Customer Reviews

Power Yoga for Every Body with Over 20 Workouts for All Levels of Students

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The menu of selections for different level of workouts is very useful. There are 24 practice options that slowly walk every level person through a program. If you are unsure of how to do certain poses, this video is top quality in showing you the correct way to do the posture.
Recommended?
Yes, excellent addition to any yoga library.

Why Five Stars?
COMPREHENSIVE. Although there are some minor drawbacks this video is the best one of about ten I have in my library. I have all the big names and they do not give you enough workouts for your money. Other videos attempt to deal with individual issues by selling you additional videos or multiple box sets. Beware of those highly advertised names that cannot get a good comprehensive workout on one DVD/VHS.

Slight Shortcomings?
1. The pace is a bit slow but you do get a good workout with time to focus on your technique.
2. Most people interested in yoga understand that there are a series of sun salutations. These are a bit repetitive between the different workouts.
3. If they release another version of this they should consider having individual segments easier to access throughout the menu.

Competing Yoga tapes should?
PAY ATTENTION TO THIS FORMAT
Take a look at the format, which gives you options to do different workouts. For example "I have about 45 minutes and want to do a challenging workout." Or "I just have twenty minutes and want to loosen up a bit." Having this option is by far one of the best features of this tape.

BUY THIS DVD, take a few classes from different instructors. Register for yoga journal online (free). There are several good workout programs, if you are serious add a couple of tapes to your collection. If you are new, take your time. If you have some experience, try the challenging level for a good home workout.

Best wishes to you and yor practice.

Good luck, Good will, Namaste.

P.S. I do not author or sell any yoga programs.

This is the second yoga instruction DVD I've bought, the first being disappointing, but "Power Yoga for Every Body" is excellent. This is the one I am following on a daily basis, and I just love it; can't say enough good things about it. The three ability levels each containing over a dozen separate work-outs to choose from, will keep me occupied and constantly learning and improving for a long time to come. I'm a beginner but I can see that this DVD is so packed with ever more skilled routines that there is plenty for me to grow into.

I find Barbara Benagh's style of instruction perfect: a soothing voice that helps the calming process, and extremely clear advice on breathing, stressing the importance of when to exhale or inhale---I find that the breathing guidance really does assist the proper execution of the movements and poses, and she seems to have timed her cues at exactly when you are taking that breath naturally. The relaxation sessions at the end of each routine are phenomenally restful.

As other reviews have mentioned, pose sequences are repeated in many routines, but this is fine as they are combined with differing poses also, from routine to routine and level to level.

One must be aware, however, that the title of "Power" yoga does not refer to something frenetic in any way; some poses are quietly challenging, but the pace of the workouts is calm, gentle and quieting. I mention this just incase anyone takes the word "power" to mean vigorously-paced or fast-moving. To me the power part lies more in the strength I feel developing as I become more skilled at the poses. The actual pace is a gentle "vinyasa flow" from one posture to the next, emphasizing slow movements, calm, steady breathing, and a quietude of mind also.

I chose this DVD after carefully reading the reviews of other users here, to find out exactly what to expect, and I'm so happy with it that I'd like to say thanks for that, and add my own as confirmation that this is a terrific choice for a wonderfully instructed and demonstrated DVD, which has enough variation and content to grow with you.

I teach Ashtanga Yoga and I find it challenging to teach beginning students the flow method of power yoga. I found this DVD to be the perfect tool to help those new to the practice, but also for the more experienced who can benefit from slowing down every now and then and getting a chance to be more in tune with their bodies.

The DVD is jammed pack full of programs for every occassion, including the full practice, quick workouts, morning, evening etc. One major feature is that you can follow-along to the programs as your body progresses over time. I am advising all of my students to get this DVD and I think Power Yoga for Every Body compliment any yoga library.

Why aren't more yoga DVD's this thoughfully produced? Instead of just putting a VHS session on DVD and breaking it up into segments - this DVD provides many begining, intermediate, and advanced workouts. The instructor gives great cues without being distracting. The pace is great - time to get into and out of each asana - but still provides the flow of power yoga. This is a DVD that you can grow with and learn a lot from. I bought a few power yoga DVD's all at once - and had I known how much this offered and how well it was put together I would have only bought this and Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea. Moderately good was Power yoga with Rodney Yee and moderately moderate was power yoga with Bryan Kest (a bit fleshy and flashy for a yoga dvd). Poor was Ashtanga Yoga with Nicki Doane. Again if you are beginer or intermediate practitioner that wants to expand into Vinyasa/Power/Ahstanga/Flow then Barbara Benagh's Power Yoga For Everybody may be the only DVD you need.

I read a few reviews of this DVD concerning ashtanga teachers requesting their students to try this DVD as a change of pace to practicing the Primary and/or Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga. I can definitely understand why. I tried a few of the work outs on the DVD. The Sun Salutation, the Standing and Balance Series. The work has a similar intensity to Sun Salutation A & B and the Standing Postures. The biggest difference is there are certain poses you feel as if you are doing forever. For instance Chateranga (a.k.a "Yogic Pushup") is performed so many times and so slowly, a person can't help, but get stronger. This is a part that's kind of breezed through (at least I do) when doing the sun salutations when I warm up for the Primary Series. This DVD forced me to pay attention to detailed aspects of the practice like this one.

Ashtangis will definitely recognize most of the poses performed on this DVD (e.g. hand to big toe, hand to foot, triangle, revolved triangle, side angle, revolved side angle, etc.) There are a few poses that are performed a little differently. For instance the standing hand to big toe pose is performed with the arm extended out instead of having the hand on the hip, the intense side stretch is performed with the hands on the floor instead of behind the back in prayer position.

The pace is indeed slow, but ujjayi (victorous) breath is maintained throughout. I think this is the type of workout that will make a person who is used to practicing Ashtanga or any other type of fast flow yoga to slow down and focus on holding poses. There are several levels of the workouts that a person can try (beginner, intermediate, challenge). I tried the challenge and perhaps that is why some of the poses were held the way they were. Despite the slow pace, I was certainly able to work up a sweat performing the workout.

I would suggest this DVD for anyone who wants to try flowing type yoga, or a person who is used to faster flowing styles to try and slow down a little. My only problem with this DVD was there would be certain points where the dvd would just stop. I'm guessing this is a technical problem, which probably doesn't have much to do with the content of the tape itself. Otherwise, this was a good solid way to do an ashtanga-type workout, without as many of the really difficult poses included and at a much slower pace.

I do not relate well to slowing things down and taking my time, after all I am a New Yorker. I've always enjoyed the challenging Ashtanga and Bikram practices. On the advice of my yoga teacher, I decided to try this new DVD which emphasis a slow method form of the traditional Ashtanga practice.

This DVD is great for many reasons. There are dozens of practices which takes into account the average or even bsuy man's schedule and in the case of yours truly, its tough to get in 90 minute practice every day. Also for those days when you just dont feel your best this is a soothing workout. I wish this DVD was out when I firsted started to learn and still am learning Ashtanga. I highly recommend this DVD to beginners or those only midly curious, its a great tool which to ease into a challenging practice. Ashtanga/and or Power Yoga can be intimidating,but not with this DVD.

Its even good for those Ashtanga devotees who are use to a tough challenging workout, as you can never learn too much about this mind blowing practice. Hey anything that can help you have better sex, gets my vote, although I dont think thats the intent of this DVD at all. Its defintely work adding to your collection of yoga DVDs.

A few words about myself to make it easier for you to judge wether my opinion might be helpfull to you:
I'm a Power Yoga Instructor at a local Hotel Spa Fitness Club. I'm strongly into Yoga since about six years prefering Flow Routines challanging strength a lot but still contributing to all aspects of Yoga. I practice every day. Beeing german my english spelling is pretty bad, sorry for that!

About the DVD:

If you wan't to learn the correct allingnment of the Yoga Poses in a very detailed and professionel way, this DVD is for you. If you want to challange you're strength like hardly ever before, this is for you. And even if you're a complete Beginner you will find the proper modified workouts on the DVD.
I personally only use the challanging Level of the workouts (There is Beginner Level using props like a chair, and intermediate wich will be right for Beginners in good physical shape and there's the challanging programm). I personally skip the Beginning in the routines using straps and blanket. I guess it's ment to get your body and mind to the right point to start but in Power Yoga that is not neccesary and usually not done. The Sun Salutations give you all the warmth and stretching you need for any further Poses.
The Slow Flow Style of the DVD offers some great advantages:
First of all it allows you to be very very precise with the allignment of the Poses. With the Slow Flow and the instructors very detailed discription you really learn every aspect of the Pose. For Beginners to intermediate: Get this DVD to learn everything so you can use faster typical Power Yoga Flows and have proper allignment practicing.
The second Advantage is: In the challanging version it gets incredibly tough because you hold the Poses so long! You stay in low Plank for to coomplete slow breath, you stay in uward dog for even a lot longer... This is very hard to do and you need a lot of strength. There's nothing challanging your isometric Power like this workout.
I use the challanging Level "Good Morning" workout in the DVD often.
If you skip the intro it lasts hardly twenty Minutes. In this time you do only three Sunsalutations and a few forward bends more. That's it. Still it get's you cooking even more like some one hour Power Yoga routines! That's because you hold the Poses so long. Imagine: in 3 Sunsalutations there's 9 Times Plank, 9 times low Plank (holding the whole body two inches of the earth)and 9 times upward dog, now think you are holding all these Poses between 2 to 5 very slow breath. Now that's Power Yoga!
One other thing I discovered is that I feel even more totally refreshed and full of energie after doing this rather short routine than I do after some longer and faster routines. The Full workout in Challanging version is really very hard to do. You have to have a lot of strength and you need to be a long time Yoga Practicioner.
There is many different workouts in all three levels on the DVD though ranging from 25 to 90 Minutes. There is something for every day, something for every level.
I highly recommend this DVD. It is different but great. Even though I personally do the faster typical Vinyasa Flow Routines more often, and I myself teach a faster and dynamic style, I learned a lot form the programm and always enjoy doing it from time to time. See my listmania list on Power Yoga for all DVDs I recommend.
I hope this was helpfull to you!
Namasté!

I have done a few yoga videos now and this is the best I have seen. I feel it blends the right amount of technical instruction so I feel safe (I tried one power yoga video and it seemed downright unsafe by how fast they were flinging me around), but the instructors voice is a great guide and she seems to really know the body. I then got another video from the same instructor for athletes, which was very good, but I like this one even better.

I bought this DVD because a friend of mine who is a serious yoga person suggested it. I am so happy I did. At first I was intimidated by the Power Yoga idea, but my friend said it is a wonderful new Power Yoga called 'slow flow'. It really makes the poses very accessible for me, yet very challenging. I have only used it for 2 weeks, but I already feel my body changing. I don't know if I can ever do some of the challenging workouts, they look very challenging for my body, but all of the beginning and intermediate workouts should keep me busy for years! There's so much wonderful information and workouts on this DVD compared to other DVDs that it is truely refreshing.

this is not your ordinary power yoga dvd.

if you are looking for a big sweat, or an aerobic-style yoga workout, you will not find it here. if you are looking for ashtanga, you should learn from a trained teacher, but the david swenson or john scott dvds and books are the way to go to support your instruction. what you will find here (though, if you are like me, it might take some pouting to get there) is a deep and powerful conscious practice of yoga that can brign benefits both physically and psychically in ways that many other yoga workouts simply do not.

like other dvds in this series, there are a number of routines at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. you can select practices for morning or evening or with themes such as invigorating, strengthening, balancing, quieting, or do the full workout. the routines are composed of different assortments of segments focusing on: breath awareness, deep tissue awareness, sun salutations, strength work, backbends, and forward bends. the routines range from 20 minutes to 2 hours. you could also jump within a routine if you prefer to do something other than what is set forth.

the instructor has a gentle and encouraging manner, though she sounds like she is reading from a script rather than describing the poses. still, she is pleasing and informative. a long-time student of hers demonstrates the poses with impressive grace, strength, and awareness.

my preferred yoga practice is ashtanga, and i enjoy balancing that with more gentle and pose-focused practices. i also have the yoga for every body dvd in this series, which i have been using more often because i enjoy its versatility. this dvd, however, has great depth and can seamlessly move you into both the physical and not so physical aspects of yoga. the beauty of it is that, if you are not attracted to the spiritual grounding of yoga, conscious practice with this dvd can still give you the benefits without all the talk that would likely turn you off. if you already have a spiritual practice, this will blend with it without conflict. i find that the principles i am learning from this instructor are infiltrating in my other yoga practices, to great benefit.

if you are not sure about this, try staying with it. i was skeptical with the slow pace at first, actually, even quite a bit annoyed. but it is worth letting yourself quiet into this enriching yoga practice.