User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Awesome!
I have about 25 yoga DVD’s/videos and this is hands down my favorite. The presentation and instruction is beautiful and clear, and the variety of asanas is perfect.
I have learned a lot about alignment from this routine.
I actually have the entire set of Ganga & Tracy’s yoga routines, but if you are only getting one, this would be it! Namaste..
5 Stars My first, and still the best!
This is the first yoga video I purchased, originally on VHS. I just replaced it with the DVD version that includes a bonus workout from the Total Yoga: Fire series. Total Yoga: The Original is a thorough and expert practice, demonstrated by Tracey Rich and Ganga White. It is more for intermediate-level practitioners rather than absolute beginners, because it does move quickly through the poses with no explanation. If you have some yoga under your belt, i.e. perhaps have done some of the Yoga Zone tapes or DVDs, you should be very happy with advancing your practice with Total Yoga. Although I do have other yoga DVDs (including the aforementioned Yoga Zone), after all these years Total Yoga is still my favorite. A fabulous stretch for the body, and a calming effect on the mind.
4 Stars Relaxed-paced yoga session w/great emphais on Ujayi breathing & benefits
First off, Yoga Dad did a great job telling you the sequence of the poses done. The only thing I can add is that there is a locust before the bow pose.
The menu options include:
Intro - on how yoga is beneficial showing Tracey & Ganga’s doing very advanced yoga positions.
Poses - shows you pics of all the poses done & brings you right to that spot on the workout
Total Yoga Fire - 15 min of part of their Fire dvd
The music in this dvd is VERY light, almost non-existent, but other times can be heard & is relaxing. The beginning Ujayi breathing lecture was well done & relaxing. In my opinion, there was too much repetition of yoga rolls (like a little kid rolling back/forth on spine), leg lifts & too many forward bends at first which unnerved me & I fast forwarded this portion. Once I did, I enjoyed the rest. Because I hadn’t done yoga in a while, I enjoyed the relaxed pace to really feel the stretches. There is time to take several breaths for each pose as well as a calm emphasis in getting in & out of poses. I was particularly happy with & what I love is the reminders not just to breath, but Ujayi breathing which really helped me. Also since Tracey does all the poses & the voice over, Ganga only is shown briefly showing the very advanced form of the poses as well as tell you the organ/endocrine/muscle/bone benefits of each pose to keep you going knowing what great benefit you’re giving your body.
Since the sun salutations A are modified, the B are not done, there are no warrior poses or side angle & only a twisted sage pose but with the knee down, this is dvd is not emphasizing fitness strength building. This is a great way to relax for a light day for people in shape or good workout for beginners who already know how to do poses. There is not enough instruction for those who are true newbies, though the instruction here is more body/mind, not western body part emphasis which I love.
5 Stars Yoga DVD is Great!
This DVD is a splendid Yoga workout. It is one of the best Yoga DVDs that I have used.
I highly recommend it.
3 Stars Too Many Challenges for Beginners
“Total Yoga: The Original” lacks consistency in places. Ten percent of the workout is for beginners, sixty percent will appeal to intermediates and thirty percent of the workout is definitely advanced. This may present some frustration for beginners although intermediates may enjoy quite a few challenges.
The practice begins with relaxing breathing exercises and then moves on to mountain pose and spinal rolls. At this point you may feel like you are doing Pilates as you do rolling like a ball and a double leg lift.
The rolling sun salutes are frustrating unless you are advanced and the pace is too fast for beginners. After warming up the body you move to a clasped straddle fold and then to a straddle fold twist. At this point the balance challenges are intermediate and you may recognize the more typical postures like triangle, pyramid and pigeon pose. This is followed by bow pose, child’s pose, spinal twists and a half forward fold. The inverted poses that follow present some advanced challenges.
Overall I felt frustrated by the level changes and could not relax fully into the ever-changing requirements. Unless you are advanced or have been intermediate for quite a few years, I cannot recommend this to you.
I can recommend:Total Yoga: The Flow Series - Water
~The Rebecca Review