Last night I convinced a good friend of mine to do a new DVD that I had to review with me. As it was called Element: Yoga for Beginners ($10.09) I knew she would give me some good feedback on what she thought about the DVD since she is a yoga newbie. Being an avid PopSugar fan, she was excited to learn that the Anusara instructor in the video, Elena Brower, had taught yoga to celebs like Christy Turlington, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, and Eva Mendes.

Overall, the reviews from both of us were two thumbs up. The poses move slow enough that she was able to look up and figure out what the heck "opening her heart" meant, while fast enough that it was not too slow or boring. There is a strong focus on breathing technique and linking your breath to your movement. My friend loved that Brower was not too crunchy (part of why she's avoided yoga in the past), but she also was not some bubbly instructor only hired for her good looks — in other words, it was evident she was a reputable yoga instructor so it was a good balance. What's more? My friend called me this morning to tell me that she's sore and she's keeping the DVD for herself.

I am especially partial to promoting the sale of this DVD since for every four DVDs that are purchased, Arbor Day Foundation will plant one tree in a national forest.

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