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Gaiam's AM/PM Yoga for Beginners DVD is the perfect starting DVD for those new to the yoga practice.In AM Yoga, internationally acclaimed yoga instructor Rodney Yee leads a series of gentle yoga poses at sunrise on the shores of Maui to awaken your body and energize your mind.In PM Yoga, renowned yoga teacher Patricia Walden leads an inspiring evening workout in Death Valley National Park to transition from the business of the day to a peaceful evening. Practicing just a few minutes a day can bring a lifetime's work of benefits for better health and well-being. Recommended props: yoga mat, block and strap. 100 minutes. USA.DVD includes: Two complete 20-minute yoga programs Bonus How to Use Props - Active Yoga mini workout Interviews with Rodney Yee and Patricia WaldenRodney Yee was a professional ballet dancer who later studied Iyengar yoga. He travels nationally and internationally to teach workshops, teachertraining and retreats. Rodney has been designing and performing in Gaiam progams for over 10 years. He has been featured on Oprah and other national programs.GET TO KNOW PATRICIA WALDEN Patricia Walden is one of two Americans to hold a senior advanced Iyengar Yoga teaching certificate. She was named one of "25 American Yoga Originals Who Are Shaping Yoga Today" by Yoga Journal and featured in Time for her work with yoga and healing.

The Rodney Yee program (AM) is shorter and focuses mainly on stretching out the back; I find it really helps when I've got any kind of lower back problem or just at stretching me out and getting me ready for the day.

The Patricia Walden program (PM) is slightly longer and focuses more on standing poses; it also has a very good deep relaxation at the end.

The only disadvantage to these Gaim DVDs is that they are programmed so that you have to play a longish commercial for all of their other products (what exacly is "organic clothing" anyway?) before you can start your workout. If you use the DVD regularly, the commercial gets really annoying after you've seen it about 20 times.

But all in all, this is a very useful DVD. It's accessible for beginners but also useful for people who've been doing yoga for a while but are looking for a short, focused, effective workout.

65 of 66 found the following review helpful:


Two excellent practices for virtually all levels of yogis  Sep 14, 2004 By Beth Cholette "doctor_beth"
This DVD contains two excellent yoga practices which are perfect for virtually all levels of yoga practitioners, particularly advanced beginners to intermediates. Although both practices are labelled as being 20 minutes long, the actual time varies a bit: AM Yoga has a 4-minute breathing exercise followed by a 12-minute yoga program, and PM Yoga is approximately 24 minutes. Although both of these programs are probably doable to those new to yoga, they do assume some prior familiarity with the poses (total yoga newbies will find Yoga Journal's Yoga Practice for Beginners to be an excellent place to start). I have been practicing yoga for several years and am now at an intermediate level, but I continue to use both of these practices on a regular basis.

AM Yoga provides a practice so gentle that I've frequently performed it upon first waking up and while still in my pajamas. The simple breathing exercise helps your mind to focus, and then the basic twists and other poses which follow help your body to awaken. The practice is led by Rodney Yee, an excellent instructor who provides flawless cuing and who has an extremely calm, soothing voice--ideal for anyone who is not a morning person! PM Yoga is a very nice practice for winding down, relaxing, and stretching. It also begins with a short focus on breathing, encouraging you to turn your attention inward "where it's quiet." The practice moves from a seated to a kneeling position and also includes traditional standing poses such as a warrior and lunges. This is a great end-of-day workout or a quick practice to fit in anytime you need to relax. Patricia Walden is also a very good instructor, but her cuing is not quite as accurate as Rodney's.

Overall, I highly recommended this DVD as an essential component of your yoga home practice collection.

37 of 38 found the following review helpful:


Love this DVD - new yoga enthusiast  Feb 08, 2004
I never understood the appeal of yoga before. I bought this DVD, and now I see why people love yoga so much. I had tried another yoga tape and other exercise tapes before, but most were not nearly as good as this one. I am now hooked. There are two 20 minute yoga segments. The first is called "AM Yoga" with Rodney Yee, and the second segment, called "PM Yoga", is with Patricia Walden. Both segments were terrific, but I especially enjoyed the "AM" segment with Rodney Yee. I found that during his section I could listen to Yee peacefully talk me through the poses without being glued to the tv screen. It allowed me to really enjoy the DVD more. When I was finished with his 20 minute segment, I felt so relaxed - it was surprising...I am looking now for other Yee DVD's. On the second segment, it wasn't as easy to follow the instructor. I imagine it would be easier to follow after a week of sessions to get used to it. Still, this is an excellent DVD for anyone curious about the appeal of yoga and looking for an excellent intro. You won't be doing any moves that are too advanced or aerobic in this DVD, but it is extremely relaxing. Also, the 20 minute segments are great for busy people who don't have endless amounts of time to fit in exercise. This is a great investment overall.

46 of 49 found the following review helpful:


Beautiful setting, but postures are too short!  Sep 14, 2004 By YogaKat "YogaKat"
I practice yoga every morning and evening, so I'm always looking for new practices. This one has beautiful scenery and music, but I didn't care for the AM practice. In the AM practice Rodney Yee barely hold the poses and it ends up being a very short. It would be a much better if he held the poses, even for a couple of seconds. This would also extend the length of the practice. He also starts with lying down relaxation, which I think is not necessary in the morning (I just wanted to go back to sleep). On one of the other reviews the person suggests switching the AM and PM practice, so maybe that would work better.

The PM practice is very good and you could do this one either in the morning or the evening. The poses are held for a bit longer than the AM routine.

You also get a short instruction on the DVD on how to use props and again a very short practice with the props. Also, the DVD has very good menu interface, so that's a plus. You can pick and choose which workout and which segment you'd like to use.

If you're looking for a really good AM practice, I would suggest Yoga for Surfers. It's my favorite! If you're looking for a good all around Yoga DVD, try Yoga of Urban Living. See my other reviews on yoga DVDs for more information. Namaste.

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