mom and i did another session on the 5 day fit yoga dvd last week... but we don't know which one. it was number 5. the descriptions on the back of the dvd case aren't numbered, and once you put the dvd into the player, the menu only has numbers - no titles. we think it was the stress relief yoga. but it was more frustration than relief because we were not told of the props we needed prior to the exercise beginning. this exercise was lead by suzanne and i felt that her descriptions and reminders were very technical whereas rods were more about feeling the move and your breathing.
i was having a stressful week with exams and i did feel much better after the dvd - sometimes just getting moving is all that helps. focusing on breathing rather than what i have to study is helpful too. it was a relatively short exercises, around 25 minutes so it was perfect for quick pick me up before dinner. aside from the props and the lack of titles i still enjoyed this exercise and think its a good dvd for beginners.
here are moms thoughts on this exercise
we tried unit #5 on the 5 day fit yoga by gaiam dvd - we think it was the stress relief yoga - described as 20 minutes. unwind soothe and relax yourself with the calming workout and revitalize your mind body and spirit. props recommended yoga mat, yoga block yoga strap optional props eye pillow, wedge.
We didn't notice the props recommended or optional until after we started the dvd, and there was no mention of them at the beginning of the program, that we might want to have the strap and wedge available. This little reminder at the beginning would have been helpful, as we were 5 minutes into the dvd when we were instructed to grab the strap..... which wasn't handy at all..... stop dvd, run find strap...and start over again! 1/2 way through the dvd, when Suzanne Deason recommended we grab the wedge....which we don't have, and went on without.
Now the wedge isn't critical to the move if your low back and hips are flexible, but if you are new to yoga, they can make the difference to the both the ease of the posture, and the results. I would recommend having these two props handy.
All in all Suszanne is good at reminding us what is important about each of the postures, and to breath, there were a few postures I was not familiar with, and it did turn out that this program was 24 minutes long.
I think the lesson to be learned, is that it would be good to watch an excercise videos through the first time, so that I have realistic expectations, or just smile go with the flow, and enjoy doing what I can with each new video, and not to be too uptight about getting everything just right, after all it was a stress relief yoga dvd, and we are moving in a healthy way!
Interesting fact: the rise in obesity over the past 30 years has fallen closely inline with the decline in cooking meals at home. 
nearly a year ago my mom was diagnosed with throat cancer. the day she told us, we - as a family, took a stand against cancer. mom was the only one who could fight. everyone else could only rally - we all did what we could. i tried to use what i knew from school about nutrition and health and fitness. my sister did the ride to conquer cancer raising $4,400 to go towards research for head and throat cancers. grandma and granpa, my moms parents, came to live with my mom and bill to support in anyway they could - rides to and from the hospital, housework, and company. bill was by my moms side every step of the way, at the doctors appointments, and learning as much as he possibly could. we came together. the treatment was intense but later in the summer my mom was declared cancer free. she is a survivor. she is our hero. this is for her. for her recovery, and our journey back to a life full of health, adventure, travel, and family. xox
