Customer Reviews

Total Yoga - The Flow Series, Fire [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This tape is really really tough! Maybe not as hard as Mark Blanchard's, but really tough nevertheless:)

I would say the closest tapes I could compare it to would be Baron Baptiste's Hot Yoga #2 (which is much harder than #3, no comparison in fact) and the Tone or Sweat tapes from Bryan Kest).

This tape is very well rounded in terms of the variety of poses, has vinyasa throughout, and will challenge most mortals. I'm sure there are some hard core "Ashtangi's" that would barely break a sweat, but I did say most "mortals" which would certainly include me:)(and I've been practicing daily for almost 5 years).

I would definitely recommend that someone be familiar with the "Water" tape from the series or the original "Total Yoga" tape before even thinking about this one!

Of course, the Kest "Energize" or Baptiste "Hot Yoga" #1 would be good places to start (not for a beginner, but to someone new to more of a flow style of yoga (ashtanga or power based). Another really wonderful set that has just been released is Rainbeau Mars "Sacred Yoga" four tape set. The 3rd and 4th tapes in the series "Pure Power" and "Pure Sweat" are also tapes that can help you build the strength and stamina (as well as add variety) to help prepare you for "Fire".

If you are looking for something that will push you to the max (yet moves at a pace that is still sane), and something that is just perfectly presented in every respect then you will love this tape. It is VERY thorough and you will certainly move through every cell of your body by the time you finish this and most likely need to wash you sticky mat from the sweat.

I would recommend going and buying the full 3-tape "Flow Series" so that you can have other practices for days that you might not be feeling strong enough for this one. I can't imagine doing this more than 3 times a week because it's so intense. Still, if you are like me (and need to practice every day in order to function) then the other tapes are great to do in between.

Other tapes I would recommend for those "In between days" would be Rod Stryker's "Yoga for Longevity", "Yoga With Ateeka", "Kripalu Gentle", and of "Yoga Zone's" tapes from their 5-tape "Basics" set, Rodney Yee's "Energy" tape (or his AM/PM set with Patricia Walden if you want something MUCH more gentle to sort of stretch you out without doing too much).

But, the first tape "Earth" from the Total Yoga "Flow Series" set is really just perfect for this also as it is considerably more gentle than the other tapes.

Getting back to "Fire",..... This is an incredible tape that I would highly recommend if you are looking for a challenging and thorough practice!

Oh yeah, and as always the tape begins with Ujayi breathing and end with a very long relaxation segment (and you will need it, every last second of it:) )

Namaste.

MY favorite video for the past 10 years has been Aerobic Yoga, The Flow Series. FIRE, the updated version, raises the bar on quality, clarity and detail and reaches new heights by shooting the practice in a beautiful 360 degree format.
Fire is a great for those who want to plunge into a deeper, daily, yoga routine. I like the new slower pace of the sun salutations allowing more time to breathe and correct my alignment! Refining the meditative and breathing aspects in this tape acknowledges the desire from students to deepen this area without losing the challenge of a vinyasa/astanga practice. Details of the classic poses are visually captured from all, more intimate angles, a feature virtually nonexistent in all the other yoga videos I own or have ever seen. I also like hearing the benefits of many of the poses that are scattered throughout the video. The clarity of the verbal instructions matches the smooth precision of the instructor's motions.

As a yoga teacher who has explored many different styles, teachers, and videos, I can say without a doubt this is my new favorite video.

This tape is about the same intensity as a beginner or intermediate Ashtanga yoga class. You build your heat through lots of vinyasas (oh, do those chaturangas burn the next day!), but the standing and seated asanas are accessible to those who have been practicing for a while. Do the breathing correctly, and this is a vigorous workout.

A word of warning: if you've never been to a yoga class before, you might want to wait on this tape. Some of the finer subtleties about foot position are not mentioned in most of the asanas. Well, God is in the details of a yoga practice, and you could do more harm than good if you don't know what you're doing. At the very least, watch this tape one time through before you do it so you have an idea of where each body part should go.

But if you're proficient at yoga, this is a nice alternative to a class!

Yikers! This tape is scarey good. Be prepared to work for an hour and a half solid. Very balanced. Good emphasis on breathwork. I'm only giving it four stars because I like pretty cinematography and music, and this tape has neither. But you will feel like a million bucks when you finish--partly because you'll be so proud of yourself for making it to the end.

I really like this tape. For yogis familiar with Ashtanga or "power" yoga this tape will seem familiar yet different, and that makes for a great yoga experience. To begin with, the intro includes a slightly different form of sun salutation that makes a nice change. In addition, by interspersing sun salutations between the standing postures, you are able to maintain a great sense of heat and looseness which helped me feel these poses. The floor series is also done slightly differently from most power yoga. If you like powerful flow yoga, you definitely want to try this "flavor" to cleanse your palate!

I just got the new Fire video by Rich and White and I really like it. This tape gives me a complete yoga workout without having to change tapes like you do with some of the other instructors.
The salutations and the poses are very well explained and clearly shot from every angle. The slower pace gives me the time I need to stretch and truly warm up.
I would recommend the Fire video to anyone that really wants a complete workout at home.

I bought this video with the expectation that it would be different from the original 1991 Aerobic Yoga video. It isn't. They re-filmed the video making slight changes but the asanas and flows are the same. You start out with 3 sets each of sun salutations A, B and C. Then you proceed to standing asanas with pushup, up dog and down dog in between each asana. It's a good work out, but not much different then the tape that I already owned. I was therefore disappointed and I only gave it 4 stars. All in all it's a good Vinyasa yoga tape that's makes you sweat.

to begin with, I was attracted tothe box cover because it looked like a very high quality product. I was not disappointed.
Having purchased the original Total Yoga close to 10 years ago, I wasn't sure whether this series would be of substantial value to me. It turned out to exceed all my expectations,. I have a very busy life and so sometimes I do part of the workout and sometimes all of the workout. Either way, their Fire yoga series is the most challenging and the most rewarding.

I've been practicing with the first Flow Series for more than 10 years. Along with the 50 or so other tapes I've purchased over the years, I've always gone back to the Flow Series as my main workout. I can't tell you how exciting it is to be practicing with this state of the art updated version of the Flow Series.
The poses are displayed in a way that no other video has ever approached. As with everything that Ganga and Tracey have done to date, there is more detail and explation of poses in the way that it's photographed than in any one of the other multitudes of tapes that I own. In my view, this is the most beautiful video I've ever seen.
The name Fire for this series isn't just a catch word. Be prepared to sweat!

Tracy and Ganga are professional yoga instructors in the truest sense. It is really beautiful to see a wise man and wise woman do yoga together. As for the person from New York who says it's too long for his schedule or that the poses move too quickly or too slow. Please go take a New York minute to find your fast forward, rewind, and pause buttons on your remote. Every pose on these tapes: (Earth, Water, and Fire), is thoroughly and concisely described in such a way there is no rush or care in the world not to take as long or as little time as you need to learn how to do them right. A lot of other yoga tapes have a bunch of show-off instructors that just don't have Tracy & Ganga's experience or spirituality. They talk too much or too little and make yoga out to be another plastic competitive aerobic ritual. Few seem as loving as Tracy's sexy soothing ole southern girl's voice and her "OOJeye breathing", especially with the relaxing and healing music at the end. - Namaste