MTV: Power Yoga with Kristin McGee

I hope everyone has had a good day! I know that I'm having a hard time focusing on my homework so this post was a nice outlet while awaiting the final votes for the Presidential Election. I actually saw this DVD while looking for some Pilates for my back, and was interested in seeing what MTV has produced. Unlike traditional yoga, this yoga is done to the music of Blue Six, which is like a pulsing mild techno or house style music. Kristin McGee takes you though a routine focusing on gaining flexibility mostly through dynamic stretching with some static stretching. 

Filmed in Arizona, I think at a Hilton hotel or resort, the scenery is lovely with rolling hills (or short mountains) in the background, and a beautiful stone patio. While I was doing research for a paper I turned in yesterday I decided to look into where Power yoga came from. In summary it is a popularized form of yoga that draws mostly from Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga methodologies. Power yoga, however, has the flexibility of being a different style per instructor, and customizable routines. This is often the yoga that you will see in gyms or conditioning programs. I was pleased to find out that Bryan Kest (one of my favorite Power yoga DVDs is his) is one of the "founders" of Power yoga. If you want to read more about where Power yoga came from click here for a good place to start looking.

This is a great program for flexibility that begins with a chest and shoulder opener. The routine starts moving right away and the instructor talks you through every movement like, "exhale, press to downward dog". The instructor demonstrates the routine along with three others all facing a different direction, and one of which is a man (proving to the world that yoga is for both genders). I like that you get to warm up before stretching your spine to the side or moving into the spine-twisting poses. 

I really like the transitions and postures that the instructor has chosen. They really focus on warming the entire body, increasing flexibility and building strength at the same time. After the spine-twists there are a series of balancing poses that then move into seated stretching poses. The routine finishes with corpse pose, and a comfortable cross-legged position.

Something I didn't know about this DVD is that there are a few minutes of ab-work pilates tagged onto the end of the yoga routine. This is awesome, it is like the cherry on a cupcake! Creating a core awareness and stability for the rest of the day!

I would recommend this DVD to any level of home yogi, although the level it is taught at is probably an Intermediate/advanced. If you have basic yoga experience or knowledge of some of the basic terminology and poses you will be able to work at it and perfect the routine. Kristin advises using the DVD about 3x a week or more to see results. I would have to agree with this.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD on Amazon click here.

Happy Training! à bientôt!

BIKRAM YOGA: Hot Yoga 26 Postures

This post is about my first experience with hot yoga, or Bikram Yoga. First, this is my experience, and it may not be what everyone else experiences. Second, I am no doctor and my personal opinions are expressed below.

For those of you not familiar with hot yoga, it is a different method of yoga that is done in both heat and humidity. You can see this link to wikipedia for more information on Bikram Yoga. The breathing techniques are different than for example ashtanga yoga or vinyasa yoga. The temperature is approx. 105* F and about 40% humidity. Because of the heat I would recommend wearing something light on top (or no shirts for men) and shorts. I wore my yoga/running tank with some yoga shorts. We also put a towel over our mat and had a water liter water bottle by our side during the entire thing. This is also a form of yoga that you do not want to wear sweats during! The throaty breathing done during ashtanga is in order to warm your body. In bikram you are warming the body from the outside and therefore we only used that breathing technique for maybe the first five minutes. The rest is done quietly and for the most part in and out through your nose.

At first I was a little concerned at whether or not I could make it through the class--I'm on the tale end of a nasty cold, and my lower back/upper leg on my right side has been giving me fits. However I didn't need a single cough drop, and it cleared my sinuses enough that I could participate in the correct breathing techniques for most of class. I did not feel any pain in my lower back or leg where it usually is very painful just walking around campus (again this is my experience and may not be the same for everyone). Even now that it has been almost two hours since the end of the class my back still feels better than it did before I went in.

Triangle Pose

I feel energized, ready to take on the day, and my mind is clear. I can focus now, and relax. I feel like it was good for stress relief, and even meditation (if you are familiar with the sequence). I was also talking with my yoga buddy, and we decided this must be a really good form of yoga for runners or dancers recovering from injuries because of the heat which loosens up your muscles.

A note on nutrition and hydration: I did feel nauseous the last 10-15 min. of class, and from what I understand that is normal to feel nauseous (differing degrees for everyone-one guy said he gets nauseous at the beginning of class). If you do feel nauseous the teachers seem to be understanding, and our instructor advised that you not move until the nausea goes away. If you are on a diet that restricts your nutrient intake (which I don't necessarily approve of) then I can imagine hot yoga being dangerous and possibly some passing out or worse. Make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet the day before. We went to the 6 AM class and some people can keep a light breakfast down and others can't, just be aware of what your body can handle and be healthy! Most of all stay hydrated!

We were totally going to take a picture doing a pose after the class just to document the moment and include in this post. However, we forgot. So my husband was kind enough to take a picture or two of the two poses that I felt I learned the most. One that I didn't get a picture of but was one of my favorites was Garudasana or eagle pose, which I have done before with one of the Tara Stiles routines. I like to refer to it as "pretzel pose." :)

Toe Stand Pose

Triangle Pose- Different from the ashtanga warrior series, you do not place the hand on the floor and you want a triangle of negative space between the side of the torso and the thigh. You only go until the elbow is lined up with the knee.

Padangustasana (toe stand pose)- It was definitely challenging! I'm going to have to work at this one since it is pretty new to my movement vocabulary.

If you are interested in how to prepare for a class click here to see what the Brick Canvas studio advises.

If you are interested in the studio that we attended see the link below:

Bikram Yoga at Brick Canvas

Bikram yoga studios are more difficult to find than other yoga studios, but if you look for one in your area hopefully there is one close by.

 Happy Training! à bientôt!

CORE STRENGTH VINYASA YOGA: Total Body Sculpt with Sadie Nardini

Sadie Nardini is the creator of Total Body Transformation yoga DVD series. She's also a wellness expert with Dr. Oz. Sadie breaks up the routine on this DVD into eight different sections that you can select separately to build your own workout using the fabulous matrix option, or you can do the entire thing. Again, I love this flexibility in the workout to be customizable to your needs for each day! I'm not going to lie, this was a difficult routine, she has unique approaches and transitions that I haven't experienced before. I found some poses difficult and so I would advise that this is an intermediate/advanced yoga DVD. If you are a beginner you can certainly still use this DVD and work your way up to doing each pose.

Sadie narrates as she demonstrates the routine. There is an option if you play it on your DVD player to select audio 2 which includes music. I was using my laptop in my studio so I didn't have that option (or couldn't figure it out), so I ended up playing some Japanese flute music which was an incredible experience with the movements. If you choose no music the only sounds other than her voice will be that of the outdoor location she was in, a soft breeze, a thunderstorm in the distance, etc.

Below you can find each of the different segments and what I thought of each of them:

1 Core Warm-Up (12 min)- Includes some great progressions and abdominal work!

2 Core Salutations (14 min)- Really good for your core and your lower back alignment. Sadie takes you through the poses with unique transitions and she includes kicks and lunges, down dog splits, and other power-full movements. She has you exhale a little "ha!" for some of them, I have a sore throat and am losing my voice, so I couldn't do that, but I imagine that it would allow you to access your core much like martial arts. You also get to do some hops that might be counted as inversions. It is incredible to watch her power and control as she does these. If you weren't warm enough after the warm up, you will definitely warm up during this sequence!

3 Standing Sequence (14 min)-My favorite transition was from warrior I to diving warrior to reverse warrior. The images that she gives about a golden egg in your core is helpful in remembering to lift the abdominals. When I think of standing sequences I think of tree pose and dancer pose, and all of those other balances. While I was doing this section I wasn't sure why she called it a standing sequence, but in hindsight you are standing, you aren't on the floor.

4 Standing Sequence 2 (12 min)-lots of prayer twist, prayer twist lunge, and other twisting poses. In the morning this feels fantastic on the spine! Crow pose is a part of this sequence as the ending goal. Sadie calls these goals adventure poses.

5 Standing Sequence 3 (11 min)-The goal is to work towards firefly. This sequence goes by pretty fast and feels fabulous! You get to venture through half moon, and other poses that are similar. Firefly pose is done at the very end of this sequence.

6 Deep Core Strength (7 min)-This is a tough one, but short! So keep your energy up and it will be so worth the effort! Lots of plank, twisting plank, etc.

7 Floor Stretch and Counterpose (12 min)-This is a nice stretch sequence that begins with boat pose and moves into other poses including pigeon, down-dog split then bending the knee and opening to release the hip flexors. There is also a middle splits pose that feels fabulous.

8 Inversion and Counter Posing (12 min)- This is for those that are into headstands. I used to be able to do them, but I've stopped practicing and preparing so I wasn't so graceful on this one. After the headstands she moves into bridge poses and finishes.

This is a yoga DVD that is going in my favorites list! It is challenging, feels good, and builds strength and power physically and emotionally.

Here is a link to purchase it on Amazon:

Purchase Total Body Sculpt

Here is a link to Sadie Nardini's Website:

Sadie Nardini

Happy Training! à bientôt! 

RADIANT FLOW YOGA: with Janet Stone

**For the Intermediate/Advanced yogi

Absolutely exquisite! Radiant Flow is an intermediate-advanced yoga DVD for those that want to take their practice to the next level (Or those with dance experience like ballet, contemporary, jazz or modern). Right away I knew that this was a routine that I would love! It keeps you moving and at times it would be fast moving for a beginner. I lean more towards yoga that moves like a dance, which usually means power yoga or Vinyasa flow yoga--which is exactly this! Your body will warm up quickly and you will be introduced to some "new" poses (Some of her poses I have never seen on a yoga DVD before) almost immediately. If you are looking to get into the "pretzel" yoga poses (i.e. putting your foot behind your head) then this is the DVD for you! Janet does encourage you to use a strap or towel if you aren't as flexible as she demonstrates, which I did have to do for a few of the poses.

The menu is pretty simple, there's an option to either play the entire routine or to go to a chapter selection. If you are familiar with the routine I imagine that this would be an awesome feature to go to the section you like! (Again with the customizable stuff...you guys probably have me all figured out!) The music is incredible. The studio is done on a cement floor that has a small amount of water and the class is on slightly raised mats. This makes the visual really cool! Janet narrates as she and the class demonstrate the routine.

This DVD includes a 69 min. routine that will challenge any yogi! You will begin with a small amount of meditation (literally only a minute), finding where you are at that time. Janet doesn't mess around, she jumps right into the routine. I can tell that she has thought through the routine and that she has created a sequence that will prepare you to be strong and progress to the more difficult poses in the routine. Her voice has the perfect tone to give you energy and keep you relaxed at the same time. This is definitely one of my new favorite yoga DVDs, and I definitely recommend it to anyone that is looking for a challenge and progression in their yoga practices. An incredible routine for strength, balance, core connection, flexibility and of course for muscle toning! The routine ends with some counter poses and the ever-popular corpse pose.

Some of the poses include:
Scorpion
Down-dog Split
(Some poses that Shiva Rea used in her Dancing Warrior sequence  that I LOVE...but obviously don't know the pose names)
Side Crow
push-ups before down-dog
Warrior 3-arms entwined
Back bends
Half-happy baby
Plow

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see below:
Purchase Radiant Flow

If you are interested in Janet Stone and her yoga studio or other DVDs see below:
Janet Stone Yoga

Happy Training! à bientôt!

NEW YORK CITY BALLET: Workout I

Given that the New York City Ballet post randomly landed on September 11th I thought it prudent to mention that if anything this is meant to honor those who lost their lives and loved ones that day so many years ago. 

I've owned this DVD for a while, and always enjoy doing it. I love how gain an increased sense of your rotation (turn out) and alignment. There is a fluid quality to a lot of the movements that make you feel like you are in a modified ballet class. I was first introduced through conversation a few years ago to the series and I was intrigued but thought it beyond my skillset. However, I think that anyone could pick it up given that they have basic dance or particularly ballet experience. You will be able to work on your strength, core, flexibility, as well as your turn-out. The additional benefit on top of all those listed above is an increase in body-awareness; which is so good for everyone!

The DVD has a caption at the base of the front cover that says "Stretches and Exercises Anyone Can Do for a Strong, Graceful and Sculpted Body." I agree whole-heartedly with this statement. It truly will sculpt your muscles and make you feel like a dancer even if you aren't one! The dancers that demonstrate the entire workout are evidence of this. Their bodies are beautifully sculpted, strong and limber. Everything you need to be functional and more!

All of the exercises are done to classical music (also an option for contemporary music on the main menu!), demonstrated by dancers, and narrated/instructed by Peter Martins. 

What's included on this DVD:

Workout:

•  Section 1 -Warm Up One (3 min.): You begin working in parallel and then turnout, using the arms separately and with the movement. I love this warm up! I always feel my stiffness go away by the end of the 3 minutes!
• Section 2-Warm Up Two (1 min. 30 sec.): Two ballerinas take you through a balancé sequence that moves side to side and slightly forwards and backwards. arms are used, and some parallel is employed in addition to the turn-out.
  Section 3-Warm Up Three (1 min. 40 sec.): two danseurs (male dancers) take you through a sequence, that is very similar to Warm Up Two.
• Section 5-Abdominals & Leg Darts (4 min.): just like it sounds, you are doing core work involving crunches, and rotating crunches including bicycle crunches. Just the right amount to get you sweating if you aren't already. Demonstrated by one of the men.
• Section 12-Passe (2 min.): a simple exercise to increase balance, as well as precision in the passe movement (lifting one leg to the knee then passing it to the back of the knee before lowering the foot in turned out position.). There are some lovely variations including a plie.
• Section 9-Plies (4 min.): Plies are an essential part of a ballet barre warm up. When bending the knees make sure that your knees are tracking over the toes and not in front of or behind them (this will protect your knees). Also keeping your butt tucked and abdominals lifted will help you engage the correct muscles.
• Section 13-Front Attitude (3 min.): This is a great exercise to work on your attitude devant/derriere (bent leg in front/back). You also work on some basic rond de jambe (circular movements of the leg).
• Section 14-Grand Battement Front (2 min.): The grand battement is a essentially a kick. This is a simple exercise that is great for your propioception and balance. Remember to keep the shoulders down and not to tense up, this will help you keep your alignment and your muscles available to stretch.
• Section 15-Arabesque Raises (1 min. 30 sec.): An arabesque is lifting your leg directly behind you. be sure to keep your pelvis aligned and spine lengthened in order to protect your back (much like back bends in yoga). 

Sports Options: This includes options for football, skiing, and racquet sports. I haven't ever used this selection but from what I can tell they have taken the segments of the warm up that are helpful in conditioning for the above listed sports. (This might also be fun for my husband to try the football selection)

Exercises: This selection on the menu takes you to each of the exercises that are used in the workout but listed by section #. If you are familiar with the workout then this would be a great place to go to select the exercises you specifically want to practice. The awesome part about this is that there are exercises that weren't included in the workout that you can add to your workout! I am such a sucker for customizable workouts!

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the below link to Amazon.com:

Purchase this on Amazon

If you are also interested in workout II of the series, I will be reviewing it at a future date, but I also enjoy that one.

New York City Ballet: Workout II

Happy Training! à bientôt!

BALLET BOOT CAMP: Stretch

I came upon this DVD by accident. Jessica Sherwood seems to be the founder of Ballet Boot Camp, and She has a cute website where you are able to purchase any one of the three Ballet Boot Camp workout DVDs. I was interested in this one particularly because the reviews were positive and this DVD appeared to be the general favorite of the series. I'm always interested in a good stretch, especially one meant to increase flexibility beyond touching your toes (although getting to your toes is an important first step to functional flexibility. But where does one go once it is accomplished?). I was also interested since it is reviewed as having a workout interspersed into the stretch routine. 

Classical Ballet music is played in the background as the instructor talks you through. The participants don't look very outwardly happy, maybe they are thinking? I know I get that face when I'm thinking about a routine or applying a correction in class. The cinematography isn't the best either, but I've seen worse and I'm satisfied with my purchase. I'm truly impressed with the routines themselves and how I feel after each one. The titles are pretty accurate in describing what you are going to be doing. If you aren't familiar with the dance term isolation, just know that you will be learning how to isolate (use a single part of your body) and using that to burn fat and strengthen in places that aren't usually hit with the usual exercises.

The instructor's voice is a little gravelly during this DVD, like she maybe lost her voice the day before, but I don't mind that if the workout is a good one. You can tell she knows what she is talking about, she demonstrates beautiful technique and positions. Because it is dance inspired the movements are fluid and lead into each other. You will get a luscious stretch and toning workout if you try this workout. 

Now let me set something out clearly, this DVD is dance inspired, that doesn't mean it is dance per se. However the exercises will help prepare you for dance or give you some awesome exercises to do outside of your dance class in order to improve your performance. Some people expect it to be a ballet class, it is not. However, it will help you become stronger in your ballet class if you are in one, or it will make for a great routine otherwise! Jessica uses exercises that I'm familiar with, as well as some new ones that I have already fallen in love with!

Below is a list of the DVD sections including in this workout (You can complete one section or your can do them all! You should know by now I'm a sucker for this format ;) ): 

• Isolations (5 min.)
• Standing Stretch (9 min.)
• Seated Stretch (6 min.)
• Abdominal Exercises (5 min.)
• Cat Stretch (1 min.)
• Abdominal Exercises (4 min.)
• Reclining Stretch "A" (6 min.)
• Reclining Stretch "B" (7 min.)
• Splits Preparation (7 min.)

The titles are pretty self explanatory, and the exercises would be easily picked up with practice by someone with no dance experience. The format of the DVD is much like a 50 min. class, she talks as if in an actual class with her students. To me, I find this to be a comfortable environment. I don't feel like I'm working out, I feel like I've just gone to class and it's a conditioning day! Personally love it, and I  am so happy with the results! 

Happy Training! à bientôt!

FAT FREE YOGA: Lose Weight & Feel Great

Fat Free Yoga with Ravi Singh & Ana Brett was one of my first introductions to yoga. This was before I knew that there were different kinds. Kundalini Yoga is great for the spine and flexibility; also for detox, toning and weight loss. I have never had natural flexibility, especially in my lower back, and this DVD has helped me to gain some of that flexibility. I like the movement during the first three exercises on the DVD, and the occasional breaks for meditation or relaxation during each segment is also welcome. 

If you have never been introduced to other types of yoga this one may come as a shock to you, or you may not feel like it is yoga. If you need to think of it as something entirely different in order to enjoy it, then that’s totally fine. Even though I’m comfortable with this exercise routine I still prefer to do this in a quiet room where I can clear my thoughts and relax. You may want to do the same.

I definitely feel energized, have broken a sweat, and have more clarity of thought after using this DVD. I like that feeling and enjoy using this DVD when I need a light workout, or something to relieve my stress. I also feel like I can conquer my cravings for chocolate or ice cream after completing just the first of the workouts! That is why I find this one helpful.

*Ana Brett doesn’t wear the most modest outfits while demonstrating in her DVDs so if you are sensitive to that you may not be comfortable with this purchase. For this reason it is probably not child friendly. On the other hand I find her slim figure to be motivating and encouraging.

**Breath of fire can take a while to acclimate your body to. You have to breathe evenly in and out in order to prevent getting dizzy or sick. When I first did this I stuck with my deep yoga breath then worked my way into breath of fire later. I also only use the first 3, segments, sometimes the fourth. I’ve listed the names of the other segments on the DVD so that you may see what is included in the purchase.

• Start Your Engines (14 min.): Good for anyone, all of the seated poses can be modified to sitting on the couch, and you can go at your own speed during both standing and seated exercises.
• 2 standing, meditation, 2 seated, meditation, 1 seated, meditation.
• Fight Fire with Fire (21 min.): focuses on the “fire in the belly” and all of the poses have something to do with your core.
• 2 lying down, meditation, 1 on stomach, meditation, 1 on back, 1 on stomach, meditation, 1 on back, meditation, 1 seated, 1 on stomach, meditation.
• No Impact Aerobics (14 min.):  focuses on getting your heart rate up and burning calories while doing low-impact cardio exercises.
• 1 standing, 1 difficult, 1 kneeling, meditation, 2 sets of modified push-ups meditation, 2 on back, 1 seated, meditation
• Your Life is in Your Own Glands (14 min.): This section is focusing on stimulating your glands through poses and breath. Most of it is about the breath (breath of fire, snippets, etc) and is difficult for most people. I typically won’t do this one unless I feel up to it.
• 1 cow pose breath of fire, 1 cat pose breath of fire, 1 child’s pose, seated meditation, seated snippet breath, seated meditation, 1 on back, 1 seated, meditation.
• Deep Relaxation
• Breath Meditation with Hands like a Teapot
• Meditation for Emotional Healing
• Closing Prayer

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

FLOW YOGA: Strength & Flexibility

To be honest I bought this BodyWisdom DVD because I liked the way it looked... and because I am becoming fond of flow yoga. I find that it moves a little more, calms a little more, and gives you more dynamic stretches. I feel like I'm dancing and meditating at the same time! Of course this DVD moves slower than some of Shiva Rea's routines, but I think it is all the better for the strength-building and toning!

This DVD has hours of incredible yoga! It is recommended on the main menu that whatever amount of the DVD you do that you include time for a warm up and a cool down if possible. There is a warm up and a cool down included on this DVD that I would recommend using if you have the time.

I also like the format of this DVD because the routines are split up into target areas. I love it! You can customize your workout to where you want to feel the burn. When you select a routine, (e.g. hips) it will give you several options, like "hips (45 min.), hips w/ warm up (55min.), hips w/cool down (60 min.), hips w/ warm-up & cool down (75 min.)." So if you are already warm, or have your own cool down then you are set to go! If you want to do multiple target areas, never fear, you can just select the first option (hips (45 min.) and go back to the main menu and select another sequence when you are done.

Fantastic workout! Definitely challenging for anyone. This may be a slow flowing yoga, but it is fit for a warrior! See if you can't convince your husbands/significant other to try it with you. ;) If you are a beginner, start small and work your way up to longer routines that require more strength. If you are intermediate, or an active person this will still be a challenge, but you could probably start with the longer routines to see how you like it!

Below is a list of the sequences included:

• Warm Up (10 min.)
•  A short and gentle warm up with some twists and mild movement improvisation.
• General Flow (25 min.)
•  Starts slow for the first minute or so, then she gets right into the movement. My legs were burning a little over halfway through, but especially during Warrior 3 pose! Very good for developing overall strength and tone. She also has a dynamic stretch that I have done before in dance and absolutely love how it feels! You go from a low lunge into what she called monkey pose that stretches your calves and hamstrings.
• Arms (40 min.)
•  Knowing how difficult it was to complete the other routines I was dreading this one. But instead of the enormous amount of push ups that I was expecting, there were arm and shoulder stretches. There were also poses like side plank, forearm plank with some small movements. Another great workout!
• Back Bends (35 min.)
•  This sequence is not only to strengthen and tone like none other, but also to build the strength and teach the correct alignment when doing back bends. There are small baby back bends until the last few poses and you are able to do bigger back bends. I loved doing this because I was able to do the back bends without feeling any compression in my lower back. I believe this is because I did this exercise.
• Legs (40 min.)
•  Ever wanted those beautiful yogi legs? This is the way to get them! down-dog split, warrior, low lunge, chair pose, and other balancing poses create the perfect toning and strength building exercise for your legs! A yoga band, towel, theraband or other item may be used at the end during stretching.
• Core Strength (45 min.)
•  Begins with delicious cat-cow poses! You then continue to move through a rigorous sequence of ab sculpting poses. I love this one, and would do it any day instead of crunches. ;)
• Hips (45 min.)
•  Killer workout!!! Intense stretches that are great for runners! Pigeon, down-dog split, and other awesome hip-openers! She also has some nice transitions from pose to pose that I enjoy!
• Cool Down (20 min.)
•  Begins in a seated twisting pose, this is a great cool down with stretches that will help your muscles relax and release to reduce soreness. Deep relaxation and light meditation makes up the last 7-ish minutes of this cool down. Great for preparing yourself mentally for a productive day, or simply to relax and clear your mind before bed.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

ELEMENT: AM & PM Yoga for Beginners

This is a fantastic DVD to wake you up in the morning, relax and release your body at night, or to help ease muscle soreness or stress! Elena Brower is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor and a genius! This DVD was shared with me and I honestly wish that I owned it. Elena demonstrates and talks you through all the movements, she also demonstrates variations.

I was feeling sore after my run this morning and popped in the DVD since I forgot to try it last night before bed. This DVD has two 30 minute segments that you can try either separately or back-to-back. Elena keeps you moving and breathing to help ease your mind and your body. When I think of AM & PM yoga DVDs my mind immediately goes to meditation, and very basic poses. This is not one of those DVDs.

My thoughts on the sequences are found below:

AM Yoga (30 min.)-A great morning routine! My body feels relaxed and energized already! Elena has some very cool twists on transitions and specifically the cat-cow poses. Gentle repetition in stretches and poses help you to warm up your  body and ease deeper into the poses.She also has you step back into down-dog instead of straight into plank like most routines, this is easier on the body.

PM Yoga (30 min.)-A very relaxing routine that focusing on stretching with your breath. A good portion of the end of the sequence is deep relaxation and meditation. A pose that is used in this sequence that was not used in the AM sequence is Pigeon pose. This also felt really nice on my IT-band (Iliotibial tract) which was tense from running.

If you are interested in Elena Brower and her yoga studio in NY, USA then visit the website below:

virayoga.com

If you are interested in viewing the introduction to this DVD then click on the link below:

Trailer am/pm yoga

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

TEEN YOGA: Feat. Alley LaForce & Kathleen Kastner

Yoga expert Kathleen Kastner is joined by Alley LaForce (MissTeen USA 2005) in a flow yoga class. Even before I've started the routine I already love Kathleen's teaching style! She describes breath in a way that I never have heard a yoga instructor say before! You'll have to use the DVD to find out how she says it! ;)

I think this is a great routine for beginners and intermediates, I found some of the poses difficult, and some of them easy. Kathleen provides variations going from beginner to advanced so that you can always get a good workout from this routine! 

As the title indicates, it was made specifically for teens, to keep them healthy, strong and beautiful. It also builds flexibility, which I think is important to being able to function with less injury. An example of this is that she works you into the splits over time and the straddles as well. I think this is a great routine and I'm so glad that I found it! (thanks to Sonya who asked me to try it!)

If there is one thing that I would change the next time that I practice this routine it would be to select the "instruction without music" option on the DVD and play my own. I felt like the instructor was very positive and relaxing, but when it was difficult I wished that the music would carry me through the poses a little more.

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD see the link below:

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

AIM TRUE YOGA: Calorie Burning, Flexibility & Toning

Kathryn Budig is a great yoga instructor! I love this DVD because she moves through progressions that help you and your body perform more advanced poses. She is very cheerful, and encourages a smile during the routines. Her imagery and analogies are unique, and the workout leaves you feeling motivated and satisfied. Because she includes the more complicated poses in her workout, it takes more energy but it is so worth it! She gives you something to work towards. 

The DVD comes with two different workouts plus a killer downloadable workout for your core!


Here are the different routines included on the DVD:

• Beginner’s Practice (Mid Beginning/Intermediate) 25 min.  
•  Kathryn takes you through plank, down-dog, Introduces you to cobra and up-dog and uses a series of warrior poses as well. She takes you through some great preparations for poses that are in Authentic Flow and prepares you to do jumps in and out of plank.
• Authentic Flow (intermediate/advanced) 45 min.  
• You should probably have some basic Yoga experience in order to complete this section. It is more difficult and some of the twisting warrior poses get a little confusing. Dancers, you would LOVE this! Backbends, handstand/headstand prep, standing split, etc.  

• Power Up Your Core 6 min. 
• This is the downloadable workout for your core that comes with the DVD! Awesome to quickly blast your core anytime! 
• Yoga Poses Demystified
• This section of the DVD is a great resource for yogi's of all experience! Kathryn goes through basic poses and movements and demonstrates while explaining the alignment and feelings needed for each one. You can just watch or do it with her and feel what she is explaining.

If you are more interested in Kathryn Budig then you could check out her website:

kathrynbudig.com

*Just be cautious when it comes to her "Press" section because of some of the advertisements she has been in, and her lack of clothes in them. I personally avoid that section.

Since Amazon.com is an awesome place for DVDs I've included the link below:

Amazon.com

Happy Training! à bientôt!

*second image pulled from her website, and is not a pose included on this DVD.

SHIVA REA: Fluid Power, Vinyasa Flow Yoga

This is a great DVD for Intermediate/Advanced level participants, however beginners could probably simplify things and work up to the more difficult variations and poses. It has great cinematography and beautiful music that helps you get through each sequence. After warming up to Shiva Rea's instruction style and the movements themselves I really enjoy these sequences for either warming up my body in the morning, or relaxing in the evening before bed.

If you've never done anything like this before you might be self-conscious because some of the movements may be unfamiliar to your body. You may want to find a room where you can completely release and not let any tension get in the way of enjoying these movements. You probably want a clear space of about 8'x8' for almost everything on this DVD because she uses directions and movements that require a little bit of space. As you become more familiar with the sequences then you can perform all of them more freely and enjoy them.

Below, I’ve listed a description of each sequence on the DVD. My favorites were Backbend Flow, Hip Opening Flow, and Beginning Flow. I'm also anxious to try out the "Yoga Matrix" that supposedly allows you to customize your routine!

Vinyasa Flow Yoga- From what I can gather it is the connection of your breath to your movement. Shiva Rea talks about how we are made up of water and moving with the fluids in our bodies and joints is good for us. 

Shiva Rea-From what I can tell she is a master of Vinyasa Flow Yoga and is highly respected as such.

Disc 1: 

Yoga Matrix-You can design your own yoga routine using the sections provided.

Backbend flow-108 min. Begins with a chanting/meditation sequence. You can skip this if you like. Then it moves into sequences that are probably my favorite sequences on the DVD! There are lots of twisting movements and stretches that feel fabulous! She goes through progressions that build on each other, and it is done in a way that makes sense to the viewer. Those of you who enjoy Power Yoga would like some of these sequences. The intermediate back-bending sequences are more difficult, but feel oh-so-good!

Hip opening flow-77 min. Begins with the same standing movement meditation that Beginning Flow uses...the one that makes you want to belly-dance :). LOL! You then move into sequences that flow through positions and you learn some new transitions. Shiva Rea checks in with pelvic alignment every so often, which is so good for protecting your lower back from injury! This is also a routine for power yoga lovers. A handstand sequence which requires a wall and a backbend sequence has some great bridge pose variations! Two meditation sequences close the routine one sitting the other is the very same deep relaxation corpse pose meditation as Backbend Flow and almost every other pre-set routine.

Creative flow-63 min. I haven't done this yet, but I assume that it involves a large amount of structured improvisation.

Beginning flow-43 min. Begins with standing movement meditation. My inner belly-dancer tells me that anyone that likes wrist twirling and hip movements would love this meditation...including myself. :) You then move into a movement sequence that uses cat/cow, down-dog, plank and up-dog; flowing through each of these positions and learning some new transitions. The next sequence is a series of hip opening poses, centered around Pigeon pose that is the same section from Lunar flow. This segment ends with a deep relaxation sequence.

Lunar flow for flexibility- 41 min. Begins with meditation and some standing improvisation then moves into some floor poses including Pigeon pose variations. There’s some small improvisation on the floor and which ends with meditation in corpse pose. It felt fantastic to have the fluidity while in the poses in order to get a more dynamic stretch and work my muscles into the poses. The great thing about Shiva Rea is that she gives you a pose and you can either stay there or do the variation with her. This is great for adapting it to any level!

Meditation-26 min. This sequence sees the viewer using sound, breath and movement for meditation. This consists of chanting in a song-like manner while you are completing fluid movements and moving with the breath. The second sequence is also seated and feels delicious on the spine. The third sequence is standing meditation where Shiva Rea talks you through body systems and imagery. The last sequence is the same ending meditation as Lunar Flow and Beginning Flow.

Disc 2-

I haven't looked at yet but it is supposed to have some special features. :)

If you are interested in more Shiva Rea you can take a look at her website:

http://shivarea.com/

Happy Training! à bientôt!

TARA STILES: Strength & Energy

This post is my personal review on the Deepak Chopra & Tara Stiles  DVD Yoga Transformation: Strength and Energy. I have always been a fan of Tara Stiles since my mom introduced me to her book-Slim Calm Sexy Yoga. I have to admit that I am a little biased because I love yoga anyway, and to have a dancer as a yoga instructor I was just so excited! I'll blog about her book in a different post, this one is about the Strength and Energy DVD. I've been doing yoga almost every night the last few weeks to aid in my cross-training before the semester begins. Tonight was Tara's night. I have to admit I didn't think it would be as difficult as it was. Tara uses a lot of Down-Dog-Split which is so great for strength and flexibility. A little over halfway through the work-out she moves into some balancing, core and back-bends. By this time I was warm and "glistening" well enough that the simple balances and moving through the poses on one leg was a great addition to the workout!! Totally do-able, great for any level because it can always be adapted. Not the most difficult work-out but definitely worth it. I've included the link to the DVD below for anyone interested.

<http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Transformation-Strength-Deepak-Chopra/dp/B005OUL7SK/ref=pd_bxgy_mov_img_b>

If you are a starving student and have to save up before a purchase there are some good 5-15 minute sequences on YouTube that I have compiled into a playlist. That link is just below:

<http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL876934130AF4CB00>

Happy Training! à bientôt!