Customer Reviews

Strength, Grace, Healing

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am an intermediate yoga devotee (can do unassisted headstands, but not handstands, etc.). I started in 1998 with Total Yoga (Tracey Rich & Ganga White). I have practiced yoga throughout my martial arts training, through 2 pregnancies & recoveries, and I remain devoted and inspired by what yoga does for my mind & body.

While I consider Total Yoga to be the ultimate workout for a true beginner, I now consider Max Strom's workout my ultimate yoga experience. This DVD would not be ideal for a beginner, as he does not explain yogic breathing at all (Total Yoga was perfect for this), and it is a challenging series of poses. I believe I found this DVD at the perfect time for me. After years with Rodney Yee, Bryan Kest, Shiva Rea, Yoga Zone, Kripalu, and various others, I now find it difficult to do any other workout besides Strom's. No other practice leaves me feeling strong, fluid, and peaceful. What a gift! There are variations of poses that I have not seen, and the flow of the class is effortless. Strom's voice is calming, and the meditation at the end of class is extraordinary. I cannot recommend this DVD highly enough to anyone who is at least somewhat experienced in their yoga practice.

Beyond what has already been said about this DVD, the only thing I have to add is that this is the Holy Grail of yoga practices. This is the type of class that will make you thin.

I feel like a hypocrite for only talking about what this will do anatomically, but it's really all I have to add. This practice has a sequence of poses that will change your metabolism. It will also teach you how to avoid injury in any yoga class, and help you sleep at night.

First, let's talk about what this will do for the metabolic rate--the largest muscles in the body are in the back of the legs. The more muscle in the back of the legs, the more calories you burn. If you want to become slender and strong in the least amount of time, you have to do a yoga practice that is heavy on the leg exercises.

There is no problem with that here. The first ten minutes of the class are devoted to a kung fu horse stance that will leave you in tears because of the length of time the pose is held. The sequence continues with a lot of standing poses that will make you really sweat.

Second, this is a phenomenal practice because the instruction is incredibly clear. If you have even a basic knowledge of yoga, you could do most of the class without ever looking at the screen. The safety cues are superb--you will learn what you need to avoid injury in a more active practice. (The cuing is so good that, having watched this once, I think I figured out why I can't do backbends, after years of trying.)

Third, this really calming, in a good way. A lot of the more advanced power or vinyasa yoga dvds have practices that energize. That is great, if that is what you need. However, if you have a nervous or competitive personality, and you do a lot of energizing yoga, you are not going to sleep at night.

This practice, in contrast, is very slow and quiet, while being physically difficult. If what you need on a particular day is to calm down, I would do this practice before many of the others out there.

However, because it's so quiet, I can't honestly say it's all you need. It's about half of what you need: when you have done a day or two of more energizing practices--I like Shiva Rea and Rainbeau Mars--this is the best counterbalance practice I have found so far.

I have to say that after several Yoga DVDs, I finally found and got what I was looking for. Max Strom has such a peaceful manner about him and his class took me to a level of comfort in my body that I am always trying to create. Technically, this is a really cool DVD that is different than others I have seen in at least one significant manner. When I want more instruction at any point in the class, I can simply click an icon that summons Max to provide more in-depth instruction as if he were with me in my living room. If i don't want too much information, then I let the class go on un-interrupted. This puts the choice in my hands and I found that to be very "friendly".
I consider myself to be an intermediate Yoga practitioner. Max's class was perfect for me in that it asked me to 'show up', but also reminded me of the crucial fundamentals and the way not to get hurt. I believe this DVD would be a perfect introduction for anyone who is starting out with Yoga. Something about Max's manner was very encouraging, special. Judging from the way I felt after following Max's class, I hope to make this a more regular part of my life.

Disk 1
Getting started, safety, epilogue (Max in video)
Workshops -
2-4 min each detailed instruction - bridge, cobra, crescent, down dog, sitting single fwd leg bend, lying knee to chest, plank, sphinx (baby cobra), sun salutations (great on fwd bend), tree, triangle (also can be accessed during the 90 min session at an OM symbol pops up)
90 Min Session -
Choice of music & voice or just one or the other. Set in a studio with white walls, large windows with sun streaming in, wood floors. One woman in front who is a level 1, a woman in back who is level 2 both in plain white leotards & a guy in back who is a level 1 in a regular t-shirt & black shorts. Max narrates with a calm, strong voice with detailed cues about body position, what to watch out for, etc. The level 1 girl & guy, especially the girl in the front would do a VERY modified version... such as the foot only goes to the ankle in tree or just bends her head back in table. The level 1 girl & guy would also use blocks sometimes. Pace is EXTREMELY slow. In this session, it was too slow for my limited attention span, I did get through most of it in two separate viewings. His cuing & voice are amazingly calming.
Lying down knee to chest, spinal twists, horse stance, wide legged standing fwd bend 2-3x, downward facing dog 2-3x, plank, downward dog, standing fwd bend, mountain (almost always wide legged), standing fwd bend, plank, sphinx, down dog, child's pose, down dog, standing fwd bend, mountain, chair & standing fwd bend 4x, down dog & plank 3x, locust 2x, cobra, child, down dog, 1 leg down dog, lunge, repeat on other side, crescent, down dog, repeat on other side, lunge, down dog, repeat on other side, plank, cobra, down dog, standing fwd bend, mountain, warrior 2 both sides, side angle & warrior 2, repeat on other side, wide legged fwd bend, mountain, slightly twisted standing wide legged fwd bend, triangle (both sides), standing on tip toes, tree (both sides), down dog, table, simple sitting spinal twist, sitting single leg fwd bend, plank, cobra, child, sitting spinal twist, reclined figure 4 knee to chest, reclined knee to side spinal twist, bridge, repeat reclined spinal twist, simple reclined knee to chest (72 min point here), meditation w/legs up along wall for 6 min w/only music, sitting meditation for 6 min.

Disk 2
45 min Session -
Same choice in narration/music, setting & people. Begins with breathing while standing & stretching arms out gently w/breath, downward dog, standing fwd bend, plank, upward dog, chair several times for sort durations, more modified easy sun salutations, modified locust, updog, 1 leg up downward dog, lunge, repeat, sun salutation, warrior 2, side angle, wide legged standing fwd bend, tree, down dog, table, seated spinal twist, 1 leg sitting fwd bend, plank, updog, child's pose, half seated twist, bridge, knee to chest stretch & then end w/meditation w/legs up against the wall.
I loved this pace very much, at first I thought it was slow, but after 10 min, I loved his calm, detailed cues that helped me be aware of my body & go deeper & within 15 min I was calm myself & enjoying the slow paced session.
Meditation -
4 min w/video of beach, him playing a metal singing/tibetan bowel & guiding you softly w/woman sitting nearby
Unifying Aspects of Yoga -
short scrolling text of his opinions of yoga, that Hatha yoga isn't a religion, that Om may have come from something
Yoga Room Guidelines -
very quick scrolling text to keep away phone & distractions from your planned yoga session

Max Strom's bio is very interesting about his congenital physical issue & his ability to overcome it. From MaxStrom com:
By the time he was nineteen, Max had studied Taoism, esoteric Christianity, Sufism and was practicing meditation and Chi Gong diligently. Max is grateful for his in depth studies with Dena Kingsberg (Ashtanga yoga), Gabrielle Giubilaro (Iyengar yoga), Master Hong Lu (Chi Gong), Sherry Brourman, PT (movement therapy), and John Hogan (moral precepts). He also acknowledges the influential teachings of Steven Freedman, Eddie Modestini, and Jim Keenan.

I am a yoga FANatic and a body worker, which is why I am a great critic for this dvd. I am a stickler for safety and integrity, in life and any movement therapy, which, is why this dvd is so wonderful. My teacher moved away and ever since I am practicing with this lovely fluid and graceful (like the cover says) video. I found Max to be clear, helpful and supportive. It is timed perfectly, like a true class, and I can click on specific poses to really work inside a pose instead of pausing and just standing there "checking out". For me, the most fulfilling aspects of the dvd are comprehension and logical progression. It starts with simple breathing then moves into greater effort "work" and finishes without any unrealistic or unnecessary poses. I don't like to see a bunch of super difficult poses that I am never going to achieve, nor would I even try on a whim. I value health, safety and am more interested in the overall experience. If you want a dvd that will work your core, keep your stress level down and remind you of what is important this is the dvd. Oh yeah and with GRACE!! Have fun!

This DVD is one of my favorites. I have a collection of yoga DVDs, but this one keeps me grounded and centered. The full yoga practice is fluid and graceful, and the rest of the DVD is quite wonderful as well. As a yoga teacher, I truly enjoyed the "workshops" that you can view during the yoga practice. Take time to explore all the features of this DVD- it has a lot to offer practitioners and teachers at all levels.

I haven't bought a new hatha yoga DVD in a while but from the glowing reviews and a desire for some variety in my home practice I took a chance and I'm so glad I did.

I've used Ali McGraw's wonderful DVD taught by Eric Schiffman since that was relased 10 years ago, as well as Bryan Kest's original Power Yoga Series, both of which I do love, and Seane Corn's DVDs. I still love those, and I own about 20 Kundalini yoga DVDs that I rotate and use religiously, but this is quite special.

First, I love Max. Such amazingly peaceful, loving energy. He's the kind of guy you want to hug immediately. So that sets the tone. Second, the meticulous detail on these 2 discs is admirable and SOOOO valuable. I've been practicing yoga for about 20 years, give or take, and with the brief workshops on various challenging poses (and poses I never thought of as challenging but in fact they are when done properly) I am finding my own practice to be transformed through his teaching. Moving my hips into cat tilt while in cobra was a WHOLE other experience; protected my back, engaged the core and just brought such energy and strength to a pose I've done for years and years thinking I was "just fine". You can always go a little further, make it a little safer and make even the simplest poses can become more active. That's the alchemy I found in this DVD.

There are two separate classes; one of 90 minutes, the other is 45. They both end with a wonderful and lengthy stay of having your legs up on the wall in total relaxation. They are not the most intense classes, compared to say a Power Yoga set, but they are definitely thorough, graceful and as intense as you make them. But they are also gentle, approachable and fluid without feeling repetitive.

I love the option of choosing music & Max, or either of those separately. I hope all yoga DVDs follow suit. I also loved the look of the video; a sunny, crisp, clean studio with 3 students. Two of them do the entire class (both) at Level One, with one student at Level Two. This makes it completely non-intimidating so this would be a fabulous DVD for a beginner.

I find the energy of these classes to be so beautiful, I popped one of them on as background while I was doing domestic chores over the weekend!

There are so many types of yoga and different experiences within this ancient art. With Max and these DVDs, you get gorgeous meditations, well chosen series of asanas and spectacular attention to detail not for aesthetic value, but to deepen your experience of the poses and to stay safe every moment.

I can't recommend this DVD enough. Absolutely beautiful. Very pure yoga, though Max infuses it with some other influences and his own lovely persona. For people who find Seane's approach too gruff or think Bryan Kest is annoying (I like them both), this would be a great alternative. For people who LOVED the Ali McGraw/Eric Schiffman DVD and wish they'd do another, this would be another favorite.

Note: the Level One students do use a block and a strap during the classes.

This DVD allows me to really feel every position, realize I am working out, and stretch amazingly. Even though I have been doing yoga for years, I've learned so much for the extra clips on the DVD as to how to do yoga positions correctly. This is, by far, my favorite yoga DVD.

This DVD is well worth adding to your collection if you practice yoga at home, particularly if you are a beginner.

Others have highlighted the contents of the discs, so I won't repeat that here. Max clearly wants to be a good teacher -- you can tell immediately not only because he provides separate instructions for many of the poses but because he does not appear in the practice himself. He only "appears" in the voice-over. The three students, two at "level 1" and one at "level 2" provide excellent visual examples of correct poses and transitions. It is commendable that all transitions, including those that don't appear film-perfect-graceful (such as moving from standing to seated and vice versa) are shown; those are often edited out, making those transitions much more difficult (and too fast) for those of us at home. Max does appear in the instruction, assisting students who are demonstrating pose variations.

One of the minor issues I have with the DVD is that the cues are geared toward level 1 practitioners. That makes sense, but sometimes it interrupts the flow a bit for those who are more "advanced beginner to intermediate" level.

The practices themselves (approx. 45/90 minutes) are slow; the challenge is often in the length of the holds. This is geared toward beginners and advanced beginners with great care taken to ensure most of the flow transitions are slow and with full attention, particularly to the abdominals to provide support for the lower back. I find this extremely helpful, as I have a tendency to injury there. In one or two spots, they seem to be faster paced -- perhaps to increase the effort required -- but there I sometimes have difficulty driving the movement from my breath.

As at least one other reviewer noted, there are postures here you won't typically find in yoga classes. I believe (but am not sure) they are from Qi Gong (sp?) or related "gentle" martial arts practices. Some of the postures are altered slightly from what you would find in a more traditional yoga practice -- palms facing upward with arms outstretched, for example. So if you like your yoga "pure," this may be a surprise. Also, in a few places, movements to open the heart (such as cobra) are synchronized with the out flow of the breath, which I rarely find in yoga practices; it seems more of a Westernized exhale-on-the-effort. Again, this may be just different (or I could be wrong), not necessarily bad, but it is unusual.

At several points in the practice, Max's voice changes from soothing instruction to (my personal impression) somewhat louder and more commanding. After reading Max's wonderful book, "A Life Worth Breathing," and viewing the rest of the DVD, I have little doubt that this is out of character, as he seems a gentle and generous soul; perhaps this occurred by accident as part of the "performance" aspect of creating this type of program. I find it a bit jarring, though.

The minor negatives described here do not diminish the value of this DVD and its practices. Max emphasizes the connection between breathing and movement, making this a solid program for those new to yoga and those who need to reconnect with the breath and the moment.

Of the many yoga DVDs I have, this is one of my regulars. I like the pace at which the exercices are done, and the fact Mr Strom gives you a few minutes to ease into the workout. The sequence of asanas is well chosen and works a large number of areas. Most importantly, at the end of the sequence, I feel genuinely more relaxed and happy. I concur with the previous reviewer that putting together a yoga DVD to be used repeatedly is fairly difficult (for instance as the instructions that need to be provided to a beginner can become annoying after a while), and I also feel that Mr Strom has managed very well this extremely difficult task.