Customer Reviews

Bryan Kest: Spinal Strengthening (CD & Booklet)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's in cd format, therefore one can do as little or as much as one can handle. It is actually a well rounded full body workout. I thought it might be lots of spinal stretching and relaxation, but it includes loads of strengthening for the spine and the core. Starts off with a spinal balancing sequence - table position on hands and knees with extended opposing arm and leg - then side arm balances with lots of variations, and extended cat pose...then seated poses with table (stomach towards ceiling) with lots of variations and much boat work. Then prone poses- swimming type work, yoga "supermans" and bow pose. Next track is variations on camel with great lateral stretches. Then standing balances which are quite advanced. Then there's an extra hips and legs section - reclining pidgeon and nice hip stretches which feel great. finishing poses include plow and shoulderstand and neck stretches. Plus of course my favourite spinal twists.

In between the poses in the first tracks - mini flows - plank down to low pushup position, and cobras and down dog. All in all about 130 poses which include the transition poses.

The booklet is great too. I thought it was going to be tiny - cd sized, but it's quite big - about 8 inches square, and spiral bound which is great - and every pose is photographed - Bryan doing the advanced version of the pose, and a female model showing modifications. There are also written instructiosn along all the poses. And there are a couple of cute dogs in some of the photos - nice touch - my cat likes to join me in my yoga practice, so I appreciated this.

No music, but I don't mind. Music can be great, but it can be distracting.

All in all a great find. I am really happy with my purchase, and plan to do it regularly.

I can't begin to say enough good things about this workout. I am an aficianada of Bryan Kest's original Power Yoga series from 1995. I also enjoy his new videos (especially Intensive Sculpting) from 2002. But...I just love this CD. It is the best workout that I have done in a long time - maybe ever. I thought initially that it might be weird working out without the visual imagery of video, but it is actually better. Bryan's voice is extra soothing, and his direction easily guides you from pose to pose without needing to look at the included book, (assuming that you know a few basic poses, such as cobra and down dog - the others he aptly describes.) I found myself more able to concentrate on the yoga, without distraction. The basic workout begins a bit more relaxed than his Power Yoga series, taking a bit more time to stretch, as opposed to getting your muscles "hot" right away. But before long, you find that your heart rate is getting up there and your muscles are working and that you are doing some invigorating but really challenging balances. This is spinal strenghening at its best, relaxation at its deepest. Bryan Kest's emphasis is, as always, on knowing your body and its limitations and first and foremost, feeling the breath. Another nice thing about this workout is that although it is divided between two CD's, the second CD is basically the last stretches and relaxation, so if you have a single CD player machine, you are not changing the discs in the middle of an intense pose. Also, you might like to do the relaxation CD by itself sometime, just to unwind. A bonus is the book, which has all of the poses and could be taken on a vacation even when you don't want to take the CD. This CD is great - and a day after doing this workout, all of my muscles feel like they got their fair workout. Six stars. Check it out.

I really like this Kest routine probably more than any other that I do (and I've done most of them). It is a very even split between stretching/relaxing and working hard. The flow of the routine seems to make a lot of sense to the mind and body as well. I have to admit that if I were stranded on an island with only one yoga routine, this would be the one I would pick.

Because this class works on your core muscles, you will notice a big improvement in your back and stomach muscles if you practice consistantly. I have been doing this routine for several months and can tell a big difference in my body. When I started it, I was inflexible, had very little muscle, had some lower back pain, and had terrible balance. Even though I will probably not become a greek god from doing the routine, everything about my body and my mind has improved with regular practice.

I think that if you were relatively new to yoga-- as in you know the basic poses: down dog, plank, cobra, camel, boat... but you're not great at them-- this would be a good routine with which to improve your practice. Bryan really gives great vocal cues about what you ought to be doing and feeling, so everyone can learn. The picture book is a great resource too and I studied it while doing the class the first time and checked in with it even weeks later to get another look at the pose and check myself. It feels so good for your back to stretch with the camel poses and the reverse boat series is SO challenging-- you get both sides of the coin with this routine.

I have to admit that the standing balancing poses are VERY hard. Even after months of working at them, I still struggle with them. There was a time when I went through the routine just sitting on my mat during this section and later just bending over and touching the floor like the book suggests for a modification. I was frustrated. BUT, I hung in there and I now can do them and am getting better each time I practice. The main thing is to leave behind the idea that you need to look like the picture of Bryan in the book and just accept where you are.

Bryan does talk a lot and I am always reading on these reviews that people find that irritating. Sometimes I do too. But, frankly, sometimes I need that to keep myself challenged and working in a pose. Other times, I make a challenge for myself to block him out, or I put on some other kind of music or TV quietly in the background so that I can just barely hear his cueing, but find it easier to tune out the non-essential talking when there is a din of sound to block it out. Also makes for a good challenge to keep focused on yourself.

I think this is a really good yoga routine that can help you to get stronger in your core and calm down mentally. It's less active than a usual Kest power yoga routine, but for my money it is an excellent balance between stretching and working. I suggest this workout to anyone who wants to try Bryan out-- it's a good routine that will grow with you as you improve. Even though I never felt anything but happiness with this routine (except maybe the first few times when I was just sitting during the standing balancing), let me motivate you: if you find it difficult or challenging, keep trying a while before you give up-- that difficulty is your chance to grow!

I love this CD for what it does for my back. I am much stronger in Cobra,upward bow and camel. I do it once a week on Sunday mornings. OK, so Bryan's asana terminology is offense, i.e. downward doggy, crotch asana, crotch candy. Maybe no one told him that women outside of Los Angeles don't like that stuff and serious yogi like you to refer to the poses by their real english names or better yet sanskrit names. Regardless, I take out it what I need. He doesn't do Bridge pose or Upward Bow, so I add these. After the spinal work, I just float up, which is no easy feat for me since I am a healthy girl. Get this one. Your spine will love you.

I really enjoyed this CD, but I think it's important to note that it's called "Spinal Strengthening," not "Spinal Repair." It isn't appropriate for someone who is currently injured. Your back needs to be pretty strong & healthy to do this practice. It's actually a good all-around practice, and the instructor gives you plenty of time to get into the asanas and feel the benefits. That's what I like about Bryan Kest. A lot of other teachers who do this type of practice move too fast and have the same old asanas. He puts a different spin on it, and I enjoy it.

I read the reviews and ignored previous reviewers comments (of his other products) regarding Kest's voice and the phrases he uses. I didn't take them seriously because I thought they were just trying to be rude. But after I received the CD I couldn't even bring myself to try doing the routine, which is disappointing because it seems to be a good one. His voice is distracting, he moans and uses annoying phrases like "downward doggy." Even if I got through the CD once, I know I wouldn't be able to handle listening to it again without going crazy. If you're looking for a CD/Video etc to do on a regular basis, I think you'll find this one will get old very quickly. Maybe it's because I'm used to David Swenson's excellent Short Forms video. I find Swenson's approach to be a good balance between instruction, encouragement and silence; he doesn't talk more than is necessary and his voice and comments are easy to listen to over and over again. So if you enjoy Swenson's approach stick with it and avoid Kest. I gave Kest's CD two stars because I like the sequence in the workout, but I don't like how Kest works you through the routine (although other people may find his approach exactly what they're looking for). But I have several yoga dvds (in addition to Swenson's) and Kest's is the only one I wish I didn't purchase (and it was the most expensive of all of them too!).

This is a great yoga workout. The CD and book are easy to follow along with. The routine is challenging but fun. It's an hour and a half long, but goes by extremely fast and really strengthens your back muscles.

This Bryan Kest routine has a number of advanced elements, cobras and other poses held for 5 breaths or more, a standing pose sequence that is quite intense, a plough pose that would not be recommended for a beginner, etc. Nevertheless, many of the more difficult sequences can be easily modified or skipped over making this an approachable yet challenging practice. Note again that poses are held for reasonable amounts of time, so those of you expecting a fast movement vinyasa flow workout might be disappointed-this one will not cause you to break a sweat- still, there is generally ample opportunity to "sink" into the poses should that be your preference. Note that this is primarily a core routine with a couple of sequences of push-ups thrown in- no lunges, warriors or triangles.

Kest's focus here is on the breath- maintaining an even, deep breathing flow through the nose and by deep he doesn't mean hyperventilation (good advice as I found myself huffing and puffing on a few of the more challenging poses). Other reviewers found his voice and comments distracting at best and often irritating. Tastes vary of course, but I found his comments encouraging and his instructions to the point and helpful. The spiral bound booklet is of good quality and useful but I imagine most people will be able to dispense with it after some experience with the routine. The audio is spread over 2 CD's and lasts a full 90 minutes. Having a multi disc player or downloading to an iPod would insure continuity.

Beginners should consider this product only after becoming familiar with a decent variety of yoga poses (taking several classes would prove useful) and with a good understanding of their (the practitioners') limitations (I should know I'm a beginner). However, approached with this knowledge and a healthy dose of patience, this could prove a rewarding program.

Great exercises for a bad back. I started doing yoga with Bryan Kest with his original 3-part Power Yoga series, then I took great classes in the NYC area, and now I moved to the Philly suburbs. This CD is the best class I've taken since moving. It's great if you already have a background in yoga, not for beginners, but I love it.

There are 2 CDs in the package, and I've done just the first CD which encompasses a little over 1 hour. It's quintessential Bryan. The poses are quite similar to those found in Intensive Body Sculpting, like the pretty challenging "half-moon pose" (which I haven't yet managed to perfect, but I'm working on it) but you also get a lot of boat poses for your core/abs (boat pose is when sitting, you raise your legs up straight until you form a "V" shape and you hold your legs for about five breaths, with your arms parallel to the ground) and a bunch of spinal stretches.

Overall, I thought the CD was good. It's part strengthening/part stretching, and complements Bryan's other practices. I don't know if there are other yogis who do poses like Bryan does his. I've tried Shiva Rea's Yoga Shakti (which I didn't like) and some Baron Baptiste (which I didn't think was as challenging as Bryan Kest). So it's safe to say I'm a Bryan-Kestophile. His stuff really gets me going.

Very strongly recommended.