AM/PM Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss provides three short yoga practices (AM, PM, and a bonus practice) that are especially appropriate for someone just starting out with yoga, but more experienced yogis looking for some shorter, basic practices are likely to enjoy these as well. Although the workouts in and of themselves are unlikely to provide weight loss, instructor Suzanne Deason makes a point of saying (both on the DVD itself and in the helpful included leaflet) that these practices form just a part of an overall weight loss program that would also include healthy eating and other fitness activities.

All three practices are filmed in beautiful outdoor settings, and for both the AM and the PM workouts, there is a list of poses included in the accompanying leaflet. The AM practice begins and ends in hero's pose (which I believe she calls "seated warrior"). It focuses on gentle opening of all areas of the body through lunges, standing poses, twists, and finally, simple core work and backbends; two yoga bricks are used to allow greater access to the postures. The PM practice also uses props, this time a yoga wedge and strap (substitutions can be made for these). It starts with some nice shoulder openers using the strap and then includes just a few standing postures such as downward dog, lunge, and wide-legged forward bend. However, the focus of this practice is on seated forward bends, which are supposed to be calming, and so you will do a variety of these before ending in relaxation pose. The AM and the PM workouts come in at just under 25 minutes each.

The bonus workout, Breathwork Through Yoga, is a bit shorter (about 22 minutes). This time, Deason does not use any props (although she reminds you of how you can use them as in the other programs if you wish), and she places a greater emphasis on the breath while moving through the postures, with the practice beginning and ending in a seated meditation. She again leads a brief series of standing poses--pyramid pose is included this time, and the wide-legged standing forward bend is especially nice--moves to kneeling for gate pose, and then moves to the floor for both backbends and core work. The most challenging poses included in this practice are probably bow pose and a boat pose variation; therefore, it has a higher difficultly level than the other two practices but would still be very doable for experienced beginners. A final bonus on the DVD is an approximately 7-minute interview with Suzanne Deason during which she explains the rationale behind each of the workouts.

Overall, this DVD provides some excellent practice experiences for those new to yoga as well as offers options for the more experienced yoga practitioner.

Instructor Comments:
Suzanne Deason is a marvel--it's amazing how beautifully graceful and fit she is, especially for her age (around 60? the interview said she'd been practicing yoga for 35 years, I think). She has such a gentle, calm manner, and she offers excellent voiceover instruction. Her form pointers are very good, but she does not perform mirrored cueing.

Beth C (aka toaster)