Penny Smith's Essential Guide To Yoga DVD

Advantages: probably good if you now a bit of yoga already
Disadvantages: too fast, risky,not enough explanation,

...I bought Penny Smith's Power Yoga Video, as it was advertised on GMTV and looked good, I like Penny as she is a real person and not stick thin, so I thought I would give it a go. I have a spine condition and knew that Yoga involves stretching and keeping you supple. The video recommends you watch it all the way through first - which I did, whilst getting quite confused. The moves are quite jerky and fast paced - not at all what I was expecting. Anton explains then far too quickly for a novice to keep up. A.S. of the spine means you have to be really careful about how much impact your body has. So I assumed Yoga = stetching, Power Yoga = taking that a bit further. When I attempted the video, stretching forwards in a sun salutation, then twisting round to a downward facing dog (these are all the names they have - I've not lost... Read review

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Advantages: Good for health
Disadvantages: Possibility of injury

...mistakes are often made, and offers easy alternatives to many poses. I feel that yoga has really helped me as it makes me feel good about myself. I am glad that I brought Geri yoga as a guide to begin with rather than go to a class, because I can practice without feeling silly or uncomfortable. The last section of Geri yoga is extremely useful. The relaxation can be done after yoga, or whenever you need it. Kate Appleton’s voice soothes you and guides you into a relaxed state. I often use this when I have trouble sleeping, or feel restless and cannot get comfortable. The only problem with it is that straight after the relaxation, the DVD goes into an interview with Geri Halliwell, forcing you to get up and turn the TV off. I would recommend this to people interested in taking up yoga. Although, you must practice regularly to feel... Read review

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Advantages: A great all-over body workout
Disadvantages: Not for beginners

...years I can just about manage it. The routines are pretty fast-paced, and unless you know what to expect you can find yourself, bum in the air, tempted to swivel round to check the screen to see what you should be doing -- not recommended! However, the spoken explanations are clear and easy to follow, so you shouldn't have any problems. If you want a good hardy workout video combined with some fantastic stretches and a bit of spirituality thrown in, this could just be the perfect workout for you. Don't be put off by the celebrity face of Penny Smith. Unlike most other fitness video celebrities, she knows to shut up and keep in the background while Anton, the yoga master, puts both us and her through our paces. Anton is a likeable guy, not at all patronising, and his explanations of the different postures are clear and understandable... Read review

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