Element: Yoga for Beginners / AM&PM Yoga for Beginners (Elena Brower) [2007/2008 г., фитнес/йога, DVDRip, ENG] (Видеоуроки)

Element: Yoga for Beginners
The practics starts with:
1. Breathwork and Warm-up. This includes sitting while practicing Ujjayi breathing and warming up the legs with light lunging and standing forward bend.
2. Standing Poses and Sun Salutations. The series starts with 2 modified Sun Salutations and then a series of standing poses including, Warrior 1 & 2, Triangle, Side Angle Pose and a Side Angle Twist
3. Hip Openers. The Hip Openers started with Pigeon Pose which I think is a bit difficult for a true beginners with no training from a teacher..
4. Backbends. I like the Backbend series here for beginners. It starts with a light cobra, then moves on to a modified locust pose series. It ends with a counterpose to release the backbends which feels nice.
5. Forward Bends/Stretch/Relaxation. This is all a nice calming series ending with a short meditation.
Overall, I give this DVD 4 and 1/2 stars taking off 1/2 star because I think this is really for an advanced beginner. There is not enough mention of foot, knee, and/or hip alignment and I think it would be very easy to injure your joints without this knowledge. A tutorial in the beginning of the DVd would have been perfect. Maybe with a lined mat showing beginners where to place their feet.

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Element: Am and PM Yoga for Beginners
The AM workout slowly warms up and opens your body and manages to pack in quite an impressive variety of poses into 30 minutes that work your entire body without making it seemed rushed. It leaves you very invigorated and is really the perfect quick workout for the morning.
The PM workout is so relaxing, soothing, and just leaves you feeling all ooey gooey good! Elena adds a lot of breathing and centering in this workout, something I find missing or lacking in many Yoga workouts. It is a soothing workout for both mind and body, the very essence of what Yoga is supposed to be!
Here's a breakdown of the poses:
AM:
-Mountain Pose w/ some gentle arm and shoulder warm ups
-Warm ups w/ cat-cow, down dog, childs pose, a down dog/plank vinyassa, ending in cat cow
-Twisted lunge
-Gentle Sun Salutations
-Standing Poses including Warrior II, Side Angle, Wide Leg Forward Bend, WLFB w. a twist, and Warrior III w/ modificaitons, side plank w/ modifications
-Then you move onto floor work with the Sphinx pose, moving locust pose, boat pose, bridge pose, seated twist
-Ending with a seated meditation and centering
PM:
-Seated meditation and moving your body with your breath to get centered and relax
-Down Dog
-Plank
-Cobra
-Pigeon Pose
-Twisted Pigeon Pose
-Down Dog
-Childs Pose
-Breathing and Centering
-Easy Twist
-Seated Stick Pose (Dandasana) alternating with seated twists
-Seated Forward bends
-Back to Seated Stick Pose
-Cobblers Pose
-One legged seated forward bend
-Savasana
Both workouts are perfect for what they meant to be: gentle and quick with emphasis on both the working and relaxing aspects of Yoga.