March 15, 2008
Yoga
I mentioned earlier this week that I had received a yoga dvd to review. I’ve never done yoga before and always wanted to try it. I’m self-conscious when it comes to going to the gym, so trying it in the comfort of my own home was quite appealing. The DVD I received is called Yoga: Gentle Practice, by Real Bodywork, a company from Santa Barbara, California that has been making instructional DVD’s since 1998.
The day I tried it had been a very stressful day, both at work and at home, and I was in a terrible mood. My entire body felt stiff, and I noticed a few times that my jaw was clenched; I was completely on edge (poor hubby can attest to that). After putting the kids to bed, I locked myself in their playroom (plenty of floorspace), and put the DVD on. I liked that the DVD includes an introduction to yoga practice, including a few guidelines for pregnant users, information about eating and drinking prior to or during the practice and some of the benefits of yoga. The DVD is organized into two series, with three three routines each, and also includes a pose guide for all the poses used throughout all six routines.
I did the first routine in Series A, which lasted 33 minutes. The DVD is easy to follow and the poses are fairly simple. The instructor, Zyrka Landwijt, has a very soothing voice, and I found the background music very helpful in achieving optimum relaxation.
The last five minutes of the routine consist of the final relaxation, and it is truly relaxing! I was so calm that I was practically asleep! When I got up I could feel the tension I had built up throughout the day was completely gone, and my body felt radically different than it did just a half-hour prior.
I told hubby that I really enjoyed the experience and I want to practice yoga at least once a week. I think I’ll do it on Fridays so that I can release all the stress built up throughout the week. I’m very glad that I was chosen as a reviewer for this yoga dvd. It was very rewarding, both physically and mentally.
