Product Description

In addition to stretching, meditation and stress reduction, yoga has many therapeutic benefits including the power to help you naturally lose wieght and keep it off. Led by acclaimed yoga instructor Suzanne Deason, Living Arts' "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss" accommodates all levels of fitness and flexibility by offering four levels of modification. With a click of a button, you can access any level workout fully modified, partially modified, slightly modified and full postures and receive more detailed instruction on the most challenging poses. Committing to follow this 45-minute program of safe, natural weight loss methods can help you start looking and feeling great in no time! Four 45-minute workout variations give you room to improve your level of fitness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3906 in DVD
• Brand: DEASON,SUZANNE
• Published on: 2006
• Released on: 2000-06-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 240 minutes

Amazon.com
Title notwithstanding, Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss isn't likely to promote weight loss any more than lots of other videos will. But that's not a knock--it merely reflects the fact that anyone who practices yoga regularly and conscientiously can both shave off some extra pounds and significantly reshape his or her body. With four different instructors simultaneously demonstrating a single program, each providing different modifications of the same poses, Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss delivers a thorough, well-organized practice that can be undertaken by users at all levels of experience, fitness, and flexibility. After a gradual warm-up sequence, Suzanne Deason and her fellow instructors lead you through a series of standing asanas, back and forward bends, twists, and so on, with the proper technique and function of each pose explained clearly and concisely. The result is a workout that's challenging but not overwhelming and that should stand up to plenty of repeated use. All in all, another good offering from Living Arts. --Kelly Welldon

DVD features
Living Arts's Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss is a fantastic example of how DVD features can be used to enhance a workout program. The same workout is presented five different ways, and you may choose the combined (which shows all four modifications), complete, slightly modified, partially modified, or fully modified program. The four modifications each focus on a different instructor, and the audio instruction explains the specific moves for each level. At any point during the 45-minute workout, you can press the "angle" key on your remote to switch to a different modification level, enabling you to get the best workout you can without straining yourself. In addition, at times a small "personal instructor" icon will appear in the lower right corner of the screen. By pressing enter, the program switches to instructor Suzanne Deason in the yoga studio who carefully explains how to do the pose. Each of these poses are explained based on the level you are watching (for example, at the fully modified level, Deason will demonstrate the pose using bricks or straps). All in all this is an excellent use of DVD features and a great way to grow with a yoga program. --Jenny Brown

From the back cover
In addition to stretching, meditation, and stress reduction, yoga has many therapeutic benefits--including the power to help you naturally lose weight and keep it off.

Led by acclaimed yoga instructor Suzanne Deason, Living Arts Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss accommodates all levels of fitness and flexibility by offering four levels of modification. With a click of a button, you can access any level workout--fully modified, partially modified, slightly modified, and full postures--and receive more detailed instruction on the most challenging poses. Committing to follow this 45-minute program of safe, natural weight loss methods can help you start looking and feeling great in no time! Total Content Time: 4 hours

• Four 45-minute workout variations give you room to improve your level of fitness.
• Angle feature allows you to choose your workout level during the program.
• Personal Instructor lets you access detailed instruction on more challenging poses using a simple on-screen icon. Chapter Search lets you quickly navigate each workout segment.
• Bonus 16-page full-color "Exercise, Nutrition and Weight Management Guide" helps you integrate this workout into a more complete weight loss program.

About the Instructor: Suzanne Deason has been practicing yoga for more than 35 years. She became interested in yoga through books and TV when she was nine years old. Soon after, she began formal yoga training in the iyengar tradition, an in-depth, alignment-oriented style that builds a strong foundation for understanding the biomechanics and purpose of each pose. Borrowing from the ashtanga tradition, she incorporates the flowing or "vinyasa" style of yoga into her precise, instructional teaching to give the student an experience of yoga by uniting the mind, body, and breath. She believes that as we move our bodies from pose to pose and breath to breath, yoga sharpens our awareness of each moment and each sensation. It is this focus that unclutters the mind and cleanses the body, leaving us with a fresh, rejuvenated soul. Suzanne has been teaching yoga for 10 years in northern California.

Customer Reviews

Yoga in Nature
The stunning beauty of the red rocks and panoramas of Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona Arizona makes this video one of the most beautiful yoga workouts to date! The blue mats are just striking against the background and that makes this quite visually pleasing.

If you love exercising in the evening, this workout is perfect to promote a general feeling of well-being and relaxation. Suzanne Deason has created a calming escape you can enjoy for 45 minutes.

While I can't say for sure that you will lose weight while using this particular video, I know you can condition your body with Yoga and Pilates.

I like the combination and have many DVDs and videos. So, I recommend this in addition to all the other workouts you own. Variety seems essential in keeping us all motivated!

The theory behind this workout is that yoga can be used for therapeutic applications. Being overweight has a lot to do with an imbalance in your body's physiology and an internal disconnection between the mind and body.

If you think about when you overeat it might be when you are feeling stressed. It is much easier to keep to your healthy nutrition plan when you feel calm and in control. I also have come to believe that when we are stressed, our bodies pack on the pounds.

So, this workout gives a calmness to your being and in this way you help to control the bodies healing process.

There are four workout levels:

Complete Workout - For anyone who has experience in yoga. All you need is a yoga mat.
Slightly Modified (1/4) - To build strength and stamina.
Partially Modified (1/2) - When your flexibility improves.
Fully Modified - If you have tight hips or hamstrings, you can use a strap, bricks
and a blanket.

All the workouts contain a 10 minute "Body and Breath" warm-up section to loosen the muscles and heat the core. The breathing cues are excellent and you will find yourself enjoying the deep cleansing breaths.

This is followed by "Active Yoga Conditioning." A mirror behind you is helpful at first until you learn to moves. Or you can just do some backwards and still see the screen. Many of the poses where chosen with larger bodies in mind. This is great for people who are just starting yoga. You will notice that three of the instructors are definitely more like the "normal size" woman.

It was comforting to me to see women who modified various poses as I often have to. Instead of feeling like I could not do the poses, I felt I was reaching a level that was comfortable for me. You may also find you can do some of the poses from the advanced level and some from the modified. You feel so proud of yourself when you can finally feel comfortable doing most of the advanced poses.

Finally you enter the 14 minute cool down phase called: "Balance and Relaxation."

During the workout you might notice a Personal Instructor Icon. On my DVD control I had to select the "ok" to get this feature to work. There is also a nice way to get to various workout levels. You just press the "angle" button.

Once you watch the complete workout/combination workout, you can then figure out which level you are at. After watching the combined workout, you will more than likely enjoy just working out with one instructor. You have the choice of four instructors.

I find that my yoga and Pilates workout "moments" have become so healing and nurturing. If you wish to make your setting even more comfortable and are familiar with yoga, I would recommend a nice duvet/comforter covered in a soft fabric. Once folded in half, this gives you a nice soft padded space on which you can place your yoga mat, etc. If you need props, there is information in the pamphlet that is included with the DVD.

Think of exercise as your own private mini-vacation and suddenly exercise is something you start to look forward to. You could also walk for 30 minutes before starting these exercises or walk in the morning and do this video at night.

An exercise program for the entire mind/body/spirit connection. The 16-page full-color pamphlet also contains a mini-nutrition guide, tips on healthy eating and a weight management guide.

Develops concentration, patience, body awareness, muscle tone and a sense of emotional calm.

If you are new to Yoga, this might be the best place to start. I can also recommend "Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss" with Suzanne Deason.

~The Rebecca Review

I really love this video!
My first experience with yoga was the Jane Fonda yoga workout. There were a lot of positions that were hurting my knees. In addition, I really was not getting anything out of it at all. Though yoga is not necessarily supposed to be aerobic exercise, if you don't have to work at all you won't get anything out of it. I recently started taking a yoga class, and when I did this video for the first time, the pace and some of the positions were similar to what was done in my class. This reassured me that the makers really knew what they were doing. It provides good deal of work in both stregnth and flexibility, but at the same time, there are four levels so that ou will never have to push yourself too far or risk injury. This video leaves me feeling great and I really recommend it!

Safe, Effective, Challenging
This is a great Yoga DVD. I would not recommend the tape as the DVD has tons of special features that allow you to not only learn each pose as you go through the workout, but also allows you to choose which level you would like to practice. Its not nearly as rigorous as Living Arts' Power Yoga series, but I like this pace a lot better because its easier for beginners to follow. "Beginner" in yoga does not necessarily mean someone who's never taken a yoga class before. Remeber, beginner in Power Yoga means someone who can balance on their hands with their feet crossed in the air!

I've been reading some of these comments that say this workout is hard to follow because Deason does not offer instructions on how to move in and out of the poses. Well, there's a little feature called "Personal Instructor" which you can turn on to interrupt the workout and show you the pose. This feature is clearly discussed in the instructions on how to use this DVD.

Give it time and learn all the cool features about this DVD. I"ve managed to lose some weight using this DVD and basically nothing else. I used to wake up and do Tae Bo or some other aerobics. Yeah, I lost weight... but I've also lost wieght doing yoga and I find that I've gained a greater focus even though I do not practice meditation.

I recommend this DVD. Its challenging, but don't let that stop you. And READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before you just press play on your DVD.