Yoga Journal: Yoga Step by Step, Session 2 - Bending & Twisting Poses for Flexibility

Rating:
Summary: Hatha Yoga for Flexibility
Review: According to a recent study, 15 million people in America are now practicing yoga. 8.7 million are beginning students and 7 million practice yoga at home.

If you love Yoga, then you might want to experience the Yoga Journal's Step by Step series. This is for students of yoga who have mastered the first instructional session in Yoga Step by Step Session 1. Natasha Rizopoulos leads you through backbends, twists and forward bends.

Yoga can help you fully relax and prepare for meditation or just feel more relaxed while reading or cooking. Your mind will be cleansed and while the world surges around you in all directions, there will be an inner calm you can carry with you all day.

I'd consider myself to be intermediate and the workout on this DVD seemed to be an intermediate workout with some challenging bending and twisting poses. It is a healing workout that may be enjoyed by intermediate yoga students who are looking for challenging backbends and twists.

Natasha Rizopoulos has a beautiful teaching style that allows you to fully experience the body mind connection. She encourages you to experience yoga in order to balance your life. After watching her Yoga demonstration you may start to think of Yoga as an art form and not just an exercise routine. She turns yoga into ballet and her upper body strength is astounding. Upper body strength will be especially important in this DVD.

I'd "highly" recommend buying two beveled foam yoga blocks (if you have yet to buy them) and a yoga strap along with this DVD. Modifying the balancing poses with props is advised.

This DVD has interesting menu options. There are really two main parts:

A 35 minute tutorial - You explore the postures in depth
20 minutes of uninterrupted flowing practice - a vigorous vinyasa flow sequence

You can follow the Instruction Menu, Practice Menu, go straight to the Yoga Chalk Talk (a great way to explore the poses) or Medical Commentary. The Practice menu has four sections:

Begin Practice (Different from Begin Instruction)

Follow Jason Crandell - This is an excellent option if you want to use props like blocks. Jason demonstrates modifications for those who have less flexibility.

Practice with Medical Commentary
Practice without Music

This is the second DVD in a series of three high-quality yoga packages. You will need blocks and a mat. Even after years of yoga practice, it is exciting to find out there is so much more to learn. This is a must-have series for anyone who is interested in yoga. I personally think this is intermediate or can be done by individuals with good upper body strength and balance.

Natasha Rizopoulos teaches at Yoga Works in Santa Monica, CA and have studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. She teaches at conferences and has appeared in YOGA, a photography book featuring the country's top yoga teachers.

~TheRebeccaReview.com