(BMG Video)
1997
What is it?
An introduction to basic Yoga postures.
Who is it for?
Those who know little or nothing about Yoga and want a good foundation to their practice.
What to expect:
This is an excellent on-video class for beginners. While it's important for those who are new to Yoga to have an in-person teacher, Yoga Zone's founder, Alan Finger, will certainly steer even the absolute novice in the right direction. He opens the 55-minute video with a lesson in breathing, explains each pose clearly and has a warm and welcome sense of humor. You won't get any philosophy here or anything terribly mystical - Finger sticks to the postures. In fact, sometimes he only gives out the English, not the Sanskrit, name for the poses (but for the curious, there's an enclosed booklet with more detailed information). Four people go through the flowing series of postures while Finger instructs - two are master instructors from the Yoga Zone studios in New York, one is Finger's wife, Greta, who is a longtime Yoga practitioner, and one is a male student who is still in the early stages of becoming flexible. There are two versions shown of each pose - an easier and a fuller version, so there's somewhere to start and a goal to reach. You get most of the basics here - lunges, Cobra, Cat, Down Dog, Triangle and Mountain Pose, to name a few, and the only props you'll need are a sticky mat and a strap. It's a full-body workout that will challenge the beginner for a good, long while, but it's never so tough that it's intimidating. This video is highly recommended.