dsm1980

Great choice for yoga beginners

Revisado: 03-14-11

I've only ever been to a handful of yoga classes and have mostly used videos at home, but in both cases I would sometimes have trouble keeping up either because the trainer wasn't describing the movements and poses (and I had to strain my neck to see what I was supposed to be doing) or because some of the asanas were too advanced.
This program solves the first issue, as Ms Fuller provides full descriptions of each pose, moving from one asana to the next at a languorous pace - it would still be advisable to check out the accompanying guide before you start out, though.
As for the second issue, this particular "class" is very gentle and slow-paced, and thus perfect even for absolute beginners. So, if you're considering buying this program, you need to bear in mind that this is in no way a rigorous yoga practice, but is geared more towards relaxation, feeling comfortable with a handful of poses, and learning how to link breath and movement (I'm guessing in preparation for vinyasas).
In fact the only "difficult" pose is downward-facing dog, which brings me to the reason I've not given 5 stars to this otherwise excellent program: I am unable to perform this essential asana because it puts too much strain on my wrists, so I replace it with dolphin. There are several other poses that I've learned to adjust in order to accommodate my body. A beginner who knows nothing about yoga, may not know how to make such adjustments though. It would have been helpful if some additional suggestions were included in the booklet.
Personally, I'm glad this audio gives me the chance to work on asanas without the pressure of following the pace set by a class or video (note that this 1-hour-long practice covers barely a dozen poses), but in the end I doubt I'll listen to it more than 4-6 times before moving on to the next level.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Torn in half...

Revisado: 01-25-11

...and I don't mean emotionally. The book is divided in 2 parts that are so far apart in style as day and night, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars.

The first part contains mortal Acheron's story and is so dark and dreary I had to stop listening at times. Although Kenyon has presented tormented characters before (Dance with the Devil and Born of Night come to mind), I felt she took the torture too far this time. Indeed, I might even say the author was taking out all her sadistic tendencies on her main character to such extent as to become utterly ridiculous. I understand that more often than not the audience tends to feel for the troubled hero, but in this case I found myself becoming anesthetized by what I was listening. Even so, this part of the story sheds light on the leader of the Dark-Hunters and as such I believe it might be enjoyed by hardcore fans.

What I really loved though was the second part of the story; in fact, I bookmarked it and read it all over again as soon as it was finished! The tone is much lighter while the structure is closer to the rest of the Dark-Hunter books. This is where you can find the jolts and frissons that are so common in the series.

In conclusion, if you're a Dark-Hunter fan, then this is definitely a must read. However, I can safely say that, although I've reread several of Kenyon's books, I'll be happy if I never again read a single paragraph from the first half of this story.

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Horrible choice of narrator

Revisado: 11-25-10

I have to agree with other reviewers regarding the sub-par quality of this audiobook.

While the story itself is definitely worth your time if you're a fan, do yourself a favor and get the printed version.After suffering through five whole chapters of the audiobook, I had to abandon it for a while in order to erase from my memory the awful impression of the characters this particular narration left me with before moving on to the printed book.

After listening to the entire series up to now as read by Fred Berman and Holter Graham (each with his own style, but both absolutely delightful to hear), Scott Brick's lack of skill in this reading is only too evident: he makes no effort to act out the female characters in a more feminine way and as a result they all sound either butch or shrewish. As for the male characters, despite the fact that Mr. Brick's repertoire of "voices" is large enough, he imbues the characters with a rather limited emotional range - he just seems unable to go beyond pissed off and bored. This becomes even more evident in the narrative parts, which were overall read in a rather flat tone.

Given his performance here, it surprised me to find how much work Mr. Brick has done a narrator. However, even if I could excuse this particular disaster due to an apparent incompatibility between the narrator and the genre (although he has read several sci-fi novels), I would be hesitant to get another audiobook read by him.

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