Description

Your pregnancy, one of the most profound and transformational experiences of your life, is the time to take very special care of your baby and yourself. Practicing yoga during pregnancy can help you to become more sensitive to your body’s and your baby’s ever changing needs.In this program yoga instructor Rainbeau Mars provides a safe and effective pre-natal yoga practice that will help you to maintain a strong and centered body and mind. You will work through a sequence of postures that are not only designed to keep you happy in the moment, but also to prepare you for the experience of giving birth. Since your yoga practice during this special time will need to be adjusted depending on which trimester you are in, Rainbeau works with two assistants. Together, the three of them demonstrate how each posture should be practiced according to where you are in your pregnancy.Benefits of pre-natal yoga practice: • Increases endurance and stamina• Builds strength and flexibility• Improves concentration and breath awareness ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Great prenatal yoga video for all levels
ZenMama is a terrific prenatal yoga workout. I originally bought Yoga Mama by Crunch because of its rave reviews and also the recommendation from Fit Pregnancy magazine. I was highly disappointed due to the feeling of being rushed through the workout, not getting an adequate stretch. I felt unsatisfied after every workout and decided to purchase ZenMama.

I consider myself at an intermediate level of yoga. My personal preference of yoga video before pregnancy was Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga, level II. I say this only because everyone has a varied preference in style.

ZenMama provides great stretching, has helped me with digestion, and also keeps you in tune with your baby throughout pregnancy. It's gentle and easy to follow for beginners (with a couple of exceptions in her wording), but definately a thorough workout for all levels. Rainbow Mars has a bubbly personality that is refreshing. Those who are annoyed by it can choose to play only music throughout the workout. I've been enjoying the video 4-5 days a week for 4 months now and haven't gotten tired of it. That combined with a mile walk every day (which is really not that much) has kept my weight gain steady and minimal. I highly recommend this video to anyone who is pregnant- it will truly help you through your 9 months.

yuk, instructor is too spaced out for me
i did this workout once and traded it, the instructor is TOO SPACED OUT for me, she is the ultimate California Yoga type who will bother the heck out of alot of people. She greated my nerves and was not very good at motivating, relaxing, or teaching. This is two thumbs down

Very good workout
I really enjoy this dvd. Rainbeau Mars is charmingly goofy and the workout is a good one. There is nothing in here that stresses my mind or body - I just feel good when I do it. The only problem with the dvd is that the audio track is off in the beginning which is really creepy to watch - I just avert my eyes. Otherwise, it's a good stretch with a gentle workout; highly recommended.

not a favorite
This video falls into the category of: seems like they did it in one take. The main problem is the instructor. She makes numerous grammatical mistakes, doesn't explain certain things well, and makes "off-the-cuff" remarks that seem staged. I don't know if there are better yoga videos out there (I bought this one since its reviews were better than most), but this is NOT something I happily reach for. One caveat: this may be the snobbery of someone with several yoga studios within walking distance. If your fitness access is limited and you're not picky, it is certainly better than no yoga.

pretty weird, spacey, but nice set
i like the set of this video, but other than that, i would give it one star...the instructor Rainbow is so soft and sweet, she doesn't seem real. I am not really enjoying this video, its not as fitnessy of a yoga prego video as i'd like, it's about to be traded away. ... Read more

Reviews (146)

Fantastic! Tones, stretches, and relaxes the body!
I loved this video during my pregnancy. There is a couple minutes of repetitive relaxation phrases (some call it "chanting") at the beginning. Although I definitely do yoga for the fitness, not spiritual, aspects; I found the phrases to be relaxing during the workout, helpful during labor, and calming to a crying newborn baby!! She also asks you to do a short "free dance" and imagine yourself giving birth in the forest - pretty silly, but it did help me feel less shy about childbirth. There is also some easy, but intense arm exercises - she helps you learn how to focus on other things and work through pain (obviously helpful for labor!). I was very active during my entire pregnancy. The video was both challenging and relaxing. It is doable for all phases of pregnancy - I didn't buy this video until my last month! The stretching feels great!

Great Preparation for Delivery!!
This is a great workout to prepare a pregnant mom for delivery and to relieve some of the aches and pains of pregnancy. I am *really* enjoying doing it every day, and I could tell a difference in my flexibility within a few days. I also feel GREAT after I do this workout - it helps relieve some of the exhaustion I get with my pregnancies, as well as the backache. I really wish I'd had this video with my first pregnancy - I used another prenatal yoga video which was pretty good, but this one is much better. [I am also a Lamaze Instructor and I would whole-heartedly recommend this to my students to get the ready for labor and delivery].

One warning though - the Instructor is very "new-agey". This could be annoying, depending on the kind of person you are. I pretty much fast forward through the parts that aren't working for me though, and the workout itself is awesome! The Instructor does say some things that I found very motivating [such as "women were giving birth thousands of years before anyone wrote a book on giving birth"]. I highly recommend this video - just be prepared to skip the parts you don't like!

The New Method: Baby & Mom - Prenatal Yoga
I loved this yoga workout! It was a little weird at first, but once I got used to it, I did it 2-3x/week for 5 months. This is my fourth and best pregnancy and I feel I owe it all to this yoga workout.

Excrutiatingly earnest and unpleasant
Gurmukh takes her yoga VERY seriously. Indeed, her intense relaxation is made even less relaxing by her grating voice. She seems to be pleading and whining for your admiration (but in a very "relaxed" way, of course.) If you're looking for a California guru, she might be just what the Maharishi ordered (she's got a turban to prove it) but if you're looking to bond with your baby, take private, mindful breathes, and find a "yoga-mind" for your pregnancy then look elsewhere. We sent it right back and got YogaMama, the Crunch DVD. Surprisingly, although Crunch has a rep as a powerhouse NY workout, YogaMama has all the true reverence, mindfullness, and spirit that this one lacks.

Don't let the turban fool you, underneath it is a California New Age girl. It's not suprising that they don't show the star of this video on the cover.

This video is a disservice to all those who are serious about yoga.

I enjoy this workout
I too have been doing yoga for years. All different forms of it. This DVD is based on Kundalini Yoga. For some who are looking for typical asanas found in Hatha or Ashtanga this is not that. It is more focused on the 3rd eye and the Chakras. Opening certain areas of the body to release energy, to relax and feel centered. It is also focused on the breath. It is arguably the oldest form of yoga there is. It is rather primal. Some may find it a bit silly. But in my experience it is not the yoga that is silly but the person doing it. Childbirth is a primal thing. If you can get over yourself you will enjoy it and it WILL be helpful in the delivery room. And that is, after all the point. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Great workout and so much fun!
I really enjoy this video and my baby girl does too! Having her next to me, smiling and gurgling makes exercising fun. This video allows me to spend time with my little one while doing something positive for myself. If you are used to Hatha yoga, be advised... this is a video of Kundalini yoga, which is completely different but equally as stimulating. Another reviewer stated that there were no calm holding poses, that is because Kundalini yoga has a different concept than Hatha yoga. In Kundalini, you are trying to wake up your chakras (which are energy centers throughout the body). Therefore, there is a different mentality to the poses; they are often movement based.
I think this video is fabulous for anyone who is interested in toning up after having a baby. As long as you go in with an open mind, knowing that it is different than your typical yoga classes, you can benefit from it. I love the video and only wish I could find a post-natal class near me so my baby could meet other little yoga babies!

Abs workout in disguise
I love yoga, and I love my baby, and this video has allowed me to introduce the two. The video wastes a little time in set-up and even in the middle - I don't see the point to the baby dance when you are in your living room and there are no other babies to meet - and other than resenting that the video tries to take up too much of my precious, carefully timed good-mood moments with the baby... I just fast-forward and do what works. There are so many different abs exercises that you really will start feeling better and stronger in your center - even if you can only do this video once a week. Many of the baby-centered exercises are towards the end (there is some marginal participation before that) so it's actually easy to split it up: if baby is in a napping mood, do the beginning part, and finish the end later when baby wants more interaction. I think this is workable, even with a fussy little one. I don't mind the new ageyness mentioned in other reviews, because the video reminds me of all those yoga classes I used to go to in San Francisco... I must be desensitized....

Buy with caution
This series by Ms G Khalsa has its place. While the production is well presented I would not recommend it for anyone who had not been doing yoga for a long time, in otherwords a seasoned yogi. There is a lot of chanting, visualisation and a really new age/ esoteric feel to this DVD. While I have done yoga in various styles and with various teachers, I found this DVD patronising and over the top. I feel I wasted my money buying this product. What I would recommend is Lisa Hart's Fit Mamma. Now there is a routine that you want to get up for and Ms Hart is 8mths pregnant while she presents it and is a breath of fresh air. I use Ms Hart's DVD three times a week

Great workout!
I almost didn't buy this video because of the negative reviews. I thought that it was going to be very difficult from what others were saying. I think that it depends on a person to person basis. I didn't really have time to work out when I was pregnant, but had prevoiusly gone to the gym regularly, so I was really feeling out of shape. I got this video three weeks ago and have been doing it with my now 7 week old. I tend to like more upbeat music when I work out because it keeps me going, so I watch the video but turn the sound down and play the radio or a cd. I like how at the end of the video it is all bout baby, this way you both get something out of it. My son loves the attention and it has become part of our morning routine. I am so glad that I bought this video, I can already feel and see a difference.

relaxing yet challenging
I got this and the pre-natal video together. I guess she went easy on us while we were pregnant, because I was surprized by how difficult some of the moves in this post natal video were for me. I didn't get around to working out until 3 months after I gave birth and I still couldn't do some of the things like roll backwards on my back and hold my legs straight up in the air. It took 7 more months before I was able to do that, but I still can't roll back and forth while holding on to my feet. Aside from those two things, I had a great time doing these exercises and my daughter enjoyed it too. Now that she's cruising around she doesn't like to lay still but the stretches that give her a chance to move and be lifted up and down are still exciting for her. She also likes to look at the other babies and their mommies on the video. The whole mood is very relaxing and peaceful, yet I still wake up the next day feeling like my abs have had a great work-out. ... Read more

Description

A regular prenatal yoga practice as taught in Yoga for Your Pregnancy can give you the energy to enjoy your pregnancy, the serenity to build a deeper intimacy with your body, and the ability to be present for the miracle of birth. Prenatal yoga can ease the discomforts of pregnancy, such as moodiness, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, nausea, indigestion and insomnia; and help you prepare for the rigors and mysteries of labor.On each video:

PART 1: ENERGIZING & STRENGTHENING (30 minutes) Gentle flowing practice to build strength and stamina for the demands of labor-and alleviate the discomforts caused by your ever-changing body.

PART 2: RELAXING & REJUVENATING (15 minutes) Learn breathing exercises to help you manage contractions-plus meditation techniques to help you relax and concentrate during delivery.Lamaze Interview-with expert Carol Penn Erskine

Exclusively on DVD:
Pranayama for Pregnancy: 3 simple breathing techniques to calm your nervous system
Meditation for Pregnancy: Guided meditation to help foster inner focus and awareness
Birthing Room Yoga: Simple yoga techniques to encourage a peaceful mind and body during delivery
Postnatal Yoga Practice: Gentle practice to help you regain strength and flexibility 6 weeks after delivery
Articles from Yoga Journal and Lamaze Parents magazine on yoga and pregnancy on a special DVD-Rom section

This video show you how to modify some poses using yoga props. Depending on your flexibility or stage of pregnancy, you may need a chair, two large pillows, a blanket, or sofa cushions. The use of a yoga mat is recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Get back in shape after pregnancy with a gentle yet effective and challenging, specially designed Pilates workout. Instructor and new mom Susan Moran-Perich has adapted classic Pilates mat exercises for the special needs of post-partum exercisers. She explains each exercise clearly as her demonstrators show both the ideal form and modifications. Your session can last from 15 to 47 minutes, depending on the components you choose.Pilates is especially effective for new mothers because it strengthens the core abdominal and back muscles, helping you regain strength, control, shape, and comfort. Bonus features: Exercises using the ring ("magic circle") and a 15-minute back safety program. A brief "private instruction" section gives additional technique instructions but is limited to voiceover still photos, not moving demonstrations. --Joan Price ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Post-natal Pilates
I liked this dvd a lot. I think it is a good dvd for getting back into the swing of things with pilates. It is not for months down the road when you have your strength & energy back & need something longer. I did her prenatal pilates during my pregnancy, so many of the moves were familiar. If this is your first time with this program I would suggest watching & practicing the moves first & then do the workout since it is slightly fast-paced, but once you know the moves it is easy to follow

Seems just right to me
Unlike the reviewer from Oak Park, I found this DVD to be just the right length and intensity. I have done yoga and Pilates before, so perhaps that makes a difference. However, I am not in very good shape at all. I didn't follow any kind of exercise program while I was pregnant--not even walking! I am now nine weeks postpartum and started using this DVD a week ago.

I was afraid when the DVD started that it would move too fast, since the instructor said that people who had used her pregnancy video would be familiar with the moves. I didn't have any trouble following the exercises, though. Some of them are challenging, but I can do them all. I get a nice workout without feeling sore the next day. Best of all, the workout relieves the stiffness I get in my back, arms, and shoulders from carrying my baby all day.

All in all, I'm really pleased with this.

Too hard. Too fast. Too short.
The exercise portion of this DVD is 18 minutes long, which could actually be just right if you are taking care of a baby AND trying to exercise. Except that the exercises are so hard that all you really do is strain your muscles and back. Because the workout is so hard, I tend to not want to do it, and I am in fairly good shape to start with. I still cannot do the "hip circles" and was advised not to by the teacher of a post-natal exercise class I am taking. This is the first exercise or yoga DVD I have purchased that I do not like! ... Read more

Description

The yoga in this video is suitable for pregnant women from the 14th week until the end of pregnancy.The clearly described yoga is demonstrated by pregnant women and is easy to follow if you are new to yoga.The presenters are ERYL HOLT from the BBC’s Fast Show, and MARION SYMES who was a midwife for 12 years and now teaches yoga and birth preparation.Both are qualified yoga teachers and therapists who studied under pregnancy expert, Francoise Barbira Freedman. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

disappointing
I have been practicing yoga for about a year and I have tried a number of different yoga videos. I have enjoyed most of them and and am still learning. My sister is pregnant and I wanted her to be able to enjoy some of the benefits I have received from practicing yoga, especially since she is have a difficult pregnancy. I bought this video for her after reading many of the reviews and thinking that it might help her attain some focus and a sense of peace. After giving her the video, I waitied for her to call and tell me how much she was enjoying the video. The call never came. So upon my next visit to her house, I watched the video. While the husband explained the poses and the purpose of them very clearly, and the wife demonstrated them, overall I was extremely disappointed. The man NEVER stopped talking, there is NO soothing music and the background is very boring. (Looks like their house or something). Instead of relaxing me, it aggravated me and made me shut it off in the middle of the video. So, I asked my sister what she thought and she felt the same way. I have Kathy Smith's New Yoga video, Yoga Journal's AM/PM yoga, Yoga Journals - Yoga Practice (set of 3) and Yoga Journal's Practice for Beginners. I enjoy all of these videos. I am going to continue try to find another video, one for pregant women for my sister.

Not recommended
I saw good reviews for this video on another site, so I purchased it for my own pregnancy. I was very unsettled by what was contained on the tape. While Finger's descriptions are pretty clear and he does give a good introductory speech about the problems women can encounter with breathing during the later stages of their pregnancy, he includes a number of postures that are contraindicated past the fourth or fifth month. Downward Dog, Standing Forward Bends and Standing Forward Folds are all inversions (which bring your head beneath your waist). Most ob-gyns are adamant that these postures should not be performed once the pregnancy gets too heavy. So I find Finger's claim that this is a routine that can be safely done at all stages of pregnancy hard to swallow. Clearly, his wife Greta, the model here, was able to perform those postures in her seventh month of pregnancy without any visible side effects. That doesn't mean, however, that the same will hold true for all women.

If you have your heart set on this routine, I advise discussing it with your doctor before you begin.

I could only stand to watch it once
I found the dvd to be very boring. A man does most of the speaking throughout. He was very monotone and not motivating. I was annoyed having some who would never go through pregnancy explain the benefits. He obviously will never have experience. The woman doing the exercises was pregnant.

Different but it works
My fiancee and I bought this DVD and we are pleased with it. It is different then what she or I am use too, but it does work.

So Annoying I Could Only Handle Doing This Once
I wish I would have known about all the different prenatal Yoga videos out there! There has definately got to be something better than this. As it is, this was the only one my local video store had. I was six months pregnant when I watched it. I kept waiting for the instructor to stop talking so I could enjoy the poses and have a relaxing workout. Oh no, he talks constantly the whole 50 minutes of the video, explaining in excrutiating detail all the poses. He spends so much time explaining the poses...and then they're only held for seconds before moving on to the next one. So most of the time I was not doing anything because I was waiting for him to finish explaining the next pose, and I just wanted him to show it already so I could do it! Don't waste your time or money. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Pilates For Pregnancy
I think this is a great prenatal pilates dvd. I normally do pilates, so I found the moves to be consistent with some of what I would normally do. The workout is good, not difficult & very relaxing. Yes, there are floor exercises, but modifications are shown & you can always use a pillow- I would definitely recommend this to any pregnant women who loves pilates!

Waste of money and time for now
Like another reviewer, I had to double check to make sure that this is for pregnancy and not postpartum. I got tired of waiting for me to get to exercises that I could do--ones that weren't lying on your back. She gave modifications, but those, too, were lying flat, and she kept saying that only in your 3rd trimester you shouldn't do something, when you shouldn't be flat on your back from the 2nd trimester on. She even had a special exercise for women in the 3 trimester to do--LYING ON THEIR BACKS! I am very disappointed, and will have to hold on to this until after the baby is born--it is basically useless until then.

similar to other pilates videos
Regarding the instructor's having you lie on your back for most of the video: You will NOT like this workout if you feel strongly that this is dangerous (I don't, since all of our mothers and ancestors did that before the blood flow issues were "known")... However, even if you don't mind that, you may feel you've wasted your money since it is almost identical to NON-prenancy pilates DVDs. If you already own some, you might just alter the workouts on your doctor's advice to make sense for you and your belly (which she doesn't even really do). One of my biggest complaints about this video (besides the waste of money) is that she sometimes has you sit up just to lie back down again. A pet peeve to be sure, but gets me riled up every time! Bottom line: if you don't have any other pilates videos, and you aren't a perfectionist about her style, voice, mistakes, etc., AND you use common sense to adjust her moves to your body, you will probably tone your core (tummy and back) with this video.

Unsafe and Awful!
This is one of the worst exercise videos/dvd's I have ever used. The instructor is completely flat in personality. They show her advanced in pregnancy, so you think you could do the video the entire pregnancy, but in reality, she is very early in her pregnancy and barely showing. All of the moves should only be done in the first trimester. Practically all of the moves are done flat on the back, which is unsafe!

Save your money!

Not all that bad
I had the opposite experience from a number of other reviewers - the Method's Prenatal Yoga made me nauseated every time I tried it (and I haven't had all that much trouble with morning sickness in general). This one, on the other hand, energized and strengthened me. There are a number of back exercises, true. I didn't have trouble with them, but I can see how others might. I am nearly 8 months and have combined this with a brisk waddle a few times a week to keep fit. Of course, always follow the advice of your doctors. ... Read more

Description

The gentle yoga in this program is suitable for postnatal women who have had a satisfactory 6-8 week postnatal check-up. Previous Yoga experience is not necessary. Enhance the most reflective time in a woman's life with Simple Postnatal Yoga. Yoga Biomedical Trust Yoga therapists Eryl Holt, from the BBC’s Fast Show, and Marion Symes who was a midwife for 12 years and now teaches yoga and birth preparation, guide the new Mom through an exceptional 60-minute series of stretches and meditation exercises that help increase energy and develop focus. Simple Postnatal Yoga guides you through common Yoga techniques including: Centering, Lying Stretches & Toning, All Fours, Standing, Seated Stretches, Relaxation ... Read more