Product Details

• Actors: Sherri Baptiste, Baptiste Power of Yoga.LLC
• Directors: Sherri Baptiste, Karen Dzienkowski and John Semerau
• Producers: Karen Dzienkowski and John Semerau
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Coyotee Productions
• DVD Release Date: February 1, 2004
• Run Time: 80 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000WUQPC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,164 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

YOGA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003

"...her instructions are physically specific, imaginatively inspiring,....this is a well-conceived and executed session for experienced beginners and beyond."

Product Description

In this session Sherri Baptiste Freeman will carefully guide you through a flowing series of breath-based hatha yoga postures. The focus is on enhancing physical and mental strength, balance, flexibility, and tone, while cultivating energy, a beautiful body, and an inspired state of being. Followed by a 20 minute Meditation including preparation, and breath work. This is a simple and practical daily meditation, excellent for beginners or for more experienced meditators. This yoga video and meditation was shot entirely on location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean on one of Northern California's most sacred mountains, Mt. Tamalpais.

"This is a steadily paced, dynamic, and deceptively challenging practice. Baptiste Freeman has a nice way with words, her instructions are both physically specific and imaginatively inspiring, and she’s a sure-footed model....this is a well-conceived and executed session for experienced beginners and beyond." YOGA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2003

SHERRI BAPTISTE FREEMAN is a dynamic teacher at the forefront of yoga training in America, and comes from a lineage of master teachers. She is the daughter of two of America's yoga pioneers Magana & Walt Baptiste, who established yoga on the West Coast in the mid-50's. Sherri is the founder of Baptiste Power of Yoga™ in Marin Co/San Francisco Bay area. She offers Baptiste Power of Yoga™ Classes, Yoga Workshops, Yoga Retreats, Yoga Teachers Training, and leads Yoga Vacations both nationally and internationally. Sherri Baptiste takes the spirit and practice of yoga to new levels.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Challenging, Unique, and Deep Intermediate Yoga Practice, July 29, 2003

By 

CPTScott - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baptiste Power of Yoga with Sherri Baptiste [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Sherri Baptiste Freeman has produced a wonderful intermediate Yoga Video that is very complete, inspiring and unique. I have over 90 yoga videos and there are many poses included here that I've never seen anywhere else. Even poses that are familiar to most practitioners are approached in a fresh way.

Another feature of this video is that along with the use of vinyasa throughout, almost all of the poses are performed dynamically first (with preparatory movements) before holding the poses for several breaths.

Though this is a very challenging yoga practice, all of the poses are possible for just about anyone who is in good basic health (and you can always modify to suit your needs). There are no poses for example that require you to put your legs behind your head or any other movements that are out of the realm of possibility for most people.

Sherri Baptiste Freeman was practically born doing yoga. Her parents Walt and Magana Baptiste were among the earliest Yoga and fitness pioneers in the United States. Her brother Baron Baptiste is also one of the leading yoga teachers in the world. Sherri brings a level of experience and depth that is rare to find anywhere. Her instructions are crystal clear and she demonstrates the poses beautifully.

The tape starts with an interesting variety of breathing practices and shoulder openers that gently prepare your body for the challenging practice ahead. Among the many interesting approaches on this tape is the fact that, while it is a vinyasa flow, it doesn't have the traditional Sun Salutations. Yet you don't miss them here at all.

Rather, early in the practice she has unique dynamically flowing poses such as Fire and Earth (Prithvi Mudra) which is a gentle breath led shoulder and neck opener, you then move into Victory Squats (Jyasana) which is a breath led dynamic squat which is done while opening the arms outwardly and inwardly.

This dynamic and flowing approach to poses permeates this video which keeps heat in the body, helps to maintain focus on the breath and brings a meditative quality to the practice.

After the warm up poses there are a series of hip openers such as dynamically moving lunges, revolved side angle poses, standing splits (a variation on dog pose with one leg extended) which moves into pigeon pose. These are soon followed by cobra and a Warrior lunge which flows into Prayer twist. Many forward folds and downward facing dog poses are interspersed throughout the tape as part of the connecting vinyasas.

There is a complete flowing locust series which works this beneficial pose through different phases, first one arm and leg at a time and then both.

Following are poses such as Tortoise (which I would describe as a pose that moves dynamically between plank w/ lowered knees and child's pose for several repetitions) , Bow Pose (dynamically performed), half plank (plank pose w/knees on the ground which moves dynamically w/ child's pose) which is followed by full plank that alternates dynamically with Down dog.

Next comes a VERY challenging balancing series which has Warrior 3 pose (called balancing T-pose here), Skater's pose (another unique variation) and Butterfly pose.

At this point you move into a flowing Warrior series which brings you from Warrior 1 to Warrior 2 to reverse Warrior(looking up) to Reverse Warrior (looking over lower shoulder). Then you move into a crescent lunge first with arms over head and then with your hands interlaced into the Yoga Mudra position behind your back.

Boat pose comes next, (which is first performed dynamically) and which prepares you for the longer held boat pose. Purvottansana (reversed table pose with straight legs) is interspersed here between another held boat pose. This is followed by variations of dynamically moving core strengthening poses such as alternating knee to chest while bringing arms and torso forward, then w/ straight leg, then both legs bent, then both legs straight.

Following are a lying spinal twist and Archer's Pose (another pose I've never seen before) which is done by holding one knee, with the other leg straight and raised, back is raised off the ground towards the bent leg.

Then comes a back bending series which has bridge and wheel pose (aka upward bow) after which you release your back by bringing knees to chest and then reclining lunge (which is like dead bug or happy baby pose).

The practice ends with savasana and seated meditation.

If you are looking for a complete, deep, beautifully sequenced and flowing intermediate level yoga practice you will LOVE this tape!

Namaste

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baptiste Power of Yoga & Meditation with Sherri Baptiste Freeman, June 30, 2005

By 

Nicole from NYC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baptiste Power of Yoga & Meditation with Sherri Baptiste (DVD)

Thank you sooo much Sherri for creating this DVD. You have inspired me to have a new and passionate refocus on Yoga Practice and I so enjoy sharing it with my students.

The views in the outdoor background are amazing. in the very beginning of the practice, extensions of the arms are inspiring as Sherri has reach upwards towards the sky. The beautiful scenery , with rhythmic music has helped me feel more open, and able to reach beyond my limits.

The sequencing in the session has a strong emphasis on the breath, and the workout is progressive in the way it flows. You get to warm up first, then the challenge comes in. We are instucted to move through many postures, finishing with a restorative end, and meditation. Sherri's voice and way she speaks is also very important on this DVD. Sherri has a calming and encouraging quality in her voice as she skillfully guides us through the standing, and more dynamic warriors, triangles and down dogs.

It's got intermediate to advanced challenge in many of the poses, with modifications suggested. The way it flows gives you pause and rest with some of the easier poses thrown in when you need them. Towards the end you do backbends that open your chest. By the end it's a feeling of being inspired, and that you've had a really good work for my mind and my body, it's nurturing too and gets you to breath deeper.

You can use the entire workout or just go to one section, like the standing poses, or right to the ending guided meditation. It's well thought out and I like having the choice to just do one piece of it or all. I find this DVD to be totally unique, and it has taken my practice to deeper levels.

Although I have spent one class with Sherri at a recent conference and then purchased this DVD, I have had such a wonderful response and I exclaim how she has inspired me so. Thank You!
Nicole-NYC

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Video, October 30, 2008

By 

G. Watson (sangerville, maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Baptiste Power of Yoga & Meditation with Sherri Baptiste (DVD)

This is a great video with a "real" looking model. Her cueing is excellent. I use Baron's DVD's often and like to use Sherri's as a slightly different routine.