Gaiam - Prenatal Yoga

I purchased the DVD when 15 weeks pregnant and I have really enjoyed the workout. It is made of several part : standing postures, seating postures and floorwork. Depending on your stage of the pregnancy you have the choice to follow one of the 3 practictionners, according to your flexibility and need for support. I am now in my last month and follow a mix both the 2nd and 3 rd trimester.You need a chair, a yoga blanket (a simple blanket does the job perfectly), a strap (I use a scarf) and a block, especially in yoursecond trimester. Because I do not have a block at home, I used a shoe box or an Argos catalog! i get all the equipment ready while Shiva explain how the workout will take place (you can not skip that bit).The pace is good, although different to my usual yoga teacher and it is suitable for both beginner and more adavnced practitionners. There is a good flow, none of that stop/go that you can have with other workouts and all in all the session lasts for 50 minutes (of course, you can make the relaxation at the end longer if you feel the need). It is possible to only do part of the workouts, for instance, just the seated postures, but you would have to fast-forward, because unfortunately the navigation is such that you can not just jump to the next section (hence the 4 stars)Another little problem that I found was that there seems to be a little to many side stretches for my liking and by completing them on the chair, I do not feel as if I am actually streching anything at all. This is why I do not follow all the instructions for the 3rd trimester.All in all a very good buy and Highly recommended.

Ive really been enjoying the routine in this DVD. Its well put together and the order of poses is logical and easy to follow. There are two students, one in trimester 2 and one in trimester 3, as well as Shiva Rea, so no matter what stage of your pregnancy you are at you can do the routine. Ive been doing it about three times a week now since I found out I was pregnant, and I really feel my legs getting stronger and my flexability increasing (although that may just be the hormones!) I would definetly reccomend this DVD if you have done some yoga before. If you havent it might be best to go to a few classes first, so you get an idea of how the poses are supposed to feel so you dont over do things. I give four stars because it's just a little too short. This does make it easy to fit the routine into your day and if you feel you need a bit more you can always repeat one of the sections, which is what I tend to do. I would also like to have seen a section on how to use yoga and breathing through labour.Im glad I bought it and will be using this routine throught my pregnancy.

Having never in my life done any yoga before, I am finding this DVD a great introduction to the subject at a time when I am restricted in the types of exercise I can do. 50 mins for me means I can realistically use this DVD 2-3 times a week, and the different levels suggested for the different trimesters have been really helpful (not on to the third trimester yet tho!). Every time I have used it I have improved my technique as I hear the many hints and tips given to maximise the exercises. It's not too twee and I find it a good way to loosen up joints currently at risk of seizing up as I've moved from an active job to a desk-bound one!Like one of the other reviewers says, it would have been nice to include suggestions for labour and more relaxation / visualisation exercises, but overall I've found this an ideal start to the subject and a great way of trying to stay toned and prepare for baby number 2. Would happily pay to buy this DVD again.

This is a great DVD for pregnant women. It is relaxing, and is ideal for preparing your body for labour. It's not too long like yoga classes tend to be, and is ideal for those of us who are already pretty fit but want to introduce some extra stretching and variety to support a healthy pregnancy.I can't comment on its difficulty - I find it to be pretty easy to follow, having never done yoga before, but then again I am only 20 and already fit before I started. The main strain for me is hamstring stretches because I am guilty of not stretching after a run! I am finding the DVD brilliant, I wish I had started yoga earlier. And when my morning sickness was so bad I couldn't do anything else exercise-wise, I was able to do this. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I think women who are already good at yoga might find this DVD doesn't push them as far as they'd like.

I bought this DVD along with a Pilates for Pregnancy DVD and this Yoga one is far superior to the Pilates one. The workout of 50 mins enables you to do it two or three times a week. It is really well presented and very easy to follow. Its good to see the adapted routine by each of the three women at various stages of pregnancy. I really love this DVD and try to do it as often as possible.

Dvd content is ok, first yoga dvd i have done so to be fair i have nothing to compare it to. Was challenging yet achieveable for a beginner. The session lasted about 50 mins and consisted of a warm up, standing work, floor work and a guided relaxation. I've done little exercise so far in my pregnancy but this seemed to stretch me out well. Dvd was in excellent condition and delivered quickly.

I bought this DVD and a pilates one and this is far superior. I found it really easy to follow and liked the way it is broken down into 3 sections, so that when you're short on time you can do an abridged workout.This is really good for relaxation and for relieving those pregnancy aches and pains. The soundtrack is also really soothing and I often fell asleep to the music at the end of the DVD.The workout might be a bit limited for a seasoned yoga practitioner, but for a beginner like me who just wanted something to keep the joints supple and to strengthen the muscles needed for delivery, it was perfect. Regular practice of the breathing techniques was also a great help during the delivery of my daughter.I would thoroughly recommend this DVD to any mum-to-be.