Most tapes these days
aim at intermediate exercisers, the ones who know a grapevine from a box step
and a lateral raise from a biceps curl. These tapes may offer a few easier
moves here and there, but the instruction clearly is geared to people who
already know what to do.
The few tapes that
are marketed for beginners often are unspeakably repetitive, as if flabby
muscles always mean a flabby brain. And too often, they provide no way to add
extra challenge or difficulty to the routine, as if beginning exercisers are
going to remain beginners forever.
It's nice, then, to
discover Yoga Zone: Flexibility and Tone, a beginners' tape that offers the
depth of instruction and easy pace that true beginners need.
The instructor here
is Alan Finger, a genial-looking middle-aged man who wears a polo shirt,
rolled-up cotton pants and a chin-length bob. His physique is not the standard
chiseled form of exercise videos; he looks as if he might carry a few extra
pounds around the middle.
But he has a lovely
voice (with a hint of a brogue) and a calm manner, two essentials for a yoga
tape, where relaxation is key.
And he has a true
gift for instruction, combining the nuts-and-bolts details of positioning with
what it feels like to stretch and balance.
When he describes how
the muscles of the feet ought to rotate through to the little toe, you'll know
-- and be able to feel -- just what he's talking about.
But each move
contains so many of these instructions that it can be a little overwhelming to
try to master all of them at once.
If you have tried
yoga before, you'll recognize some of them -- the down-on-all-fours stretch
called the cat, the inverted V that forms the down dog, and the corpse, which
requires little more than lying flat on one's back, completely relaxed.
In another nod to
beginners, Finger also provides true modifications and tips for those who may
not be as flexible as they'd like.
Finger shows how a
folded blanket can be placed under the knees or for better support while
performing seated postures. A folded towel also is used for several poses,
although Finger doesn't announce that in advance.
The 50-minute session
ends with stretching and relaxation, set to gentle New Age music that might
lull you to sleep.
