Power Yoga - Flexibility

I am not impressed with this yoga workout. I hoped that by combining it with my other yoga workouts it would improve my flexiblity, but the poses are rushed through at a pace that does not allow for much deep stretching. The only pose that is held for any amount of time is downward facing dog. If you follow the pace of the video there is no time for any breathing technique at all. The pace leads to shallow breathing and rushed stretching in order to keep up. I feel there is more benefit from spending a half hour stretching on your own than with this video. He says things like 'relax your tailbone' and 'extend your spine' over and over, yet there is no instruction or description of what Rodney is doing or how to do the stretch properly, so you have to constantly look up from your workout, only to see that he has moved on to something else. Yee hops around with no flow to the workout. I am usually a fan of Gaiam yoga videos, but this one has been a dissapointment for me.

I use the Gaim yoga series on a regular basis. I enjoy yoga and need to improve my flexibility and thought this would be the perfect dvd. The positions move to quickly from one to the next to be beneficial for flexibility and is very quick moving for the true beginner. I would recommend a.m. p.m. yoga for beginners and power yoga for total body.

This is one of Rodney Yee's "shorter" routines. I like to do this one (or one of the other shorter routines - strength or flexibility) when I don't have time or don't want to spend an hour on a routine (usually the former). Also, another good thing to do is to do two of the routines one right after the other. This will give you a rest while changing out the dvd, and it will also give you a chance to change things up by doing the routines in different order.

I love this DVD! Rodney Yee DVD's from Gaiam have become some of my favorite practices. You really need to know a bit about yoga (like the warrior series) before you do this practice. There are no detailed instructions, so I think it would be disappointing for a beginner.

I loved the flow of this practice. Yes, the sun salutations are a bit fast, but is okay since this warms you up for the floor stretches to follow. He holds you in downward facing dog to rest, but I think the pace is perfect to warm you up quickly. It is a short workout of only 30 min., but perfect for those days when I don't have a lot of time. You will definitely get the flexibility on the floor postures after the warm up.

I use Rodney's "Power Yoga Total Body" which I love too, but it is 1 hour. This practice is very similar, but 1/2 the time. You really can't go wrong on this one for $7 on Amazon.

It is beautifully filmed in Joshua Tree which brings back memories for me of rock climbing in the 70's...

Please see my other review on Amazon of yoga and meditation dvds.

Not being familiar with yoga, I chose this DVD because of Rodney Yee's reputation and the low cost. What I found was an easy to follow workout that makes you feel relaxed, and yet energized, after the first session. There are no bells or whistles, just a great workout. I've purchases two other titles in the series, Power Yoga - Strength and Power Yoga - Stamina, and I switch off each workout. Some of the moves are more difficult than others, but it gives you something to work up to. If I couldn't do a stretch, I would go as far as I could and hold it. It was a great feeling when I was finally able to stand in a pose or do a stretch that initailly I was unable to do. Aside from these video's, the only equipment that you need is a mat which is extremely important to prevent slipping and back pain... I DO know this for a fact.