Yoga Zone Beginners: Premiere Collection (Four-Pack)

What I would give to study with Alan Finger!!!This set was the first dvd purchase that I made of yoga classes. I'd taken some classes before. I could tell it was something that could be good for me, but somehow I couldn't get into it. There was something dead and dry about the way they taught it. So I stopped doing that and learned about other kinds of bodywork for a while. (well, more like dabbled) But for instance I did some studying on the Feldenkrais Method which was very eye-opening. (I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone interested in bodywork.) However, I continued to read about yoga even tho' I was not practicing it. Erich Schiffman's Yoga the Practice of Moving Into Stillness taught me the idea and spirituality behind yoga for the first time.Anyway, so I decided to try some yoga again a few weeks ago. I read all these great reviews of this series and decided to go with it. Now, everything that I thought was not quite right with how yoga was presented in other classes, Alan Finger immediately made me understand what it was. Even tho' I'm no expert, I can just tell he's a true yogi who lives his art. You can sense his love and dedication for what he does. Other teachers that I'd studied with - they'd guide the class thru' the motions, but the instructions were cut and dry. They didn't truly "live" the spirit behind it. And I don't think you can practice anything without its spirit. With Alan, everything that he says, how he says them, and what he doesn't say even - carries such truth. I never really trusted the other teachers, but he gained mine very quickly.He's very enthusiastic and positive in a very genuine way. He explains each pose very throughly - THE most thorough instructions I'd ever had, much more than classes I'd taken in person ever! I love that he makes sure that every pose is done right. So many teachers tell you what to do, basically showing you an approximation of what you should LOOK like, instead of really giving you instructions on what to do, and then for YOU to find out how much you can do - like Alan does. His 2 assistants who demonstrate on the videos have that air of being fully engaged in their practice as well. I'm especially impressed with Lisa Bennetts - not because she demonstrates the "real" poses instead of the modified easy ones. But again the way she does them somehow conveys that she, too, has the kind of true yogi spirit that Alan emits. I think she teaches in nyc. Next time I go back I definitely will try to attend some of her classes.I can't say enough about these dvd's. My only complaint is that there aren't more of them!p.s.now more than two years later (jan 09), i'd like to add some extra comments, not on the dvd's themselves but on alan finger. i attended a seminar that he gave in MA a while back and got to meet him. wow, it turns out that he's very different from how i'd imagined him to be. he was always making inapproiate sexual jokes, jewish jokes (he's jewish) in class, or making petty, embittered comments about other yogis. he also walked around kind of like a movie star or something. he's got his shades on, not really talking to people, but surrounded by an entourage of beautiful women-and i mean surrounded. every walk that i saw him take, there'd be at least 4 or 5 women literally surrounding him. i was pretty shocked and very disappointed in him. however, he did seem like a master of yoga, in that he really seemed very learned. but the spirit that i was expecting from a great teacher and yogi... maybe i was expecting too much. it's not that i was expecting him not to be flawed as a human being. but somehow the flippancy and the disrespect that he's shown was something that was hard for me to accept. he seemed more like a learned businessman rather than a teacher.anyway, just a little note of my impression that is very different from what my review said. so here it is.

I bought these DVDs separately, so it's nice to see them together in a set. I'm going to buy them for my sister. I love these DVDs. They are the best beginner DVDs I have seen. If you are brand new to Yoga these are the place to start. Many DVDs claim to be for beginners, but offer very little instruction. Unless you are taking a Yoga class you have to rely on the instructors on the DVD to give as much instruction as possible. Most beginner DVDs fall short in this area. Doing Yoga with poor form can lead to injury. It's important to get body positioning right and not to put stress on joints or force yourself in any position. The instruction in these videos is very good and there are constant reminders to only go as far as you can go. There is also a lot of emphasis on where you should be feeling the the pose which many DVDs overlook entirely. That way you know you are doing it right and are getting the proper benefit out of the exercise.All the videos begin with a couple of minutes of instruction on full breathing. This is vital to Yoga, so it is important to know, but once you have it down, you can stop using your hands to feel it and use that time to just focus on your breath. The "Introduction to Yoga" video is obviously the one to start with. It works on gently stretching different areas of the body and introduces you to several basic poses and gives a brief introduction to the beginning of a Sun Salutation. I would stick with that video until you are comfortable with it. I would then move on to the "Conditioning and Stress Relief" video. Here you are introduced to additional poses and new stretching techniques. Alternate the first 2 DVDs until you feel comfortable with both, then move on to the "Flexibility and tone" video. That one was tough for me the first time I did it. There are new poses added and the leg work was tougher. You are holding, not straining, but my legs were quivering like jello. :-) Once you get to doing all three you are good for quite a while. The videos are very different so you can alternate them and not get bored.Some people might get bored with the instruction over time, but I find that it constantly helps me to correct my form. Often I will hear something much later that I missed before because I was too focused on trying to hold a position and keep breathing. What he was saying just went in one ear and out the other. I also find his reminders to pay attention to certain details very helpful. I don't know how many times he reminded me to keep breathing only to realize that I was actually holding my breath while struggling with the pose. Or to check your alignment and mine was indeed off. They obviously know the bad habits that beginners are prone to doing and try to keep them conscious of good form. That's what makes these such great DVDs for beginners.All together this is a great set for beginners and I highly recommend them to anyone just starting out in Yoga.

Great for beginners! Mr Finger slowly explains every detail of every move as you're going through the movements: where you should feel the movements (in the muscles), and where you should be feeling the release of tension physically.I bought this in VHS format in the early 90's through Avon and loved it, so was delighted to see it finally offered in DVD format. I have only used the other 3 DVD's in the collection a few times, but always seem to go back to the beginning video. Just to be on the safe side, I only wish they would touch on what people should NOT be feeling through out the movements (pain, muscle cramps, etc), and how to avoid them.Most yoga videos seem to "jump right in" and forget that people are unfamiliar with the movements and poses, so if you're new to yoga, this is where to start!

Alan Finger provides top quality instruction and poses are demostrated at both an advanced level and at a beginner one. I have been using 3 of the 4 dvds regularly; I haven't tried the Meditation dvd yet. After six weeks, using the dvds 4x a week, I am already seeing amazing results. More toning in my arms and abs (esp triceps and lower abs, traditionally areas that atrophy easily) and incredible gains in flexibility. Really, incredible, people don't believe how much my hamstrings have stretched. I used to barely be able to get past my knees, maybe mid-calf if I had stretched very well before hand. Now, mid-calf is where I start when I'm cold, after these yoga dvds, I can reach to within 1cm of the floor!These dvds are excellent value for money and I can't imagine any beginner buying them and being disappointed.

Love their style of teaching. Very easy to follow. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you you.