FitSugar

DVD Review: Better Sex Through Yoga – Volume 3

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:30:00 -0700

I just checked out Volume Three ($14.95), of the Better Sex Through Yoga series. I was excited to try it (no, not in that way), because this DVD is the most advanced video of the three.

The first thing I noticed is that the instructor was scantily clad; I think I actually murmured out loud, "Yeah, like I'd ever practice yoga in a short tank top and my undies." If you can get over the costuming issues, the yoga part is actually pretty good. She gives great instruction, and helpful tips appear on the screen like "spread your fingers wide in Down Dog." Then suddenly, that eerie voiceover lady from the first two DVDs starts piping in with instructions like, "Slowly breathe into your sexual core," and "Stretch your sexual core." To top it all off, the camera zooms in on the instructor's crotch and her little undies while doing a Wide-Legged Forward Bend. So unnecessary. I was also entertained by the fact that the instructor and the two yogis following her were spritzed with oil or glitter or something to make it look like every inch of their skin was glistening.

I was expecting this video to focus more on opening your hips and hamstrings, and to work on increasing flexibility in your entire body, which would then enhance your sex life. This video was borderline like a porno, and the only part about it that touched on sexuality was that the people were wearing next to nothing. There are so many better yoga DVDs out there.

DVD Review: Trudie Styler's Warrior Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:00:35 -0700

Although I enjoy practicing yoga in my living room, I rarely have the time - and to be honest, the discipline - to complete a whole 90-minute session alone. For those reasons, I really enjoyed the DVD Trudie Styler's Warrior Yoga ($15). The full practice is 50 minutes long, and the verbal instruction is so professional and specific it felt like a private lesson. Although yoga enthusiast Sting is her hubby, Trudie invited celebrity fitness guru James D’Silva to help lead this video. His unbelievably calming voice coupled with the gorgeous backdrop of Trudie and Sting's eco-friendly Tuscan villa inspired me to move with strength and serenity.

Warrior yoga is a type of vigorous Vinyasa yoga, where postures flow one into another. I like how D’Silva repeated the same poses a few times, holding each one for a breath, so you could feel your body opening deeper every time. The sequence included challenging poses that targeted opening commonly tight areas of the body including the hips, hamstrings, lower back, and shoulders.

Is this DVD one of my favorites? Find out when you read more.

This video set a spark under my already burning fire for yoga. I've reviewed many yoga DVDs, and this one is definitely top on my list of faves. It included all the essential aspects of yoga - attention to breath and moving with strength and control, a variety of postures to target all areas of the body, repetition of postures to deepen your stretch, and awareness of the connection between your mind and body. By the end, I felt calm yet energized, and I was covered in sweat, so I know I worked my body well. Beginners and advanced yogis will love this video, and I know it'll be one I can come back to over and over again. You can order yours from Gaiam.

DVD Review: Element Yoga for Beginners

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0800

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.

DVD Review: Daily Energy - Vinyasa Flow Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:50 -0800

It's no lie that Shiva Rea is one of my yoga idols. Considered one of the best Vinyasa yoga instructors due to her calming energy and challenging sequences of postures, Shiva has created a new DVD. You know I was excited to try it.

Titled Daily Energy - Vinyasa Flow Yoga ($20), the new video contains seven 20-minute sessions to encourage a little time on the mat every day. Shiva believes a little daily yoga is more beneficial than occasional long and intense practices. The DVD is as flexible as its creator - you can practice for 20 minutes or longer by combining a few sequences for a longer yoga session. She has also created pre-set practices for you to experiment with if you're looking for longer combinations, with some practices being grounding and relaxing and others uplifting and energetic. Depending on your mood, you can choose which session will benefit you for the day.

I love that the video includes short yoga workouts, so you can always fit in a quick, yet complete practice. It's so much better than popping in a full-length video and following along for only part of the series. This video is great to do after a run or bike ride. The unique and fluid sequences strengthened my arms, core, and legs, but also gave me a good stretch. Shiva never lets me down and is always coming up with challenging variations of postures I've never seen before. Beginners and seasoned yogis will both love this DVD.

To see a clip of this video, read more.

DVD Review: Prenatal Yoga With Desi Bartlett

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

If you're expecting a baby, hopefully you've heard about the benefits of yoga for pregnancy, labor, and delivery. If you can't find any prenatal yoga classes near you, then try a prenatal yoga DVD, like this one, Prenatal Yoga With Desi Bartlett ($15). This flowing, gentle, 45-minute yoga practice is designed to be used through all three trimesters.

It begins with a sweet, two-minute meditation to help connect with your breath and your baby. The meditation is followed by 10 minutes of postures on the floor that gently begin to open your hips to increase flexibility and strength in your core. This sequence moves quite slowly, but it's really relaxing. Desi then leads you through 20 minutes of standing postures that include - as you'd guess - lots of squats and hip opening postures such as Goddess and Warrior 2, which are good preps for labor. I like that she included modified push-ups to strengthen your upper body, "which you will need for carrying your little one in your arms." There's also 10 minutes of restorative poses on the floor, using blankets and blocks.

I really enjoyed Desi's gentle nature, her encouraging voice, and how she held poses for a long time so you could really experience the sensations in your body. I remember pregnancy being a time for inner reflection, and this DVD is a great way to allow for some much-needed time to yourself.

To see a video clip of Prenatal Yoga, read more.

If you have never tried yoga before your pregnancy, be sure to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

DVD Review: Shiva Rea - Surf Yoga Soul

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of Shiva Rea and all her yoga videos, so I was thrilled to hear she had a new video called Surf Yoga Soul ($15). You don't have to be a surfer to enjoy this video, since it focuses on creative movements that open your body and heart, and strengthen your muscles and mind, to help you "surf the power of the life force within you." OK, that might be a little cheesy, but the DVD is great fun.

There are seven segments you can complete at once for a 75-minute workout, or you can choose the ones you have time for and create your own personal workout. One called Agni Namaskar is a challenging variation of sun salutations developed to strengthen the core muscles and the upper body. She takes you through the same series of nine rounds of 12 push-ups that she included in her video Creative Core + Upper Body. My arms and upper back were sore for two days afterward, so needless to say, I loved this part of the video. Another segment called Balance Flow cultivates your balancing skills doing poses such as Warrior 3 and Side Crow, and opens your hips doing stretches such as Extended Pigeon. The other segments include meditation, breathwork, flexibility, and rest (Savasana).

This is one of Shiva Rea's best Yoga DVDs because it's both challenging and creative, and targets every part of the body. My muscles felt the perfect balance of being strengthened, lengthened, and opened. I could see myself doing this video regularly and not getting bored. I definitely recommend this DVD to both beginner and advanced yogis, so if you're interested, you can order it through Acacia.

To see a clip of this Surf Yoga Soul, read more.

DVD Review: Transform Yourself With Jivamukti Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:00:00 -0700

If the spiritual aspect of yoga appeals to you, then it's time to try Jivamukti. If you don't know of any classes in your area, then check out this DVD, Transform Yourself With Jivamukti Yoga ($20). It's led by Sharon Gannon and David Life, the founders of Jivamukti yoga. This Sanskrit word literally means "liberation while living." This practice is both physically challenging and mentally invigorating. Its goal is to inspire joy, happiness, and optimum health.

What I like about this DVD is that you can choose to be led by either David or Sharon through the 60-minute practice. I personally liked Sharon's voice because it's more relaxing and serene. The video begins with a standing meditation and chanting. If you're not used to this, it may seem a little weird, but give yourself a chance to try it out, because chanting has an amazingly calming effect on the body and mind.

As in a classic Jivamukti class, the practice begins with Sun Salutations, and then continues to follow a vinyasa style, where standing and seated poses flow quickly from one to the other. I'm a big fan of Jivamukti yoga, so I really liked this video. This practice strengthens and stretches every part of your body so afterward (it sounds hokey to say this), your body will feel open, your mind relaxed, and your heart happy.

To see a video clip of Transform Yourself With Jivamukti Yoga, read more.

If you like this video, David and Sharon have another DVD called Power to the Peaceful Yoga ($15).

DVD Review: Yoga Link - Core Integration

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Looking for some new moves to tone your core muscles? The DVD Core Integration ($19.95) is designed to strengthen you from the inside out. The exercises are meant to not only target your abdominal muscles, but they'll also strengthen weak muscle tissue, awaken sluggish organs, stretch scar tissue, and cultivate vibrancy in your nervous system. It's important to strengthen your core for spinal stability and digestive health, but it also makes us feel good about ourselves to have tight abs.

I'm a fan of this DVD because the instructor gives you a little three-minute anatomy lesson of your core muscles, and describes how each muscle moves your spine. Very cool. Then in the workshop portion of the DVD, she shows you how to use props (a mat, block, wall, and a foam roller) to do some really awesome core-strengthening moves that target your rectus abdominals, obliques, and your transverse abdominals, and psoas (you'll learn what these are if you watch the video). She does a great job of explaining each move as she's doing it, and describes what's happening in your body as you do each exercise. I haven't learned this much from a yoga DVD in a long time.

After the 71-minute workshop portion, she guides you through a 57-minute core practice, which includes a flow sequence of all the exercises you learned in the workshop. These moves were amazing, and I worked muscles in my abs I never reach with regular crunches. I definitely recommend this video if you're really into strengthening your core.

DVD Review: Shiva Rea - Flow Yoga for Beginners

FitSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you've always wanted to experiment with Flow Yoga, you're going to love Shiva Rea's DVD, Flow Yoga for Beginners ($15). This DVD is all about creative, fluid movements, and it's full of inspired, rhythmic music with heavy beats and gorgeous scenery in the background.

I love that Shiva Rea begins this practice in a seated position, to give you a chance to slow down your body and mind, so you can prepare yourself for complete awareness. She starts with series of slow movements, called Foundation Flow, to warm up your body and get you connected to your breath, which is so important for your focused yoga practice.

The other sections include Backbend Flow, Flexibility Flow, Standing Pose Flow, and finally Savasana. Each section is about 10 to 20 minutes long, so you can do the entire 70 minutes at once or choose the ones you have time for. The sequence of poses are very slow and gentle, so you'll learn about proper alignment in each pose, which is so important for beginners. I really enjoyed this DVD and felt extremely relaxed and calm afterward. If you are ready to try and flow, you can buy it here.

DVD Review: Yoga Booty Ballet - Goddess Booty and Yoga Core

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0800

Right around this time last year I felt my abs burn from the Goddess Abs workout by the two women behind Yoga Booty Ballet, so I thought it was about time that I tried a couple more workouts by the peppy duo. I was looking forward to testing the two-disc set that includes Goddess Booty (25 min.) and Yoga Core (30 min.), but my experience with these DVDs wasn't all-around positive.

Gillian and Teigh used yogic terminology so frequently that it seemed unnecessary and an attempt to distract me from the fact that I wasn't getting a workout. There was a lot of guided breathing and claims that they were feeling the burn, but I did not feel that the workout made any impact on making my booty beautiful, as they said it would. The pair was good at explaining what each exercise was targeting but stayed in each variation for so few reps that I couldn't feel the slightest burn in my booty. Their cheesy encouragement to "feel like a goddess, feel beautiful," was enough to make me irritated and not at all centered.

See what I thought of the Yoga Core video when you read more.

Yoga Core was much better than Goddess Booty but was still not challenging enough to make a real impact. There was a lot of frivolous talking and they encouraged me to recite the affirmation, "from my core to my character, I am strong and supple." Coming from a woman in pigtails, this simply didn't sit properly or make me feel more prepared for my workout. Pilates was largely incorporated and they introduced several plank variations that only succeeded in making me feel like I was warmed up. After 55 minutes total and feeling like I was slightly warm, my overall opinion is that these DVDs are just too easy.