Customer Reviews

Total Yoga: The Flow Series - Fire (Level Three)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This yoga DVD is very good if you want a little cardio with your yoga. There are some intenste sun salutations at the start that really get your heart pumping. There are also some vinyasas between the standing poses. I just did this workout today, and I was sweating and my heartrate was up! It's more of a power yoga, and not for beginners.

If you can get the set of all three Earth, Water, and Fire it's a great set. The Earth is geared so even the beginner can do it. It introduces the sun salutations. Water is more of a relaxing workout. This series is also good because they do inversions, and lots of yoga DVDs don't do shoulderstand or headstand.

The emphasis on breath work makes Total Yoga Fire a healing escape into relaxation. This is one of the few portals into total bliss with an invigorating yoga practice followed by stretching and relaxation. The entire experience can then be enhanced by climbing into a warm bed and listening to Terri Oldfield's Yoga Harmony after the workout. I have rarely reached such a blissful state of relaxation, but this Total Yoga Fire is a definite portal to glimpses of worlds yet unknown when remaining in a state of anxiety, stress and tension. To allow yourself to be challenged by an intermediate to advanced practice session increases your self-esteem. Then the sense of accomplishment you feel is captured in the relaxation session.

Tracey Rich and Ganga White lead you through an advanced routine of challenging asanas (poses) and vinyasas (series of poses). There seem to be more vinyasas at the start as you completely heat your body. During the asanas you work on balance and strength. The challenge is to continue through the vinyasas and to complete the flowing series of A, B, and C salutations. The back bends can be modified for intermediate students and the chest opening stretches feel wonderful if you have been sitting at a desk for extended periods of time.

There are challenging balance postures and wonderful stretches. The inversions are the most challenging I've ever seen and as an intermediate student, I won't be standing on my head without the assistance of a wall nearby anytime soon. There are very few modifications, if any. In fact, there are more challenging postures shown by Ganga White that will take me four years or more to achieve. He puts his leg up behind his back with his foot behind his neck. I've heard of people being able to do it, but to see it is quite something else. Both Tracey and Ganga show incredible flexibility from a lifetime of dedicated practice. They are truly inspirational.

With the word "advanced" in mind, this will completely relax you because you will use up every ounce of energy you had in a single 60-minute routine. In fact, I'd highly recommend planning for an extended relaxation session at the end. Climb into bed, relax completely, take a nap. What you will then experience is not only the blissful elements of complete relaxation, you will feel completely rejuvenated when you awaken. You may only drift off to sleep for 15 minutes, but the effects are profound. You can literally feel increased blood flow to your skin and a sense of calm engulfing you as if a healing force is nurturing your body. You will be radiant as well as spiritually healed.

In my current elated state, I will say this is perhaps one of the most healing routines I've ever tried to complete, for I will be working on this one for years to come. This has intermediate exercises and advanced exercises at an advanced speed. That doesn't mean you are moving especially fast, it just means there are not breaks between the poses. You are moving through the poses consistently until the floor routine where you start stretching.

If you consider this a complete aerobic and stretching routine with the bonus of meditation, you may start to consider this as one of your most wonderful Yoga experiences. Only serious yogis need apply. This is advanced and perfect in the winter because it warms the entire body, makes you feel like taking a nap and leaves you refreshed for an evening out. If you do this on a day off, try it between breakfast and lunch. By the evening you will not only feel relaxed, but even more energetic and alive. The feeling of being energized and relaxed is a thing of beauty.

~The Rebecca Review

This dvd is absolutely spectacular. I do this particular dvd when I know that this will be the major exercise of my day. It is challenging, and as another reviewer mentioned earlier, it is one of the few dvds that includes headstand in its routine. As an "intermediate-beginner" to "advanced-beginner" I consider this dvd to be at the top of my ability level. I do have other dvds that are more difficult, but I tend to modify the poses somewhat when I do them. With this dvd I am able to do all of the poses (as Tracey does them, not the more advanced way that Ganga shows) including headstand (without being near a wall). Most of the time I cannot do a headstand the same amount of time that Tracey and Ganga do, but it has given me the confidence to know that I can make slow steady advances with yoga. This dvd will get your heart pumping, and your legs will feel rubbery once you're done, but you will feel so relaxed afterward that you will be glad that you did this routine. I own all of the other dvds in the series (the original, earth, and water) and I would reccommend this set to anybody who wants to make progress with yoga or to have a variety to work on depending on your mood. I would put the original dvd (purple cover) to be just below fire as far as difficulty goes, and then obviously earth and water beneath that one. Again, there are days that I don't feel like doing the most difficult dvds that I have but I still want to do a yoga routine, and it is at these times that I normally get the earth or water out. Water is another one of my personal favorites in my collection. Earth is very conservative throughout the whole routine, but it is a great dvd to help you concentrate on the poses to make sure that you're getting them right instead of flying through them (like an ashtanga yoga class). If you want a complete series that will do just about everything, then get this dvd set. Another thing that I like about this series is that Tracey and Ganga don't "shy" away from any weaknesses. The only pose that I don't remember them doing is eagle pose. Throughout the whole series they do just about every one of the basic poses, so that they (unlike other dvds I own) aren't taking poses out of the routine that they can't do. All of the poses are in there. If you enjoy this series half as much as I do, then you will love it.

In terms of content, I think that this is one of the best yoga DVDs I have. It moves quickly through sun salutations to initiate heat - 3 each of sun salutation A, B and C (which I seldom see). It moves into standing poses, including nearly all of the fundamental poses. There is a vinyasa flow between each asana to maintain heat throughout the section. The workout then moves onto seated postures and inversions - both a headstand and a shoulderstand sequence. Overall, you are left feeling like you have gotten a strenuous workout as well as having been stretched and invigorated.

My complaint about this DVD is minor: the music is very faint, if there at all(sometimes I think I may be imagining it). I would prefer it to be a bit louder as it helps me relax and unwind. Without it, this DVD seem a little less "minimalist". This is definitely not something that should prevent you from purchasing it, though :)

Namaste.

I must first point out that this video moves very quickly once it gets past the warmups. But I like that. I'm able to work up a good sweat and it's fun. I also like the fact that the man in the video shows the modifications to some of the more advanced poses. The most physical part of the workout are the quick sun salutations. You start to ask yourself how many more times am I going to get into a lunge, to a standing pose, then to plank, etc.? The best part is how you feel after the session. Shortcomings? Although I enjoy the workout, I don't care for the woman's voice. Still, I love this video and think you'd like it too. Do not start with it if you're a beginner! There's lots of beginner tapes on the market and this is not one!

Poor Tracey - I don't think her accent is annoying - it took me weeks to even notice it. I doubt her fingernails are press-on either. Probably acrylic. Maybe gel. But since NONE of that has any bearing on her qualifications or the caliber of the tape, I think it's pettiness that makes for comments like that. Unlike SO many yoga teachers, her instruction never seems to get on my nerves. I had another series of hers on VHS, and absolutely wore out the tape long after I had a substantial DVD yoga library built with other instructors. I prefer her to Rodney Yee, I like her pacings, and I have been consistently challenged and calmed by her routines. Not the most amazing or aesthetically pleasing production, but I work with this tape outside of class more than any other. I think the series is underrated!!

I am an advanced exerciser but intermediate yogi. All the Amazon rave reviews lured me to purchase FIRE. I'm so glad I did. It's an hour of great flow & challenge. The headstand part was my cincher since so many yoga DVD's don't have that. My favorite practice is Ashtanga ,& this had some similarity.

This is a great workout! I love all the total yoga series. This dvd will make you sweat for sure. Fast poses and constant flow keep you moving non stop. Beginners will need to watch first to get the flow and poses down. This dvd has some complex and difficult moves you may not be able to do on the first few runs. Practice makes perfect in my book. You will feel great after this baby.

I'm a new Yogini (5/2005) and I've purchased 10 Yoga DVD's...most I liked, a couple I didn't, but I really enjoyed the flow of this DVD. Even though this was tough for me (I sweated after the first 3 Sun Salutations and there are 6 more after that) I enjoyed the flow, the cueing, and the relaxation at the end.
I was able to complete the entire 70 minutes..not perfecting each pose, but doing the best I could...I found it to be something to work toward.

I know I am the only person, so far, who is not entranced with this DVD. I bought it because it had such a plethora of glowing reviews. I am not happy I did.
What drew me to yoga, after decades of long distance swimming, was the philosophical component of the practice. Yes, I love a strong work-out, and I do one every day (Ashtanga Primary Series, Hatha Vinyasa, or Yin-Yang), but I don't want my yoga to feel like an aerobics class. If that's what you're after then buy this DVD; but, if you want something with a bit more yogic depth I would recommend Shiva Rea's Solar DVD. (It may be sold as the Solar Lunar practice. I am partial to the Solar practice and the meditations on the Lunar disc.)
The other thing I was not happy with when doing this DVD was the lack of music. Again, if you like your yoga sans music this may be the DVD for you.