Sara Ivanhoe's Yoga Body Makeover Series

This is a great work out DVD. I enjoy Sara Ivanhoe as a yoga instructor & have a couple of her DVDs. This one has 2 discs with 6 different 20 minute workouts that are targeted towards different sections of the body. I like that if I'm pressed for time or not really feeling like exercising I can pop this in and do a quick 20 minute segment but still feel like I got a decent work out. Or if I'm feeling like a more vigourous work out I'll do a couple of these work outs or include one with other exercises. You get a nice mix of yoga with some more pilates type work too for the core. The workouts are easy to follow but don't get boring after you've done them multiple times. I can't stand when work out & yoga DVDs move too quick and don't give me time to get into the pose or feel the effects, this one does not do that but it does not drag on either. The On the Ball Yoga bonus section is a little longer (I think) but really gives you a good toning work out. I found the ball work to be good for opening my hips too.

I love everything Sara Ivanhoe does. If you're not familiar with her she's very "normal" no talk of traveling to India, or how Yoga is her life. Her workouts would be comparable to Denise Austin, however I'm more partial to Sara's personality.I have been working out regularly for years, doing Yoga intermittently.Typically I wouldn't want a 20 minute Yoga class. I've always done classes that were a minimum of an hour. However it's very easy to put a couple of the workouts together without too much repetition.Each segment is pretty fast paced. The set is beautiful. It looks like they are on one of the beaches in Southern California, however they are in the grassy area but you still see the water in the background.As with her other videos, Sara gives you good pointers without too much detail. None of the poses are too advanced, but there is enough variety that even an intermediate person wouldn't be bored. You move very quickly from pose to pose. The point of these workouts is not to hold the poses but to keep moving to keep your heartrate up.The workout with weights really isn't going to tone the individual muscle groups unless you're totally out of shape, but the weight gives you enough added resistance to feel like you've got a good workout after 20 minutes.The bonus workout on the ball is fantastic. It's much longer and is more of a full body workout. ( By the way, this is the same workouts that are sold individually or as a boxed set.. they are titled differently, and promoted for losing weight. The background on the box/covers is white. This is just a better deal because they are all combined here in one two DVD set at a lower price with the added bonus workout.)

I just love this yoga workout video.The 1st one I ordered, and used so much got scratched, so I had to order a second one. Amazon your profits are going up on me. :-)That tells you how much I prefer this Yoda DVD.Its the one I use most often.I like the instructor.I like the length of each of the segments. 20 minutes.I like the quality of the scenes and most of all the instruction.There are modifications at various points, and I don't feel guilty if I can't wrap my foot behind my head 3 times.Sara is REAL. While she looks like a model, she doesn't try to have you exercise like you're a model or have been doing yoga for 15 years.For those who think its too short? This is probably not the video for you and Sara clearly tells you this up front. She says if you only have 20 minutes, then this is the workout for you. If your life permits you to have hours of yoga practicing time, then at least you've got options to combine the workarounds. Its difficult to shorten a 1 hour DVD workout to 20 minutes. I've tried it disrupts the flow.Sara obviously has worked with a lot of different people in different stages of their yoga fitness. (read stiffness) And seems to know just what to tell me when I'm in that half moon pose about to fall over, or if my head will not go all the way to the floor on the straddle forward bend and tells me no one cares. That's what I need to hear.So if you want a down to earth workout, with good instructions, and you can't put your nose on your toes, and your goal in life is not to be come a swami, this is the yoga DVD workout for you.When my back yells out, "... you haven't been exercising, get your butt to the mat" this is the workout of choice, actually I just leave it in the DVD player. Saves time. I've only got 20 minutes!

I'm very disappointed in this 2 disc DVD. All of the routines (except two) I already have on single DVD's called 20 minute workouts. Had the description on the back of this 2 disc DVD indicated thus I would not have wasted my time (and money).

I have been looking for a good yoga series that will challenge me by working different sets of muscles in each one. I get bored if I do the same video repeatedly, so I figured I would give it a try. I absolutely love it! Sarah is an excellent teacher, VERY easy to follow, very precise in what to do and how to do it. She knows just when to remind you to breathe and loosen the jaw (when it is getting tough!) and is a very comforting guide. It is a little like working out with a friend.Pros:1) excellent instruction in breathing and explaining the poses2) 6 different workouts that each work a different part of the body - doesnt get boring too fast3) not a whole lot of "cosmic" yoga - mostly focuses on the workout4) workouts are only 20 minutes long, but you can easily go from one workout to another and change up the routine to keep it interesting.5) great price!Cons:1)Workouts are too short to do just one. To get a full workout, you would have to do at least two of them.2) You have to sit through the introduction at the beginning of every workout... cant just skip straight to the workout3) The Abs workout isn't nearly as good as I was hoping...This is the best yoga DVD that I have come across so far. Excellent for beginners and the poses can easily be made more difficult if you are closer to intermediate.

I have other Yoga DVD's with Sara Ivanhoe as the instructor so I knew I was getting something I would love. The varied is great on these DVD's with 2 discs of different yoga classes. Sara is great at giving instruction while still keeping me relaxed or motivated to complete the whole session. The DVD also arrived in record time :)

このDVDは"20 Minute Yoga Makeover"シリーズをすべてまとめて2枚のDVDに収めたものです。それぞれのプログラムに加え、バランスボールを使ったプログラムもおまけで入っています。1枚ずつ購入したり、5枚セットになったものを購入することを考えている人は、入手できるならこちらのほうがよいでしょう。インストラクターの魅力だけで評価するなら、このDVDはA+です。サラ・アイヴァンホーはかわいいし、好感も持てるし、何よりもスタイルが抜群です。最初見たときから、「彼女のような体になりたい！」と憧れています。骨格と顔という問題はさておき、彼女のようになれるなら努力は惜しまない、という気になれます。初心者だったわたしは、なぜかいつも上半身裸の男性のヨガインストラクターはちょっとご勘弁を、ということで、女性のインストラクターに絞ってヨガDVDを探していました。でも、それもなかなか難しい。ようやく見つけたサラ・アイヴァンホーは、ヨガのインストランクターにありがちな筋張った体でもなく、ロハスというかニューエイジというかビーガンっぽい雰囲気を醸し出すでもなく、またまた躁状態にあるとしか思えないようなフィットネストレーナーとも違って、普通に明るくかわいらしく、適度に引き締まった筋肉がついた体をしています。調べてみると、どうやらショービズの世界に入りかけたこともあったようです。納得。しかし、このDVDのエクササイズをするだけで彼女のようになれるか、というと絶対無理です。本当のヨガというよりは、ヨガを基本にした、相当運動不足の人々を対象にしたエクササイズのようです。わたしもかなりの運動不足でしたが、もともとそれほど太っていたわけでもなく、体がひどく硬いわけでもなかったので、ほぼすべて2回目くらいから指示通りのことができてしまいました。従って、すぐにより難度の高い次のDVDを探すことになってしまいました。まだシリアスなヨガDVDが怖い、激しい運動ができない人にお勧めです。