Simply Yoga [With DVD]

I accidentally found this book and DVD on a sales counter and I am so glad I did. I find it to be a wonderful class. I have many yoga DVDs but I constantly find myself going back to this one especially when I only have 30 minutes.

I could never do yoga until I picked up this set. The instructor has a way of making anyone feel that this is something they can do. Highly recommended

I also found this at a bargain bin at a big bookstore and got it because it said it was simple, appropriate to beginners and exactly 30 minutes long, which is the minimum amount of time I am trying to exercise daily. I am very exercise adverse but Yolanda's quiet encouragement and stress free pacing has become really addictive to me and since actually getting me to exercise is my number one obstacle, I consider this a major plus. Encouraged by this to try other DVD's, so far I have found them jarring and intense, with insufficient warm up and little to no spiritual quality at all. I have always been turned off by "yoga martinets" who seem only interested in the disciplining the body like a wayward child. This is not what yoga is about IMHO. No slouch herself, Yolanda warms you up and down and has a heartfelt but low key quality I love. I feel excellent afterwards! I researched Yolanda a tiny bit and gather that she has had a major transformation in her own life; yoga has apparently been a big part of creating that new life for her. She offers fairly traditional poses but apparently not just the easiest versions ever, as far as I can gather from my reading of Yoga Journal online. Yoga Journal - as well as Yolanda's own book - offer tips for improving postures and getting the most out of it. (Of course actual teachers are good too! LOL) Based on my considerable experience with tai chi, I would say that Simply Yoga DVD is "deceptively simple" and that one should not be too quick to underestimate what you can get from it. Like anything, the more effort you put in, the better the results will be. For those starting at zero, in not the greatest shape but looking for rapid but gentle improvement, I think this is a real winner. I may advance to other DVDs and live teachers but I think this is a real keeper. Her understated spiritual qualities far exceed any other DVD presentation I have seen so far. I hope she makes a meditation CD! I've done a lot of visualization but I can see that she is an excellent teacher and would be a good guide into deeper meditations.

I want to encourage anyone that wants to incorporate Yoga into their healthy lifestyle to consider purchasing this book and DVD. In the book the author describes the details of each posture and also the importance of the various aspects of yoga, such as breathing and nutrition. In the DVD she calmly instructs the viewer in each pose of the sequence. During this she continues to remind the viewer how to breathe during each posture. I had originally borrowed this book/DVD from my local library and then pursued purchasing it because I had purchased several others by different authors and was disappointed. If anyone knows of other Yoga DVD's by Yolanda Pettinato I would appreciate the information, and how to purchase. Thank-you

I picked up a version of this set at Barnes and Noble where there's flashcards instead of the book included with the dvd. I would highly recommend looking for the flashcard version. They are nicely photographed on good quality paper. There are more poses on the cards then on the dvd so you could design some of your own routines. The dvd has one 30 minute workout. It was shot in a studio, probably hers. The background is simply laid out without being bare. There's a nice blue carpet and blue backgound. She is Australian and I would say has that British aspect of being low key. It feels very relaxing when you do the workout but then you feel it the next day. Overall the more I use this the more I like it.