Wai Lana Yoga: Wake Up Body

Rating:
Summary: Challenging, invigorating practice for intermediate yogis
Review: For some reason, I had always assumed that Wai Lana taught yoga at a beginning level, but now that I've tried my second video of hers, I'm convinced that this is not the case. Wake Up Body is a stimulating, invigorating practice that includes several challenging postures, and I definitely would not recommend it for anyone below an intermediate level.

The asana practice is approximately 34 minutes long, and it begins with a series of reclined leg stretches. The first move, which involves lying on your back and "walking" the feet over your head (similar to plow pose) is difficult and requires quite a bit of core strength. Next comes side kicks and a single leg stretch, and then Wai Lana moves into plow--a posture that many find relaxing but that I find challenging. Following plow, it's on to your stomach for a 1-legged bow variation.

In some poses, Wai Lana builds up to the more advanced version by starting with easier options: for example, a sort of mini boat pose, a dynamic down dog, and a headstand prep with legs at a 90-degree angle up a wall. She also does several variations of a standing backbend (or standing camel), beginning with hands on hips, moving to hands on thighs, and finally, hands on ankles (which I was unable to do). The practice ends with an additional 6-minutes of Wai Lana's quite unique singing and dancing. Although this seemed a bit silly to me, I gave it a try, and I have to admit that I found it both fun and relaxing.

One thing I really like about Wai Lana's videos is that each asana is like a stand-alone practice: the posture is held for an extended period (sometimes incorporating dynamic movement), and then a brief relaxation follows. Because there are pauses between every pose segment, when you use the video, you can perform as many or as few poses as you choose, simply picking up where you left off the next time.

On the other hand, I find Wai Lana's frequent outfit changes, gaudy appearance, and heavy accent a bit difficult to get used to. In addition, she does not suggest modifications for poses, which is why the practice demands an intermediate level of expertise. However, she provides very good instruction and non-mirrored cueing, plus she is quite encouraging and offers a good bit of information about the benefits of each pose. The Wai Lana series is definitely worth checking out if you have been practicing yoga for awhile and are looking for a departure from mainstream yoga videos.