I'm in love with stability balls, less so with yoga. The latter is something I've dabbled with for years but never made much of a commitment to, so when I saw this video combining yoga with the stability ball, I decided to give it a shot.

Sara Ivanhoe is a pleasant instructor, cute and positive without being overly perky. She explains things clearly without dwelling on them, so things move along briskly. Some of the position names strike me as odd ('puppy dog pose'?) but the modifications in general make sense. From a beginner's viewpoint, the poses become more doable yet at the same time more challenging, thanks to the addition of the ball. My only complaint, really, is the music, which is a new age-y sort of trance and which sounds rather cheap.

Overall, I really rather enjoy this workout. It's accessible for beginners of both yoga and the stability ball alike and moves along well enough to engage the interest of more experienced practitioners. It might not have completely succeeded in turning me on to yoga, but it's certainly added the elements to make it possible.

I received this workout with the Sara Ivanhoe's target zone 2 DVD set.

I was a bit sceptical thinking it would be more of pilates type workout but it wasn't. It is Yoga. The thing I liked was that I could feel myself using different muscles I don't normally use in Yoga, and it seemed like I was able to get an even deeper stretch on the stretching poses because of the support of the ball.

I've been doing Yoga several years, but don't do any of the really advanced moves. I typically don't feel like I get much out of a workout with the "beginner" labeled Yoga DVD's, but by adding the dimension of the ball it was definately a new challenge. For example, when doing a tree pose, instead of just standing, you bring the ball over your head and then do a side bend, while balancing on the one leg.

I recommend giving this a try, but it you'd like a bargain, look for the Sara's Target Zone DVD. It's about the same price and you get 5 extra 20 minute workouts :-)

This is my eight year olds favorite workout. It's a great for beginners because you use the ball to help you balance in most of the poses. I haven't tried it with her yet, but it does look like a lot of fun.

The only type of yoga that I enjoy is when it is done on the ball. I wish there were more "yoga on the ball" workouts available. Also, I love how Sara's tone is very calming and she does not bring up the mystical side of yoga, in comparison to the Ana and Ravi DVDs, which to me is a bonus because I'd rather just focus on my movements.

Sara Ivanhoe is a great host, and the video was easy to follow great for beginners. This was my first experience with yoga, and I was impressed. Sara gives you step by step instructions along with tips and suggestions. The music and digital quality of the video was also excellent.