A.M. and P.M. Yoga

Review by Todd W. G. Johnson for A.M. and P.M. Yoga
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I purchased this DVD shortly after beginning a regular Yoga class, so that I would be able to practice at home in my spare time. At first, I found this DVD to be a little too easy, in contrast with the class, but over time have grown to love it. I usually skip the relaxation part (at the beginning) and go right into the A.M. Yoga with Rodney Yee. Not only is the music soothing to the ear, but Rodney’s voice is very calming and his nearly-naked body is in perfect shape. The A.M. portion features several stretches that really “wake up” the body and prepare it for the day ahead. His focus on the lower body (especially the part where he uses the strap) really works wonders. The P.M. section, with Patricia Walden is a little more difficult, but just as effective.
The beauty of this DVD is, that the workouts are short, and therefore much easier to fit in to a busy schedule than some of the other 70 minute Yoga DVDs out there. If you have never done Yoga before, I believe that this would be the perfect place to start. Warning: It can be addictive. I now almost suffer from withdrawl if I go too long without doing some kind of Yoga on a regular basis.
This DVD is considered a beginner’s workout, which means the poses are not too complicated and are held for very short periods of time. Once you have mastered a DVD like this, try Rodney Yee’s intermediate DVDs. Then you will explore much more difficult poses, held for longer periods of time, which can be very challenging. With both intermediate & beginner’s Yoga, it is very rewarding to find that poses that seem initially impossible become easy with continued practice (and patience).
I have since purchased several other Yoga DVDs and Videos, and must admit that the A.M. Yoga workout is still the one I do the most. If your life is full of stress, pop in A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners and melt the tension away. Namaste.

Review by Beth Cholette for A.M. and P.M. Yoga
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This DVD contains two excellent yoga practices which are perfect for virtually all levels of yoga practitioners, particularly advanced beginners to intermediates. Although both practices are labelled as being 20 minutes long, the actual time varies a bit: AM Yoga has a 4-minute breathing exercise followed by a 12-minute yoga program, and PM Yoga is approximately 24 minutes. Although both of these programs are probably doable to those new to yoga, they do assume some prior familiarity with the poses (total yoga newbies will find Yoga Journal’s Yoga Practice for Beginners to be an excellent place to start). I have been practicing yoga for several years and am now at an intermediate level, but I continue to use both of these practices on a regular basis.

AM Yoga provides a practice so gentle that I’ve frequently performed it upon first waking up and while still in my pajamas. The simple breathing exercise helps your mind to focus, and then the basic twists and other poses which follow help your body to awaken. The practice is led by Rodney Yee, an excellent instructor who provides flawless cuing and who has an extremely calm, soothing voice–ideal for anyone who is not a morning person! PM Yoga is a very nice practice for winding down, relaxing, and stretching. It also begins with a short focus on breathing, encouraging you to turn your attention inward “where it’s quiet.” The practice moves from a seated to a kneeling position and also includes traditional standing poses such as a warrior and lunges. This is a great end-of-day workout or a quick practice to fit in anytime you need to relax. Patricia Walden is also a very good instructor, but her cuing is not quite as accurate as Rodney’s.

Overall, I highly recommended this DVD as an essential component of your yoga home practice collection.

Review by YogaKat for A.M. and P.M. Yoga
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I practice yoga every morning and evening, so I’m always looking for new practices. This one has beautiful scenery and music, but I didn’t care for the AM practice. In the AM practice Rodney Yee barely hold the poses and it ends up being a very short. It would be a much better if he held the poses, even for a couple of seconds. This would also extend the length of the practice. He also starts with lying down relaxation, which I think is not necessary in the morning (I just wanted to go back to sleep). On one of the other reviews the person suggests switching the AM and PM practice, so maybe that would work better.

The PM practice is very good and you could do this one either in the morning or the evening. The poses are held for a bit longer than the AM routine.

You also get a short instruction on the DVD on how to use props and again a very short practice with the props. Also, the DVD has very good menu interface, so that’s a plus. You can pick and choose which workout and which segment you’d like to use.

If you’re looking for a really good AM practice, I would suggest Yoga for Surfers. It’s my favorite! If you’re looking for a good all around Yoga DVD, try Yoga of Urban Living. See my other reviews on yoga DVDs for more information. Namaste.