Yoga at Home with Laura, Self-taught Yogi!

Yoga at Home: Excellent Beginner's Yoga Video! - Mountain Pose Demo

 

Greetings.  To date, I have rarely found videos for beginning yogis that are well done.  Too many jump right into showing the pose with very little explanation and assume a base of knowledge that few beginners have.  However, a couple of days ago, my email in-box brought an excellent video for the beginner which shows you how to do the moutain pose.

Here is why I think this youtube video (which only has just under about 500 views so far) of the yoga mountain pose is ideal for the beginner:

1)  The instructor, Robin Downes, speaks clearly and slowly.

2)  She explains the purpose of the pose and shows how to do it step-by-step, literally from the toes to one's head.

3)  She doesn't just toss out the yoga sanskrit terms (in layman terms, sanskrit is an ancient language of India) rapid fire (as so many yoga instructors do) and assume the beginner is following along.  She links them effectively to her demonstration of the mountai pose.

4)  She emphasizes the importance of proper breathing and shows you how to do it.

4)  She has "real, regular people" in her video.  She appears "real" herself.

5)  In short, she makes the pose accessible to the beginners.

6)  I enjoyed watching this succinct explanation of a basic yoga pose.

Watch it now! It takes less than 3 minutes.

 

 

 Yours for learning how to do yoga at home with clear, succinct explanations!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Mentor,

 

Beginners Yoga: Second Amazon Book Review

My new introductory yoga book shown above is available now at Amazon.com!

I now have two book reviews on Amazon.com. Here is what the second reader of my new book, Karyl Dunson, said about my book:

"I recently purchased Yoga At Home and have already begun my home yoga practice. I found the book to be motivating and inspirational - I was up at 5 am this morning in my basement doing yoga! In addition to inspiring me, the book was written in a style that was down-to-earth, conversational and not the least bit intimidating. I have taken many yoga classes outside the home but found after reading the book that yoga at home can be more sacred, economical and satisfying. 

The poses are explained well and there are enough pictures for the visually inclined to grasp what you are supposed to be striving for. I also plan to benefit from the free 30 minute telephone coaching session offered in the book. 

I am very pleased about my purchase. I own two other yoga books but this one is a great add to my small but growing collection. I hope to mimic some of Laura's vitality and good health and follow her as a lifetime home yoga practitioner. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering a home yoga practice."

Thank you, Karyl for your eloquent review!

If you want to look inside the book before you buy, Amazon.com offers that feature.  You can see the Table of Contents, sample pages, front and back covers.  So, you truly can sample the book before taking the "risk" of buying! And you can read the reviews. My book is geared for the complete yoga neophyte. But a few more experienced yogis might find some of my tips and techniques helpful.

Yours for learning yoga at home!

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the consummate klutz but self-taught yogi!

 

 

 

 

Beginners Yoga: Book Review for Yoga at Home Released This Week

As I announced several days ago, I officially released my new book, Yoga at Home, this week in conjunction with DC Yoga Week.  Below is a review by Australian author, Ruth Barringham, that she posted in her writer's blog. I asked her for her honest opinion.  You can see her review at her blog at:http://writeaholics.net/blog/?p=138  or read the text below.

Book Review
Yoga At Home: Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serentity in 20-30 minutes a Day
By Laura Venecia Rodriguez
190+ pagesPublished May 2011
Review date: 10th May 2011

Personal review by Ruth Barringham

"I myself, have always been a great lover of yoga, but because I always feel stiff and clumsy, I've never practiced it consistently. So this new book was of great interest to me. It is primarily aimed at the complete yoga novice yet it also contains valuable advice and new perspectives that would also be of interest to seasoned yogis.

To many people the art of practicing hatha yoga seems unobtainable because they feel they won't understand the Sanskrit terms used in yoga or that the 'pretzel-like' poses will be too overwhelming.
In 'Yoga At Home' Laura Rodriguez, who commically describes herself as a "consummate non-athlete", shares her own simple and personal experiences of yoga poses, language and understanding.
She talks at length about her own personal journey of discovering yoga, the benefits that can be derived from regular practice, yoga equipment, correct breathing, meditation, mindset, motivation, weight loss through yoga and the importance of creating a daily yoga routine.

There are photos throughout the book of the author herself practicing yoga poses "at home" and it's clear to see from how great she looks that she is a positive advertisement for the yoga she is teaching.
Every pose mentioned in the book details not only how to do it, but also the benefits to be obtained. There are also extra details about the personal problems the author herself encountered when she first started to do the poses and how she remedied it, all contained in a "Spectial hints and Laura's Experience With This Pose" section after each exercise.

Being able to read her own personal problems is very reasuring for anyone (like me) who may be struggling, just to know that someone else wasn't perfect first time either.
E.g. After the Arm and Leg Pose, Laura's Experience says "...I have found that keeping my eyes fixed backward on a point on the ceiling can help maintain my balance...it helps to do this pose next to a wall so you can catch yourself and regain your balance if you start to wobble...Some days I can keep my balance perfectly. Other days I wobble back and forth like a first-time trapese artist on a tight-rope!"
What I liked most about this book is the easy-to-read and laid-back style of the author. E.g.One of the chapters is simply called "Yoga is no longer for the hippie-dippie artsy-fartzy crowd." Hilarious! :)
Most yoga books are too intimidating and full of bronzed, heavily-photoshopped models, who make the poses look stylish, classy, yet impossible to do.

'Yoga At Home', on the other hand, shows you how anyone regardless of age, lack of ability or lack of time can do yoga easily, privately and most importantly, without feeling pressured to keep up with the ridiculously beautiful and inhumanly bendy people who are always portrayed in other glossy yoga books.
I've read quite a few yoga books over time but none of them are as down to earth and easy to follow as this one. And, I'd even recommend it to people who don't want to do yoga, just becasue it's an unpretentious and fun-to-read book.

But be warned...
The author doesn't want to let you get away with only reading the book. At the end is a Permanent Life-Long Commitment to sign stating that you'll not only start practicing yoga every day, but you'll do it with "an attitude of joy, enthusiasm and love". And just in case you thought you could get away with doing yoga only "At Home", there are also sections on how to do yoga at the office, in a hotel room and even in a cruise ship cabin. So she really does leave you with no excuse for not practicing yoga.
And if that's not enough there is also a list of further yoga books you can read and yoga DVDs you can watch.  And not only that...You are also invited to have a free 30-minute telephone yoga consult with the author herself.

Phew!"

 

Yours for starting yoga at home now!

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

 

Yoga at Home: Funky FiveFingers Footwear for Yoga?

Have you seen any people wearing these "shoes?"  On the metro I recently saw a twenty-something male sprinting to make it onto the train before the doors closed in a pair of these funky footwear. This morning, I was reading a trade journal  at work (I cover footwear) and came across an editorial which included a discussion of these odd shoes which have become the rage of a select number of long-distance runners. Developed by Vibram USA, these shoes evolved after the release of Born to Run, a book that extols the benefits of "shoeless" running.  The FiveFinger shoes are supposedly the next best thing to shoeless running.

And now, these shoes are being marketed to the yoga crowd!  Most people, unless they get really cold feet, do yoga barefoot.  However, these Funky FiveFinger shoes are being touted as offering yogis - especially those who practice hot yoga or power yoga which involve continual flowing movements from one pose to the next -traction to avoid slipping on a yoga studio floor or mat.  

Also, since they have a thin, flexible sole, they offer a hygienic means of doing your moves on a floor without a mat. And, thus, these funny shoes offer you the option to do yoga on the road without bringing your mat.  This would not work for me because I always want a mat when I do face down poses...

Has anyone out there used these shoes for yoga?  If so, please comment!  I am curious as to how they would feel during my yoga practice.  But, I am not yet ready to shell out 80 to 100 bucks to just try them...

Yours for flexing your feet in yoga,

 

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

 

 

Beginners Yoga: Yoga Journal Podcast Review

Since I love my Ipod (ITouch) and learning on the go, I have enjoyed listening to and watching audio and video podcasts.  I subscribe to Yoga Journal, one of the premier magazines of the yoga industry.  During the past couple of days, I finally got around to checking out one of the video podcasts publicized in the latest issue of the magazine. 

I watched several minutes of a yoga video podcast on yoga inversion poses.  Instructor, Kathryn Budig, who teaches yoga in Santa Monica, is widely recognized for she often appears in yoga ads in those infamous, truly pretzel-like poses that I doubt I could ever begin to attempt, at least not in this lifetime!

Since the particular video podcast I selected is targeted for all levels, I wanted to see how suitable it is for beginners.   First I will start with the positive features of the video.  Kathryn Budig appears to be a skilled, experienced instructor and I found her clear, resonant voice appealing.  The 20- minute video I watched (which you can find at http://www.yogajournal.com/video/124) shows Kathryn guiding a yoga model through the various poses such as the downward facing dog and plank pose.

Budig practices and teaches Ashtanga yoga, a vigorous, athletic style of yoga practice consisting of a series of poses that flow from one to the next in breath-synchronized movements.  Given its athletic nature and after watching the video, I knew I would fail miserably or fall way behind if I were to take a class by Ms. Budig.  I believe her video on inversions is not for all levels by any means!  In my view, it is targeted for the medium or advanced yogi.  Kathryn Budig speaks a bit quickly for me to follow, and assumes a certain knowledge of yoga already.  So, for the beginner, and especially the beginner non-athlete like me, I would not recommend this video.  I think it's best suited to the advanced yogi is seeking to review certain poses or it would benefit yoga teachers.

Flexibly yours,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez

  

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: A Quaint but Solid Yoga Primer by Jess Stearn

 

The above book is one of the first two books that taught me basic, yet powerful hatha yoga!  I consider it one of my personal yoga classics that I would NEVER, never dare part with.  I own two yellowed copies. Written in the 1960s by the then New York journalist, Jesse Stearn, who delved into the mystical and metaphysical world to disprove it, the book ardently describes his journey into the world of yoga.

Studying with a yoga teacher in the Boston area, Jess Stearn shares his experiences with a spirited and fit yoga instructor who revealed a whole new world to him.  Skeptical at first, Jess takes on the challenges his yoga teacher gives him and within a few months he feels new from the inside out.  The story is simple and some parts seem very 1960s-ish.  One would almost expect to see  tie-dyed hippies with flowers in their hair and layers of beads pop out between the covers! So - what do I find so fantastic about this book?

For me, it captures and explains the essence and spirit of how to do yoga to transform your body and mind in a gentle, yet powerful way.  It teaches us that yoga can be done and enjoyed by virtually anyone, regardless of age or condition.  Jess Stearn had suffered whiplash in an auto accident that yoga helped to relieve and eliminate. There is no talk of "hot" yoga or power yoga or props or Birkram yoga competitions.  It was just simple, and in my humble view, true yoga.  Yoga that allows you to become slim, supple, and serene and to cultivate heightened awareness and experience being "alive."  Especially useful are some of the in-depth explanations of how to execute certain poses and what to expect and not be alarmed about when you begin.  I return to this book to refresh my memory about why I do yoga and what got me started.  Check it out!  You can still find copies on Amazon.com.

Thought of the Day:" Gentle, flowing motions synchronized with breathing obviously improve circulation and coordination."  ~ Jess Stearn - Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation

 

Beginners' Hatha Yoga: Another Book Recommendation

Last week I wrote a post about a physician from Voorhees, NJ teaches yoga classes and touts the myriad health benefits of hatha yoga.  Even though the news article about her stated that the medical establishment is slowly waking up to the benefits of yoga -  that may not be quite accurate.  

The above book, Yoga as Medicine, another recent addition to my yoga library, is written by Timothy McCall, MD.  Just over 500 pages, this book is a comprehensive resource of the many medical conditions that the practice of yoga can alleviate.  Part 3 of the book, "Yoga Therapy in Action" offers detailed information about how yoga can help with  anxiety and panic attacks, arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, excess weight and many more conditions!

McCall, a Western-trained physician, one day decided to try yoga because he thought it would be "interesting."  He stopped and started in his practice.  However, once he began regular practice (and, as he says, "inserting yoga into the cracks in my day"), amazing things began to happen.  His chest started to open up and he improved his posture.  Most importantly, he says, were the mental and psychological benefits he started to notice.  He worried less and was less irritated by problems that in the past would have had him blurting out profanities.  He ended up studying with renowned yoga teacher, Patricia Walden.

Yoga as Medicine is an excellent resource for someone who wants more convincing about all they can gain from the practice of yoga.  The only area I would disagree with McCall in is that he doesn't recommend learning on your own at first.  Other than that, I love this book - it's a wealth of research and information about the health benefits of yoga.  You can read excerpts from the book at:  http://www.drmccall.com.

Wisdom of the Day:  Yoga is not a panacea, but it is powerful medicine indeed for body, mind, and spirit.  Above all, yoga is a path. The longer you stay with it and the more heart you put into the journey, the father it can take you."~  Timothy McCall, M.D.

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: A Fairly Good Basic Yoga DVD

One of my high school classmates (year abroad in France) asked me if I could recommend any DVDs for beginning yoga.  I have to start by admitting that I have not watched too many.  Some of the ones of I have reviewed date back to the 80s and are in VHS format - unfortunately, I cannot remember the title of one of those - I borrowed them from the local library for my book research.

Last year, however, for a nominal fee of $7 shipping, I responded to an offer by Deepak Chopra's center (or one of his centers - in California) for a 2- DVD set, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga.  I have referred to this set in the past, but today I will elaborate on the benefits of the basic instructional yoga DVD.  I re-watched 25 minutes of the DVD yesterday morning so I could comment on it here.

The basic class taught by a female instructor is filmed in what looks like a spacious home yoga studio - or at least it has a "homey" feel to it - perfect! Interestingly, the class begins with the Savasana pose - i.e., what is also known as the corpse pose but which I prefer to call the total relaxation pose.  In my experience, yoga sessions end with the Savasana so that the person can allow the energy released from the poses to settle nicely into the body.  I suppose, though, the Savasana can also be an effective way to ease into and warm up for a yoga pose. 

The instructor carefully explains the various poses from knee presses to sun salutations in a clear voice and, easy-to-follow way.  Although she also tosses in the sanskrit terms a bit rapidly for the beginner to catch.  I liked that she emphasized that the silence and pauses between the poses is just as important as the poses themselves - super!  I think overall, the instructor makes the yoga poses she demonstrates accessible, and non-intimidating to the non-athlete beginner like myself.

The principal drawbacks of the DVD, in my view, is that there aren't really suggestions for how to create a daily regime or enough discussion of the benefits of the poses.  There are some - but I would prefer a few more key points brought out to convince the viewer on how important it is to practice the poses regularly. In summary, I would say try watching a few DVDs and video podcasts and look for pointers to enhance your regime.

Thought of the Day:  Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy. Constant practice alone is the secret of success. ~Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: Sampling Yoga Podcasts

Only recently have I gotten into podcasts.  My selections range from updates from the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and the Economist to 1 Minute French and 1 Minute Spanish as well as some yoga audios.  I am always on the outlook for tools for the Hatha Yoga beginner - especially for people who like me, tend to be uncoordinated and unathletic.

The past couple of days I sampled some yoga podcasts - downloading selections from yogajournal.com and yogaamazing.com.  The podcast from yogajournalcom featured "gentle backbends."   The yoga teacher's introduction emphasized that the poses should feel" expansive, even, and balanced" and this was more important than the "range of motion."  I couldn't agree more! His voice was clear and well modulated.  However, he spoke at a rapid clip and he start losing me shortly after the introduction which didn't specify what level of student the podcast was aimed toward.

After a few more minutes, I realized the session must be for an experienced yogi who was familiar with the sanskrit terms for yoga poses and who could grasp without seeing a visual what the instructor meant by creating an "internal space" when describing how to move into a pose.  Also, the more I listened, the more I became confused because it seemed like I was listened simply to the audio track of a DVD.  There's no way a beginner could fathom what to do or learn certain backbends from this podcast.

Another podcast, "Yoga for College Students" by yoga instructor, Chaz, is a video podcast of a large class of college students.  Chaz explains the poses well - however, I could see students in the back of the class straining to see Chaz as he gave his instructions at the front of the studio. He clearly enjoys teaching and is enthusiastic about yoga -but again, I, the non-athlete would have trouble learning the more complex poses from this video and I definitely would be lost in his class if I were seated at the back.  The size of that class was daunting. I will say that I gained some nuances from both podcasts.  However, for learning the basics, I recommend the non-athlete beginner like me stick with clear, well-laid out instructions in books or step- by -step explanations on DVDs.

Thought of the Day: "Any dog, regardless of his age can learn new tricks, as long as the instructions are clearly laid out, step-by-step."  ~Laura Venecia Rodriguez

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: Iphone Yoga Session- not for the beginner

The other day I decided to listen to and review the "Yoga Stretch" session I recently bought for 99 cents from I-tunes.  Created by Neil Harris, the 5-minute yoga session features the full lotus pose and various Warrior poses.  This is my first exposure to an I-Touch/I-Phone yoga application.  The graphics are esthetically appealing.  You have the option to listen to audio instructions with each pose which move rapidly.  I noticed an odd "typing" sound in the background - I have no idea what that was.

In short, I this particular I-Phone yoga application is likely helpful for the yogi who has already learned or been exposed to the poses and wants a quick refresher while on the road.  However, because the audio instructions are rapid and not broken down into details, the yoga newbie might not find this program too helpful.

Though of the Day:  "To teach yourself hatha yoga, you need clear, easy to follow, step-by-step instructions."~Laura Venecia Rodriguez