Om Yoga In a Box, Intermediate Level (audio)

Cyndi Lee
Year Released: 2001

Categories: Yoga
- Audio Workout


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1. Opening gong :16
2. Introduction 3:04
3. Warm up 13:59
4. Surya Namaskar & other standing poses 18:38
5. Standing & seated poses, twisting, headstand & backbending 26:49
6. Relaxation 8:32
7. Closing gong :18
Total 71:49

Fabulous music, and comes with another CD which is music only which I play a lot! Also comes with a yoga strap, incense and holder, and a tea candle, plus 75 yoga flash cards with a photo on one side and a drawing on the other with the name of the pose in English and Sanskrit, plus the benefits of the pose. All in all, a very good deal, especially from Amazon.

Right, I tried this last night and really liked it. I just reviewed Tranquil Space with Kimberly Wilson - as noted, I am probably intermediate level. This is an easier going and slower moving vinyasa flow practice, no way as vigorous as Tranquil Space. Whearas TS takes it for granted that you can do a full chatturanga (I can't, always modify to doing it on my knees, or do knees, chest, chin) this doesn't. Just goes to show that intermediate does not always mean the same thing! It is also slightly more woo woo as some people would put it - I like it very much, but some might not. There's a little om chanting, not much. On a comparison basis, much less woo woo than Yoga Chants by Shiva Rea. All very doable, and she is very encouraging. She actually teaches jump backs and jump forwards, lowering in chatturanga, and details slowly how to transition from seated poses by crossing the ankles and rocking forwards on the hands. The only thing I don't do in this is the full headstand, but she gives a very useful exercise for working up to it - the dolphin wave. She also teaches windshield wipers, a new one for me, which I really like.

A great set. I actually ordered her book on the strength of this box set.

Instructor Comments:
Excellent instruction, great cueing, adds in a little touch of humour every now and again with little stories and words like stairmistress.... mellow voice too which is always a plus.

Francesca

04/14/2003

disc 1: om yoga instructional cd total running time 72:31

1. warm up 20:59 (geez this is usually my entire yoga time!)
2. sun salutatuion 10:16
3. standing poses 9:40
4. seated poses 15:26
5. backbending 5:44
6. finishing poses 4:45(I skipped these!)
7. relaxation 5:16

the 2nd cd is music and has several tracks and is 55:28 total.

the cds are in a booklet that gives some suggested practices:

short practice one 50:41 (amazing what some consider 'short'!)
track 1 warmup
track 3 standing poses
track 4 seated poses
track 5 backbending
track 7 relaxation

short practice two 46:45
track 1 warmup
track 4 seated poses
track 5 backbending
track 7 relaxation

short practice three 35:02
track 2 sun salutations
track 4 seated poses
track 5 backbending
track 7 relaxation

very short or brand new beginner 26:15
track 1 warmup
track 2 relaxation (now we're talking!)

This comes in a box with cards and a itty bitty candle/incense that I dont' really care about! I think from what I've skimmed through that you're supposed to pull out the card for the track you're doing and follow along then put them aside and pull out the next cards.

The cards have stick figure sketches on one side and a real person on the other.

warmup - easy pose, arms/breathing, simple twist,spiral arms, cat/cow on hands and knees, downdog,downdog variation,child's pose/extended child's pose, plank, pushup(their fancy words for it but looks like a pushup no matter what they call it) but goes into baby cobra, standing forward bend,mountain pose

sun salutes - pretty much same as other sun salutations, one card gives expanded version on one side

standing poses - tree, legs apart, warrior 1, 2, extended side angle

seated poses - staff,boat (with variations),knee to head (looks like one leg straight/one bent and bending down)also strap variation,seated forward bend,tabletop(beats me why this is seated?), spinal twist with one leg straight one bent towards chest, thunderbolt pose, shoulder stretch with belt(looks like she goes over head and back and forth or something) cow face arms(mercifully the legs stay in thunderbolt!),eagle arms seated,

back bends: locust, bow,half wheel (looks like bridge to me) windshield wipers (looks like knees bent with feet on floor and turning them side to side)

finishing poses: plow pose(card shows a variation with a chair that I still will be hard pressed to do!),supported shoulder stand, fish

final relaxation: corpse(shows a bolster), rolling to right side, easy pose

sounds interesting and the cards are really cute! it's easier to see the pose looking at the 'real person' though. and the cards also say what the pose helps with, like digestion, etc.

overall I liked it. I did skip the finishing poses...I attempted them but there's no way in he** my legs and fat butt were going up behind my head...too heavy and not much flexibility in the shoulders/neck..I felt it in my neck even with the blanket and just felt like it was too much.

overall I would not call this beginners level (beginner to exercise, esp upper body strength) except for her suggestion in the cd holder/booklet to just do the warmup and relaxation then add the standing and seated before the relaxation. the warm up does not go through each pose once..the cow/cat/downward dog/childspose are done like a mini-sun salutation that was nice but still enough for a beginner. I think an absolute beginner would give up on the sun salutations unless they're fairly strong. I did ok but am not very good at the pushup chataranga thing even though she does go down to the knees first. first she does the s un salutations without the pushup..just arms overhead, forward bend, right leg back, left leg back to downdog rightleg back front and step together forward bend then back up..then repeats using other leg first. later she adds the plank, pushup,etc. between the warmup and salutations there are a ton of downward facing dogs. standing poses she doesn't just hold the warriors.she breathes and moves back and forth in them..example: warrior 2 exhale and straighten inhale bend back into the pose then goes into ext right angle then does the series on the other side. the seated poses were nice I thought..i used the strap for sure. hers is one of the best explanations on how to get into eagle arms I think I've ever heard. cow face threw me til I saw the cards and understood...that description wasn't so great for me! finishing poses I skipped. relaxation was pretty nice but short in my opinion for the amount of work involved! oh, she starts and ends sort of 'woo woo' with the 'om' sound..my dogs went nutso with it, but I found it nice at the end..guess i got used to it. also, she talks through the entire workout but in a calm voice...something about a nonsexual quiver I think she said once and hug your legs together but not like a great aunt...the words uncool and some others that I wouldn't expect to hear in a yoga workout that's 'serious' but overall I did like this one and I would order the intermediate one if I thought I could do it...was pretty upset I couldn't do the finishing poses ..sigh..but I'll get there! I have her 2nd book and the first one ordered as well as some other yoga books so hopefully I can figure out other modifications for those poses and build up to them. anyways, the entire practice I feel is too long for a beginner to exercise but doing the warmup and drop out the finishing poses and maybe the sun salutations and you have a nice practice that is still fairly long. this is the 2nd yoga I've tried with just a cd and no video(did have the cards though and for the seated poses and backbends i did lay out the ones I thought I'd need to refer to). the other was morning cup of yoga. I found this one very easy to follow along with except for the cowface arms explanation!

Instructor Comments:
Nice voice. this is a cd set so no video to watch. she uses a littel 'woo woo' and a lot of words like 'uncool', etc that make this seem more 'real'. she does talk throughout the entire practice if this bothers you, but no laughing, giggling, etc. very even voice and understandable. very encouraging too.

Susanna Smith

01/19/2005