Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Power Yoga Workout, December 14, 2004
I am a personal trainer and owner of a fitness studio who has tried many yoga classes and dvd's, and I love Baron Baptiste's style of teaching more than any class or dvd I have tried. This is definitely not a beginner level workout, and it's not going to give you the "new age zen yoga experience" that many do. But if you are a "type A" exerciser like myself and many of my clients, and you love a hard workout that makes you sweat, such as kickboxing, running, or weight training, Baron's style will appeal to you more than other teacher's styles. Yes, he does talk thru the video, however, he is giving excellent form and cueing advice that is necessary to achieving correct alignment and form. I recently purchased a yoga video by Shiva Rea, who came highly recommended to me by several yoga instructors, and was quite disappointed, as I felt the workout wasn't quite athletic enough and too "zen" for me and she did not give enough instruction and moved thru the posed quickly. Baron's workout level 2 and level 3, which is the primary series of ashtanga yoga, move at a good pace, are challenging, but do not include arm balances and several of the more difficult poses that one finds in an ashtanga workout. Beryl Bender Birch, for example, has a wonderful ashtanga power yoga dvd, but it moves at a fast pace, without as much instruction, and includes very challenging arm balances and headstands, which are definitely for the advanced yoga practitioner. This is a great workout for those who have done beginning yoga and are looking for a great stretch, and the next step in power yoga. I use power level 2 as a workout on my off days from running and weight training, as it provides a great stretch for my muscles and joints.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Yoga Training for Athletes & Not Really Annoying, June 24, 2004
By A Customer
I must respectfully disagree with the other reviewers about the impact of the music and Baron's teaching and cuing on this disc. The music is a little cheesy as indicated, particularly at the beginning and end of the session but the routine itself is excellent. The music during the session doesn't bother me at all. It should also be said that men usually do Yoga without a shirt, so it's not as if Baron is showing off by walking around in his white cotton shorts (nor does he wear a speedo or spandex shorts like David Swenson does). It is also important to note that Baron's "chattering" is essential to the quality of the session, since he instructs on the details of the pose, reminds and cues you to breathe, and tries to bring you back to your original intentions in doing the class (relaxation, calming the mind, etc.). Without the cuing, it would be harder to do the poses correctly, easier to forget to breathe deeply and fluidly, and easier to get tense and agitated during a challenging workout. I think the cuing is just fine, and continues to be useful for intermediate students.
The routine itself is the most challenging of all Baron's video presentations, and presents one of the very best video sessions available to those who are seeking the power yoga experience to develop strength, balance, cardiovascular capacity, flexibility and calmness in a single workout. Some of the poses have been changed slightly to focus more on areas of stiffness or weakness common to traditional athletes, and the routine includes several other balance and strength exercises or poses not usually found in yoga routines. It also seems that those poses which place more stress on the joints have been changed or left out to make the session more appropriate for practicing athletes. If you are a conditioned athlete, an intermediate yoga student, or anyone else looking the power yoga experience, this is a great session for you. It includes excellent strength work, hip opening, balancing poses, joint stabilizing and strengthening, abdominal work and breathing exercises. This disc is the one that should be called "Power Yoga for Athletic Performance".
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Difficult to view and practice with., November 7, 2003
I purchased this because I had viewed the PBS Journey Into Power program and was intrigued. The DVD is a Goodtimes production and the first part of the "program" is a commercial for their other products. You can't just skip to the workout, which I found annoying. The actual practice begins with Baron explaining how yoga will improve your life,etc. Again, you can't skip ahead here, either. When the practice actually starts, it turns out to be a set, with everyone ( all under 25 yrs. and very fit) in white Danskin yoga-gear. The music is eighties - ish and as loud as Baron is, so it's distracting. No one appears to be doing any modifications so those just beginning may injure themselves trying to keep up.
If you're looking for a 'power yoga' practice that you can grow with, I highly recommend David Swenson's Short Forms tape or DVD (also available at amazon) as the best to begin with. It has three workouts that are suitable for the beginner and the advanced practitioner, and a great guided relaxation. His book is a must have, too. The Flow series, featuring Tracey Rich and Ganga White, is also an excellent production that is beautifully produced, can be tailored to your level and never gets 'old'.
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