a medley of classic yoga poses (e.g. downward facing dog, plank, warrior, cobra, triangle and mountain pose) ""Joy of Yoga"" provides the improved flexibility and relaxation benefits of traditional yoga without the intimidating attitude. Sara's unusually laid-back style makes it unusually easy to do (e.g. ""if your knees are doing this, just flop them out"" or ""now just kinda wiggle your fingers""). Her emphasis is always on enjoying the movement, not perfecting each one. It has more energetic, upbeat music than most yoga videos. The second program, ""Fat Burning Yoga,"" also features classic yoga moves. Sara's solid cuing and non-mystical style makes it an effective and exceptionally yoga workout. And by helping you achieve a balanced lifestyle and a deeper body-awareness, it provides a key element in weight-loss success (but it's really too slow to immediately burn much fat...). It ends with a short, but intense, segment of traditional ab-focused floorwork. Bright, colorful, airy set. ©1997 & 2001. (80 min.). Note: VHS version is only the ""Fat Burning"" program; it does not include ""Joy of Yoga.""Amazon.com description
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