On the Ball With Sara Ivanhoe: Yoga Workout for Beginners [DVD]

My transaction was very easy. The DVD was delivered promptly and it was in great condition. I am very pleased with this seller. Five Stars.

My sister the yogi insisted I get started doing this ancient form of exercise. She's been doing yoga for years, and while I did yoga in high school, I've been a drop-out for decades. Ok, ok, I'm getting started, really, I am, Sis!I chose this Yoga DVD because it was labeled for "beginners" and also because I have a large exercise ball gathering dust. I liked the idea of using the ball for support because I am clumsy as hell, and the ball acts as a sort of yoga block as well as making you use your small muscles as you strive to balance. (I was told by a professional trainer that this is why free weights and walking are superior to static machine exercises, because the act of balancing uses many more muscles.) So I pumped up the big ball and dusted it off, got out a sticky mat (you need one for this) and took off my shoes and put on some suitable yogi pants and a soft tee shirt. I then tested the ball, as the DVD instructs you, to make sure it was at the right firmness to position me correctly.Ms. Ivanhoe has a clear, pleasant voice, the filming is bright, well-positioned and easy to follow. The workout was moderately challenging for me--nothing I couldn't do, but not overly easy. I felt the workout immediately in my abdominals, while getting a pleasant stretch to my entire back. You start with a series of movements, each position flowing into two or three more "asanas" to make a set of exercises. The first set uses the puppy pose (head down, back arched inward) and the pyramid pose (rather like stretching the hamstrings before working out.) You roll the ball down and put your hands on the ball rather than on the mat as an advanced pose might have you do. A nice back stretch. The second set used the cat pose (arching and swaying your back) and ending up in the plank pose--lying prone on the ball, using your hands to support you in a horizontal position that makes you use your abdominals. The next set was the "Salute to the Sun" --four more moves. Throughout, the instructor tells you which asana to inhale on, and which to exhale on--this is important, says my sister. The key to Yoga is knowing when to breath and this is not always part of every instructional tape or DVD. When I was done, I felt my abdominals had been worked--I felt "centered" which is the aim of this set of yoga exercises.I rate this five stars--definitely good for a beginner (assuming you have no health issues you must discuss with your physician) and a great way to get started in yoga. I enjoyed every moment of this workout on the ball.

On the Ball with Sara Ivanhoe: Yoga Workout for Beginners is an excellent instructional video suitable for beginners or those with limited mobility.The dvd is divided into chapters so it is easy to go to various sections of the workout. It is divided into nine chapters that include the warm-up and cool-down. A special features section contains a bonus workout blast that's about six minutes then ends with a minute of relaxtion breathing. Also in the special features is an option to workout to music with no narration. However, the only drawback to this dvd I found is the music. It is a techno-vibe that does not go well with a yoga workout. I will do this workout a few times to familiarize myself with the poses and proper posture then I plan to turn down the volume and put on a separate cd more conducive to a relaxing yoga experience.The dvd starts with a brief introduction by Sara Ivanhoe giving information on proper technique and how to measure your body to the ball to make sure the correct size ball is being used. It then goes right into the workout.The workout consists of basic yoga poses that have been modified for use with a stability ball. Sara Ivanhoe is an excellent instructor. She speaks slowly and very clearly and gives very detailed explanation on proper body alignment. There is one particular shoulder stretch (the "Eagle Pose") that anyone who has larger arms and legs or has not yet developed good balance on the ball will have trouble with as it involves twisting one arm around the other and touching the palms and twisting one leg around the other (yes, it's as hard as it sounds). I have decided to make this pose my goal. It will be a great indicator on how much my flexibility increases as weeks go by.I recommend this workout to anyone with limited mobility or who is a beginner at yoga or using a stability ball. It will help increase the user's balance and flexibility. This dvd offers a slow-paced stretching yoga workout that is challenging yet simple.

I've used workout DVDs by Sara Ivanhoe before, and found her instruction to be clear, concise, and adequately detailed, and her attitude to be encouraging, accepting and positive. She is the same during this DVD.The main routine is challenging without being overly strenuous or stressful to the body. As Ivanhoe says during her instruction, the ball makes it possible to do some poses that are otherwise too precarious or difficult. I found that using the ball increased my flexibility in some poses, and worked different muscles than usual in most poses. For this reason, it is a welcome addition to my yoga library, and a DVD I use often to vary my workout.The DVD also includes some bonus features, such as still shots of the instructor in various poses (which can be used for reference, when trying to complete the pose on your own), and "extra" poses that aren't included in the regular routine. The extra poses are explained and demonstrated just as thoroughly as the entire workout. These are good bonus features, as DVDs go.I'd recommend this DVD to anyone just starting out with yoga - the ball makes it possible to feel like you're good at the poses, even without a lot of experience. The ball also helps to work many core muscles that regular yoga poses might miss - also helpful for a beginner looking for a comprehensive yoga workout.