Rating: 
Summary: What was I thinking?
Review: I have been doing yoga for almost 2 years now and thought I might be up to this level. NOT!
This is basically an ADVANCED class recorded onto a dvd with little to no instruction. Yes, there are people at different levels in the video but they hardly show them and she never goes into modifications for the poses. She barks out orders first in the sanskrit name (i guess, because she never explains that either) and then (sometimes) in the english name. Very annoying.
The shooting makes it difficult to see the details of the poses and when Beryl does demonstrate a pose, it's so quick and from too far away, that it's just more of a frustration than a help.
The class is very fast paced and the fact that there are no "chapters" makes it practically impossible to review anything. The further along the class goes, the more ridiculous and more difficult the poses get.
I like a challenge but unless I develop plans of joining the circus and becoming a human pretzel, I won't be working with this video. This might be a great dvd for an advanced yoga student or teacher with a daily practice who just doesn't feel like driving to class every day. Otherwise, forget it. My search for the perfect yoga dvd continues.
Rating: 
Summary: not for beginners
Review: I have been practicing yoga for only a few months. I am definitely a beginner. I enjoy doing this DVD, because for me it is extremely challenging. However, if you don't have much experience, you may feel a bit inadequate. The students seem to know which poses to do before the instructor even says them. I, on the other hand, had to look at the tv often to see what exactly they were doing, and that made it difficult to keep up. Plus, at 75 minutes, it may be a bit long for someone who is not already well conditioned.
If you definitely want to be challenged, and won't mind watching a room full of people doing things to a much higher level than you can do, then purchase this DVD.
Beryl is a wonderful teacher, and I'm sure that if you have the patience to keep doing the practice, you will do things you never thought were possible with your body.
Rating:
Summary: For the EXTREMELY flexible only
Review: I have been taking yoga classes for almost two years now, and this is the only tape I have ever purchased that is too difficult for me. If you are not able to pull your feet up behind your head, this tape is not for you.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the one- Beryl Binder Birch's "Power Yoga"
Review: I have done other yoga tapes in the past and none were as challenging as this one. If you truly want to grow and improve your ashtanga practice this is the one to try. I also like the fact that there were people of varying ages in the class. It's nice to see how yoga can improve your quality of life as you getr older.
Rating:
Summary: If you are beyond the beginner videos...
Review: I highly recommend Beryl's Practice. It is a bit long and after using this video 20+ times there are still many poses I am not able to do. They're something I can work up to though! I have found the poses in the Practice have made me so much more flexible. I can actually touch my nose to my knees while standing up now and you wouldn't believe the benefits I feel in my lower back now. You are expected to reference her book to guide you on how to properly do the poses. Initially this bothered me but now I am so glad she didn't slow down the pace of practice to show us these tips. After all, this is a Practice and once you learn the poses - you can challenge yourself with each pose. In due time, I will be strong, balanced and focused enough to do Bakasana and the other poses that look impossible right now. Doing this Practice will help me get there.
Rating:
Summary: Motivating and Inspirational
Review: I highly recommend this DVD. Beryl and this Astanga class are motivating and inspirational. I have studied yoga off and on over the years and cannot get to a class very often. Having this tape has helped me get back into a practice. I really like the fact that Beryl is not some supermodel or actress. It is clear that she is an expert and really understands the body.
Rating:
Summary: Good for Intermediate or Advanced
Review: I liked the video. The instruction was really good and fairly easy to follow. I found watching the practitioners inspiring. It definitely gave me a good workout. It was challenging; a little too challenging. It was a long session. For me it was too long but I?m a beginner. I can see someone who has been doing yoga some time enjoying the hour and fifteen minutes of yoga. My only real criticism is that the DVD is not broken up into scenes. While I was going through the class, my DVD player froze for whatever reason. The only way I could get back to where I left off was to start from the beginning and fast forward. Overall, I?d definitely recommend this video to someone who is at an intermediate or advanced level and wants a challenging, well-guided session. When I?m at that level, I?ll most likely use it then.
Rating:
Summary: I love this video. . .
Review: I loved this DVD. The workout is by no means easy. I think that if you either have good endurance or want to improve your endurance, then buy this DVD. This DVD goes no stop for roughly 75 minutes. This is the full primary series she is doing, plus a few poses she throws in. The DVD has no bookmarks or stopping points, it's basically either you do the whole thing or you just fast forward past what you don't want to do. I know some reviewers saw this this as a hindrance moreso than a help, but the idea is do all of the poses in a certain sequence. The fact that there 8-10 people of different skill levels doing either the full pose or some modification makes up for lack of bookmarks/stopping points. If you do want to just perform segments, then purchase Richard Freeman's Primary Series workout. You can elect to do the whole workout (including opening and closing chants), or just perform segments (sun salutations, standing poses, seated poses, etc.). However, there are no modifications, and Freeman is performing these poses at a near perfect level (check your ego at the door). If you are looking for a shorter more accessible version of Ashtanga yoga, then try either Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga 3 or MTV's second power yoga tape. While Baron offers a condensed (45 minute vs 75-90 minute) version that includes most of the easy to intermediate poses, the MTV version is a loosely based version of the primary series where many of the poses are there, but not necessarily in order, and the instructor uses a lot more creative license. I found this DVD highly motivating. Seeing people of different skill levels get through the entire workout spurred me to go on. Berly makes the primary series fun and accessible, but you will sweat. If you think that 75+ minutes is too long, then try one of the other tapes I suggested, however, if you want to try to complete the primary series, and want to build the endurance needed to do 1-1.5 hrs of yoga, then buy this tape.
Rating:
Summary: Tough but accessible workout
Review: I loved this DVD. The workout is by no means easy. I think that if you either have good endurance or want to improve your endurance, then buy this DVD. This DVD goes no stop for roughly 75 minutes. This is the full primary series she is doing, plus a few poses she throws in. The DVD has no bookmarks or stopping points, it's basically either you do the whole thing or you just fast forward past what you don't want to do. I know some reviewers saw this this as a hindrance moreso than a help, but the idea is do all of the poses in a certain sequence. The fact that there 8-10 people of different skill levels doing either the full pose or some modification makes up for lack of bookmarks/stopping points. If you do want to just perform segments, then purchase Richard Freeman's Primary Series workout. You can elect to do the whole workout (including opening and closing chants), or just perform segments (sun salutations, standing poses, seated poses, etc.). However, there are no modifications, and Freeman is performing these poses at a near perfect level (check your ego at the door). If you are looking for a shorter more accessible version of Ashtanga yoga, then try either Baron Baptiste's Power Yoga 3 or MTV's second power yoga tape. While Baron offers a condensed (45 minute vs 75-90 minute) version that includes most of the easy to intermediate poses, the MTV version is a loosely based version of the primary series where many of the poses are there, but not necessarily in order, and the instructor uses a lot more creative license. I found this DVD highly motivating. Seeing people of different skill levels get through the entire workout spurred me to go on. Berly makes the primary series fun and accessible, but you will sweat. If you think that 75+ minutes is too long, then try one of the other tapes I suggested, however, if you want to try to complete the primary series, and want to build the endurance needed to do 1-1.5 hrs of yoga, then buy this tape.
Rating: 
Summary: for the advanced, for sure
Review: I really wanted to like this DVD, but I was pretty disallusioned after making it through the practice. I've been doing power yoga several times a week for over a year, and I'm in very good shape, but I found this to be too difficult and was not satisfied by doing the modified poses. I felt like if I couldn't do the full poses, I was not getting as good of a workout. There were so many poses that I couldn't even come close to doing that I ended up wondering, "Who can do this? And how long do you have to practice before you can do these kinds of poses?" I guess I'll hold onto it and pull it back out in a few years - maybe then it won't make me feel like such a newbie! I do think the real problem with a lot of these yoga videos and DVDs is that there is no univeral rating system - it's almost impossible to tell before you buy one whether or not you're going to find it too easy or too difficult.
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