I've been practicing yoga now for about sixteen years. I can't even remember why I first took it up, but I know it took years before I settled into a daily routine and really made it part of my life. I have taken only a few classes here and there; most of my study has been at home, by reading and doing.
My new employer offers, as part of its wellness program, a weekly yoga class led by a little lady I'll call Miss E. Her abs put mine to shame. Participating in these classes has definitely pointed out to me some areas where I've been dodging the hard work! Fortunately, this weekly challenge has prompted a more ambitious approach to my practice at home.
This week we were given the opportunity to view/review a new yoga DVD, "Yoga for Athletes," by Kimberly Fowler of the YAS center in Venice, CA. I regret to say, I would recommend this only to experienced yoga practitioners who are looking for a new sequence (since, as I've learned, we sometimes need for someone to point out to us what we are avoiding).
Ms. Fowler has a spectacular body (tremendous muscle definition), a pleasant voice, and good pacing; and I appreciated that she always cued her class to change positions on an exhalation. The caveats are: 1) there is no list of the asanas employed in the sequence, either on the packaging or on the disc menu; 2) there is not a demonstration of each asana by the instructor; 3) there is no explanation of the asanas (why included, how to enter/exit, which muscles to activate, how to align, where to relax/stretch). I realize there is only so much time and you don't want the instructor to go into too much detail if all you want is a new sequence. But a novice practitioner could do themselves some serious damage by attempting to follow along at home without a coach; some of the asanas are very challenging.
The lack of demonstration is the biggest flaw. I would have recommended to Ms. Fowler that she create a separate feature in which she alone performs the sequence, with a voiceover explaining each asana. This feature would ideally be title 1 on the disc, for students to review prior to entering the main feature in which she is leading a class, all of whom perform the asanas differently, in some cases with very poor alignment.
And the real head-shaker is, the back copy on the disc packaging says the program was developed "to demonstrate how yoga improves balance, flexibility, power, and stamina." Well, it does; but how can one hour of asana demonstrably improve these factors? And, "Developing these skills results in improved performance, injury reduction and faster recovery for anyone involved in sports or fitness." Well, it does; but you would not know how or why just by watching this dvd.
Long story short: "Yoga for Athletes" is undoubtedly a good supplement to an ongoing study with Ms. Fowler. The sequence is challenging and the flow is well-designed. However, not recommended for home use by the yoga student not already familiar with safe yoga practice.
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