I have been curious about yoga for years now, but it wasn’t until I got a yoga DVD for cyclists that I actually did any regular yoga routines. Because of that, I may have missed some of the basics of yoga, so I’m thrilled to test out this DVD called Yoga for Beginners.

The first thing I noticed (aside from host Patricia Walden’s picture on the cover) was the little guidebook that came with the DVD. It provides about 38 pages of instruction for the yoga poses. For each pose, you’ll learn what parts of your body to drop and which to lift, what you should be feeling, and what to watch out for. It even tells you the benefits of each pose.

Let me stress that this guide was great. Maybe you can get good instruction online for free, but I thoroughly enjoyed this pocket-size guide.

After studying the guide, I moved on to the DVD. Let me start out by saying that this DVD can be a terrible experience or a great one. It depends on what you use to watch it. If you are watching on your TV with a normal DVD player, you should be fine - just be sure you know how to work your remote control. If you are using a computer, DO NOT use Windows Media Player to watch this. Somehow it manages to ruin every single menu and send you to places you don’t want to go! Download VLC media player instead. It works very well, and it’s free.

First off, there were six minutes of ads at the beginning of the DVD for the company that produced it. You’ll have to fast-forward through that every single time you watch it. (Although VLC media player magically skips the ads on its own!)

After skipping the ads, I was presented with a nice desert scene where the instructor was doing various yoga poses. That is just an introduction and then you are taken to the main menu. The main menu is pretty clear, but getting into the routines requires clicking a few more buttons than I would have liked.

Let’s look at each menu option…

Yoga For Beginners Practice. This is a basic practice routine that takes you through a variety of yoga poses. It’s a nice routine with a good deal of instruction, making this a very good DVD for beginners. It’s even a good complement to more advanced DVDs (like Cyclo-Zen) because it provides clear instructions that others DVDs leave out.

What I didn’t like was their use of a green screen background to do a crazy blue and purple background. It’s like being in outer space or a time warp, not in a peaceful yoga setting. There were also a few camera angle switches at inopportune times, hindering my ability to fully understand each pose.

Beginner’s Pose Guide. This section is like the print manual, but with video instructions for each pose. It’s probably best to start with this section and learn each pose before getting into one of the routines.

Workout Guidelines. This is just one of those screens warning you to be careful when starting an exercise routine.

Special Features. There are two basic features here. One is an interview with Patricia Walden, and the other is a nice yoga routine that takes place outdoors on a sunny day. It’s a good routine, especially when you’re stuck inside on cold winter day!

To finish up on a positive vibe…

This DVD is certainly for beginners, as the title states. It serves as an introduction to yoga (it has plenty of advice for getting into certain poses) and it has a couple routines that will get you comfortable moving between poses. It is also much cheaper than hiring a personal trainer to teach you the moves!

My final verdict is…

For just $10, this DVD can’t be beat. I highly recommend it if you are totally new to yoga, especially if plan on doing the Cyclo-Zen program sometime. (Although if you are not a beginner, this DVD will be pretty boring.)

Start with the booklet and then the DVD, and you’ll be well on your way to advanced yoga routines.

Just remember, do not view it with Windows Media Player! (And do be careful if you are new at this. All those health warnings are on there for a reason.)

There are numerous benefits to yoga, such as increased flexibility, reduced stress, and better circulation. There is also the satisfaction of working your way up to more advanced poses. But there is at least one more benefit not on that list…

As Will Ferrell demonstrates, three years of yoga can lead to wonderful results! (The video is a little on the NSFW side…)

So if any macho “manly men” laugh at your yoga routines, just show them this video and they’ll understand.

I just read one of Graeme Street’s e-mails, where he mentions the doctor that likes Cyclo-Core and is recommending it to his patients. In the audio, the doc says he is expecting big improvements in his cycling this season.

Well so am I, nothing special there! (If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll remember that I only did a couple rides in January but I felt better than I did during the peak of last season, before I had tried Cyclo-Core.)

But it gave me a great idea - I can continue my training regimen of Core and Zen workouts without bothering to ride. Why? Well, aside from the fact that I am sort of burnt out on riding, this will be a great test:

How good will I be in my races next year if I don’t do much riding beforehand?

I’m sure I’ll do some riding, but in general, my riding time will be very limited compared to last season. Especially since I have to concentrate on graduating from college!

Those are three of the trends in the active.com article I mentioned yesterday. Sounds good, considering everyone is crunched for time these days and is looking for a good workout in not a lot of time. And avoiding crowded gyms is definitely a plus!

Once I thought about it, I have that those trends taken care of since I have Graeme Street’s programs, Cyclo-Core and Cyclo-Zen. Core is filled with functional workouts while Zen has a few yoga-based workouts. Best of all, you can do them at home in about 30 minutes.

They’re hard though. If you don’t believe me, read the whole review and watch the video: Cyclo-Core review

After a few months with just Cyclo-Core, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Cyclo-Zen. (I have Speed too, which will be reviewed next month…)

I wasn’t really sure what to expect since I never did yoga. I had an idea of a few yoga poses, but that was about it. Not that it really mattered, because Graeme’s workout programs are on a whole new level.

I mean, I thought I was pretty good at calisthenics and all that. But Cyclo-Core kicked my butt!

So at least this time I wasn’t expecting to breeze through anything! I was looking forward to the chair position and other “mental toughness” exercises though. I guess I was looking for a new challenge, and I had wanted to try yoga anyway. All the magazines say it’s good

Yes, even if you have mastered Cyclo-Core, you’ll have some work to do before mastering Cyclo-Zen!

First off, what do you get?

There are two DVDs with six different workouts, and two audio CDs called “Zen and the Art of Recovery.” You have your choice of power yoga, recovery yoga, strength conditioning, flexibility training, yoga-spin intervals, and of course, the dreaded 8 Minute Power Routine!

I popped in DVD 2 and went straight for the power routine! It started with hindu squats, so I wasn’t too worried. But soon I realized that doing this stuff for 8 minutes straight was equivalent to sprinting uphill, out of the saddle, into a headwind, for 8 minutes! Not an easy task, and definitely not something to do more than twice in a row to start out!

(Just getting through the 8 minutes once is a challenge!)

[By the way, all the stuff I wrote about in the Cyclo-Core review about it being better than weight lifting and such, that all applies to this too. I just want to highlight all the extra stuff about Zen.]

So next up we have the Power Yoga. In typical Graeme Street fashion, this is hard work! You don’t work up a sweat or move quite like Cyclo-Core, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier. Some of the positions really strain you, and they will definitely make you sore the next day!

After my first attempt, I noticed my joints (especially my ankles) were sore the next day. I think that’s because of the wobbling I did trying to balance in the positions!

On that note, balance is key in these workouts! Balance, stamina, and mental focus play a huge role here. Zen will really train you in those three disciplines.

Thinking that the Recovery Yoga would be nice and easy, I tried to do that to recover from what I had just done. Well, it wasn’t that easy. I’d use it as a stand-alone workout for an easy day, but I don’t think I’d want to do right after a hard workout.

Regardless, it’s a nice addition to your arsenal of workouts. Worth noting is that you get to see a new face and hear a new voice in a couple of these workouts

But I’d have to say the best part is that feeling you get once you complete the yoga workout. It’s like this overwhelming calm comes over you and you are content to just lie on the floor for a while. It’s a little different from Cyclo-Core, where you want to party because you are finally done, but you have no option besides lying on the floor, as you’re quite worn out

Now to be honest, I haven’t even attempted the other workouts on these DVDs. With it being spring and all, I’m outside most of the time. But this gives me more new stuff to look forward to at the end of the season.

I haven’t listened to the audio CDs either, I’ve just been pretty busy. On one of these lazy summer days coming up, I’ll relax and listen to them, and report back with my findings.

Even without fully testing this product, I know what my recommendation will be. If you read the Core review, you won’t be surprised by this.

My final verdict is…

If you can only afford one of Graeme’s programs, get Core. But budget for Zen before buying any new high-tech parts! (If you’re serious about your training, you’ll quickly realize the value here.)

This is also a good buy if you just want to try out yoga. If you think of the cost of a few yoga classes, the $70 for this doesn’t seem so bad

There are some $20 yoga DVDs out there, but I can’t say for sure if they are any good or not. I decided not to bother with those once I found this.

And seriously, the 8 Minute Power Routine by itself is worth a pretty penny! So, are you mentally tough enough?

Click here to order Cyclo-Zen for yourself!

P.S. By the way, I was the president of the Babson College Cycling Club. We did a video in 2005 with Cyclo-Core, so I had some of the team get together now to try out Cyclo-Zen. That’s where the pictures came from.