Posts tagged “Yoga Studio”.
The New Method Baby and Mom Prenatal Yoga
The New Method Baby and Mom Prenatal Yoga
Relaxing, strengthening, and allowing oneself to feel rather than think have long been associated with ancient yoga practice. Instructor Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa expertly ties this essential combination of physical experiences together in a gentle exercise video for pregnant women of all fitness levels. Prior to the 45-minute routine, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa discusses the role of yoga in helping with pregnancy; the calm and security that develop through guided breathing and gentle movement are transferred from the mother’s body to her growing baby. The nonimpact routine itself provides ample warm-up, toning, and conditioning portions, as well as a deep, head-to-toe relaxation and visualization segment. Ten pregnant students (all pleasantly unrehearsed) stretch, bend, and learn along with the viewer, to the peaceful sounds of a live band consisting of wood flute, bass, quiet drum, and shimmering bells. Every bit as enriching for the soul as it is for the body. –Liane Thomas
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Not What I Was Looking For in a Yoga DVD
I have been practicing yoga for over seven years now with a studio, through various classes, and using home DVDs when my schedule is hectic. I did a fair bit of reading about prenatal yoga once I found out we were pregnant, and I knew my body would be very happy to have the yoga continue to help my back and my poor sciatic wonky-hip pain. My yoga studio has a prenatal class, but the schedule does not work with mine so I thought I would get a DVD to supplement until I could make it to classes again.
This was not the right video for me. There was too much discussion, too much commentary, and not enough actual yoga going on for my taste. I did not appreciate this woman attempting to facilitate my relationship with my “bay-bay” (hug your bay-bay, dance with your bay-bay, your bay-bay loves it when you do this move, etc). I have my own special time 24/7 with this beeb in my belly, and I did not get this dvd to inform me of the fact that I’m supposed to hug and love my belly. I needed some quiet time (she never stops talking) with some gentle moves to keep my back happy, my body moving, and my mind at ease. This DVD is currently sitting by the door as I will not use it again.
I’m not sure why I didn’t just go with the Gaiam dvd… it is now on order.
1 Star Creepy
I watched for 10 minutes and I had to stop. They make you chant at the beginning as a part of the workout and it’s really creepy. I was looking for a nice workout, not an introduction to a new religion.
3 Stars A very easy exercise
I was at my 16 weeks when I started to use this DVD. This is my first pregnancy. I enjoy exercising and before I got pregnant, I go to the gym at least once a week. I enjoy challenging lower-body toning exercises, bodycombat (high-cardio) classes, machine-weights to tone my upper body. I have done beginner to intermediate yoga classes and do not have a very flexible body. I now swim twice a week (20 minutes) and exercise to this DVD every other day.
The instructor is not pregnant in this video and looks very “zen-ish” with her head dress (a white turban looking thing). The video starts out with a 10-15 minute clip of her talking about how yoga is good for the mother and the baby.
During the next 5 minutes or so, she instructs the class to sit in an upright cross-legged position, with eyes closed and chant to a language I do not understand. Apparently, it means “I bow to the divine power in myself” or something to that effect. I find this section disturbing and do not like the sound of it at all, so I typically fast forward to the point where the lesson proper begins.
The class has a live band playing at the back of the room. Music is okay. The venue looks rather old-fashioned. However, lighting was okay. You will see some camera man moving behind the flowers and pillars once in a while. The women were dressed in big T-shirts and tights, others in full body suits. They have make-up on, and some look quite pretty and attractive. Nothing fanciful or appealing about the set, in general.
The next 30-minute section has very good exercises to help a pregnant woman stretch and relax her body. Gentle stretches and exercises that are only enough to get my heartbeat up by a little. However, even though the exercises are simple, I feel very good after at the end of it. I feel good to have stretched the thighs, arms, toes, calves, lower and upper back, neck, kegel muscle. All in all, if you are looking for a non-strenuous and gentle stretching exercise to help you to remain flexible and to relief stiff joints and aches, this would be the DVD. One thing to note, the instructor in this video emphasizes a lot on “feeling” the movements in the body and to release all inhibitions.
This is not the DVD if you are looking to tone those hips, butts and thighs and sweat it all out.
The video ends with another session of chanting (which I skip). Apparently, the words are supposed to heal and give you strength or something like that. And after that, we all lie down and close our eyes to relax, as with all yoga classes.
I am still waiting for two DVDs to arrive:
1) The Perfect Pregnancy Workout
2) Shiva Rea Prenatal Yoga
2 Stars Helpful exercises drowned in silliness
I was looking forward to a gentle challenge for my last month of pregnancy when I popped this video into the VCR (It was a hand-me-down tape from a friend). After losing my patience with the turban and muu-muu wearing instructor’s long monologue that opens the tape I fast-forwarded until I saw the typical exercise-video setup.
This was the beginning of the end for me. I resisted completely turning off the tape but couldn’t help laughing as I watched some of the overly-enthusiastic participants writhing around while the instructor croons “Your baaaaby loves to mooooove this waaaay.” It made me feel ridiculous.
The reason I gave it two stars is that there are a few truly useful exercises that can be learned if you can ignore the instructor, participants, and music to get to them. If you’re interested in trying this video, see if you can borrow it from the local library before you spend any money on it.
4 Stars Great for labor prep
Kinda silly looking as I guess it’s “look” is quite outdated now. But this video is wonderful. It’s very gentle and easy but felt great when I was 7 months and beyond during my pregnancy. I feel it’s focus is much more towards preparing and opening a woman’s body for birth rather than a typical yoga workout.
Retrospectively, it was this video and all the yogic philosophy that goes along with it that allowed me to birth naturally.
Prenatal Yoga
Studio: Gaiam Americas Release Date: 04/19/2007
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Overall a good yoga DVD, but not as vigorous as I prefer
To introduce myself, I am 30 years old and weighed about 118 pre-pregnancy. I consider myself to be in good shape.
With that said–I do enjoy doing this DVD. It is very relaxing but it does have some challenging poses that encourage strength and stretch. It is a good DVD to do when I need to just relax while doing gentle movements. It’s a perfect way to start out my day or unwind in the afternoon.
On the flip side, I don’t rely on this DVD for my only activity for the day, as I prefer to actually feel more challenged. I pair this DVD with a trip to the gym or a long, brisk walk. I go to a prenatal yoga class 1-2 times a week that is more vigorous and doesn’t treat me like I am fragile. So, if you exercised regularly before you got pregnant and have done at least a few yoga classes, this one may make you yawn, although I am not advising against it (like I said, it is beneficial, just not for getting you energized). I have ordered FitMama and Pilates for Pregnancy so we’ll see how they measure up…
Hope this helps.
2 Stars Good for stretching, not to get a workout.
I’ve been to yoga classes where you get more of a workout than this one. This is more like a stretching exercise. My complaint is a lot of the stretches seemed to repeat many times. The equipment required for use to follow the exercise like the block, straps are kinda specialised items you’d have to buy. I tried to substitue with items I can find at home like a step stool, and rope.
For a real workout, I prefer the Perfect Pregnancy workout dvd with Karyne Steben.
5 Stars prenatal yoga dvd
Great yoga workout for pregnant women! Seems up-to-date with modifications for pregnant women, unlike other “prenatal” videos I’ve tried. I like the style, the selection and overall tone of the dvd.
5 Stars Nice for the Price
I enjoyed this. Very relaxing music and positions are demonstrated for each trimester. Was not expensive either.
5 Stars Prenatal Yoga
I love this workout! I am in my second trimester, I’m not showing yet, so I am able to follow the first trimester poses for the most part. This video moves at a wonderful pace, has a very nice setting with no annoying music or constant talking. It’s pure instruction and very effective! I absolutely recommend this video to anyone!
Sara Hollidays Prenatal Yoga First Trimester DVD
Sara Hollidays Prenatal Yoga First Trimester DVD
Be fit, look and feel great from the beginning of your journey with Sara Holliday’s Prenatal Yoga: First Trimester. In this revolutionary prenatal yoga class fitness expert Sara Holliday, uses her extensive training in teaching yoga to guide you with safe and effective postures and poses that may result in a decrease in pain caused by pregnancy, an increase in muscle tone and strength, an improvement in flexibility, and a feeling of well being.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Low quality cinemetography, but EXCELLENT series of poses
I am a person who loves special features, extravagent sets, and perfect costumes. At first, I was put off by the apparent low-budget set. After I did the practice, I began to appreciate the instructor’s effectivenss and choice of rotine. Its one of the only prenatal yoga videos that have strengthening and toning as a focus, rather than relaxing or stretching. Most of the poses are standing poses, similar to a real yoga class. Many other prenatal yoga dvds are designed to be “generic”… I mean that its okay for all stages of pregnancy. This one is unique because it doesn’t modify to be too easy.
If you have done yoga in a studio, you will probably like this dvd. If you do yoga to relax rather than tone, it probably is not what you want.
A word about the instructor - she has a confident voice, not whinny or breathy. She also looks like an athlete - a swimmer or something. She is very strong looking. Also- she did not indicate that she was actually pregnant at the time of filming- only that she did these type of things during her pregnancy.
I will do this the next time I am pregnant.
1 Star video for experts
This video was clearly for those yoga experts or people that do yoga quite often. I am not new to yoga, but I had quite a bit of difficultly completing this video. This is not a relaxing exercise for those in first trimester that experience fatigue AND nausea!!!! I’m not impressed, and feel ripped off by the whole experience!!!!!
2 Stars Insufficient explanation - not a good yoga video
I bought all three series of prenatal yoga and I regret it. This video does not offer walk throughs on how to do many of the poses. She just quickly changes from one pose to the next, without explaining how to do it, give you time to inhale or exhale properly, show you where and how to position hands and feet for support, or how to twist core body, etc. Both her verbal explanations and visuals leave me frustrated, wondering if I should position the hands one way or another for a particular pose. What is worse, the camera does not follow many of her important movements, focusing sometimes only on her face or on a detail of her shirt, instead of showing how she is positioning her arms, hand, toes, etc. even when she puts them behind her body — these are important details in yoga, because incorrect poses can lead to injuries.
5 Stars Feels good!
I have done yoga before, but am definitely not very flexible. I can actually do these poses and feel like I’m getting a good stetch, and it’s not sooo challening that I feel totally sore the next day. I like walking and am even still running some on the days I don’t do the yoga, and it’s a great opportunity to do more stretching and toning than I would get otherwise. Sara is a great instructor and very easy to follow. Unlike another reviewer who really liked the relaxation portion at the end, I tend to fast-forward through it…but over all I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m really motivated to do it because I feel like I’m doing something good for the growing baby! It’s nice that Sara has a new video for each trimester, because I’m just beginning to get excited about trying a new one!
1 Star Tried this once and gave it away…
I have tried a few different prenatal yoga dvds and this one was by far my least favorite. The first thing I noticed was the laughably bad production value. The word “cheesy” comes to mind. A smoke machine?! It was a bit silly. And her instruction was seriously lacking. I guess for someone who is really new to yoga this might be ok, but even her breathing instruction bothered me. She seemed to have lungs the size of a small bird or something, I could not go at her pace as my breaths took much longer. Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with every aspect of this dvd, the poses, the way she instructed them, the sound quality (AWFUL,) the video quality, the ridiculous set, etc. Save your money or invest in a different dvd.
Prenatal Yoga
Studio: Gaiam Americas Release Date: 04/19/2007
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Prenatal Yoga
I love this workout! I am in my second trimester, I’m not showing yet, so I am able to follow the first trimester poses for the most part. This video moves at a wonderful pace, has a very nice setting with no annoying music or constant talking. It’s pure instruction and very effective! I absolutely recommend this video to anyone!
5 Stars prenatal yoga dvd
Great yoga workout for pregnant women! Seems up-to-date with modifications for pregnant women, unlike other “prenatal” videos I’ve tried. I like the style, the selection and overall tone of the dvd.
3 Stars Overall a good yoga DVD, but not as vigorous as I prefer
To introduce myself, I am 30 years old and weighed about 118 pre-pregnancy. I consider myself to be in good shape.
With that said–I do enjoy doing this DVD. It is very relaxing but it does have some challenging poses that encourage strength and stretch. It is a good DVD to do when I need to just relax while doing gentle movements. It’s a perfect way to start out my day or unwind in the afternoon.
On the flip side, I don’t rely on this DVD for my only activity for the day, as I prefer to actually feel more challenged. I pair this DVD with a trip to the gym or a long, brisk walk. I go to a prenatal yoga class 1-2 times a week that is more vigorous and doesn’t treat me like I am fragile. So, if you exercised regularly before you got pregnant and have done at least a few yoga classes, this one may make you yawn, although I am not advising against it (like I said, it is beneficial, just not for getting you energized). I have ordered FitMama and Pilates for Pregnancy so we’ll see how they measure up…
Hope this helps.
5 Stars Nice for the Price
I enjoyed this. Very relaxing music and positions are demonstrated for each trimester. Was not expensive either.
2 Stars Good for stretching, not to get a workout.
I’ve been to yoga classes where you get more of a workout than this one. This is more like a stretching exercise. My complaint is a lot of the stretches seemed to repeat many times. The equipment required for use to follow the exercise like the block, straps are kinda specialised items you’d have to buy. I tried to substitue with items I can find at home like a step stool, and rope.
For a real workout, I prefer the Perfect Pregnancy workout dvd with Karyne Steben.