As any of my regular blog readers already know, I love yoga!
I've been practising hatha yoga (the physical branch) on and off for over 20 years. Yoga has helped me in so many ways and continues to do so.
In addition to the significant physical benefits of a regular yoga practise including: increased flexibility, better breathing, improved balance and overall fitness; yoga also makes me feel calmer, more focused and even more creative. Big benefits and for such a small commitment of time.
I took yoga classes for many years and practised on my own at home, doing the same routines. But sometimes it's nice to have a DVD to follow along with and recently I found out about a wonderful yoga series:
Prime of Life Yoga was developed with people over 40 to 70ish in mind. As Larry Payne says, this is a large group of the population that is under served in so many ways, including when it comes to fitness.
But IMO, this series is for everyone at any age, who want to explore all the long-term benefits of a regular yoga practise. So many people still think that yoga is only for the young and flexible and not something to even consider starting to do, later in life. NOT true!
Yoga is a great way to improve your overall fitness and sense of well-being at any age. Yes, if you've never practised yoga before, if you have physical issues....you need to be careful, especially when you begin. Check with a trusted health care professional if you have any concerns.
And don't expect headstands that first week. ;<)
On the plus side it is amazing what can be accomplished, if you stick with it.
After a long hiatus, I got back to yoga practise a few months ago and to begin with, it was hard to do even simple poses. I felt stiff, had some aches and pains...I was discouraged how much "ground" I had lost when it came to my overall flexibility.
But after a few weeks of perseverance, I not only got back to where I was previously with my yoga practise, I started to progress too. And a big part of that continued improvement is thanks to Larry Payne's excellent yoga DVD series.
I use the Immune Booster Level One DVD on an almost daily basis and it is so enjoyable and rewarding.
- Larry does a great job explaining each yoga pose thoroughly and in an easy to understand way.
- The pace is slow and relaxed throughout.
- The woman who demonstrates the poses in the DVD has a lovely, peaceful countenance and moves through the poses with grace and expertise.
- Background music is soothing and calming and believe me, this is an important consideration when choosing a yoga DVD. Some of them leave a lot to be desired in this respect.
- Larry narrates the DVD and again, gentle and soothing, when it comes to his voice and how he speaks.
The Immune Booster Level Two DVD is more advanced. I've used it a couple of times already and found it a bit challenging right now. But I am working towards using this one on a regular basis too.
Yoga is not about being competitive. As Larry so wisely says: "challenge yourself, don't strain yourself".
But I do like to feel like I'm progressing when it comes to all my fitness pursuits and to be able to follow the Level Two DVD is one of my goals.
If you've never practised yoga before or perhaps like me, have been on a hiatus from it for a long time, I recommend starting with The Classic Beginner's Program from the Prime of Life series.
This is a gentle and easy way to ease into yoga practise and again, each pose is explained in a clear and concise way.
Dr. Larry Payne is a renowned yoga expert and has been an inspiration to thousands of people wanting to improve their overall fitness and well-being with yoga, for many years. You can read more about Larry's work, including classes, DVD's and watch several excellent informational videos at his website: Samata.Yoga.
Yoga means union.
If you've been feeling a lack of harmony and well-being in your life, you might want to give yoga a try. The overall benefits might astound you.
Yoga really is like nothing else. It's had a profound and positive long-term impact in my life.
Namaste!
Overall rating for these products: Excellent. 5 out of 5.
