Rating: 
Summary: Power to Rodney!
Review: This is the first time I have tried power yoga and even though I was familiar with yoga postures, I found the pace too fast. I couldn't move between the postures quickly enough and ended up missing some. Also, the scenery was so beautiful, I wanted to watch while I was doing it but this was impossible and I had to just listen to Rodney's voice. This is not for beginners at all. Having said this, I try to use this DVD every morning and think it is good value for money and actually feel physically and mentally better. I would recommend this for intermediate practitioners. I DO LOVE RODNEY YEE THOUGH :) I look forward to hearing his soothing voice and seeing his lovely smile every morning. Is there a Rodney fan club? The interview with Rodney included on the DVD is very inspirational and philosophical as he talks about the effect yoga has had on his life and relationship with his father. He comes across very natural and not like a celebrity. After trying other Rodney DVDs, I have found this to be one of my favorites. Go buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Great companion with real lessons.
Review: I recently started taking power yoga classes at the local Y, and wanted to get a DVD that I can work with at home. I purchased this DVD because my instructor recommended Rodney Yee. It's the perfect companion to use in addition of taking actual courses, you get to practice the poses and its flow that you learn in class with three separate 25 minute segments or one entire workout.Yee does go quite quickly with the poses, but I think it's part of the rhythm of yoga. Definitely not suitable for someone that has no prior knowledge of yoga.
Rating: 
Summary: Not challenging
Review: What a terrible yoga workout. The person narrating the video was inconsistent with the poses. There really wasn't a challenge to this at all. It was a nice idea that you can choose to do three shorter workouts or one long one. I've been doing yoga for quite a while and this isn't a video I'd recommend to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT a "complete workout"
Review: I have been practicing yoga (primarily astanga/power yoga style) for a little over a year, and while I think that the individual segments are fairly good, do not buy this DVD expecting to replicate a traditional 1.5 hour power/astanga yoga practice session. The "complete workout" is merely the linking together of the 3 half-hour workouts, so you will have to fast-forward through the intermediate cool-downs and warm-ups if you want to maintain a regular pace and the internal heat that is key to this style of yoga. And even if you didn't have to fast-forward, you would still have the problem of the poses not being in the proper order--you go through the beginning sun-salutation poses with each segment. It's overall very annoying and NOT a good substitute for going to a proper power yoga class. I will say that each segment on its own is quite good, and it is of course convenient that you can do a 30-minute practice at home when you are pressed for time. But, in case it isn't clear, my main complaint with this DVD is that it's billed as being four programs in one--the three short, and one long--but I don't think that there is a true "complete workout" option as advertised. Because I think the title of the DVD is very misleading (I bought the DVD because I wanted the 1.5 hour session), I gave this DVD a lower rating than I would have otherwise. Depending on your needs, however, this feature of the DVD may not be problematic for you.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT for beginners
Review: When you start the DVD the title pops up on screen as,"Power Yoga for Beginners." Perhaps it should read, "Power Yoga for Beginners Who Have Studied Yoga, Know the Names of All the Poses and How to Perform Them, and Can Do Them Quickly Enough to Keep Up with the Pros." I have now been doing yoga for 2 months, know the names of many of the poses, but still, I am a beginner -- ostensibly the target market for this DVD. Even with the advantage of having been taught the poses step by step in classes before trying this DVD, I was in no way able to keep up the pace of this instructor. There is absolutely no introduction to yoga, or to any of the poses. There are no modifications for any of the poses. If you can't do exactly what Rodney is doing, what should you do? How would you know? If you don't know "downward facing dog" from "forward fold" before starting this DVD - then it emphatically is NOT the DVD for you. Even if you do know the difference, you had better be prepared for far more than beginner speed. What a huge disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Simply, the Best Available
Review: Having used virtually all of the Yoga workouts available (Power and Non), this DVD workout is simply the best available. It provides the option of doing one, two or all three of the workouts: Stamina, Strength and/or Flexibility. Each of these workouts is a complete workout on its own. This is perfect for those times when my time is more limited, such as in the morning before leaving for work when I'll choose one of the three to jump-start my day. When I have more time such as in the evenings or on the weekend, I'll do two or three of the segments. Doing just one of the workouts per day is more than enough to help me feel that I am keeping fit. I consider myslf an average yoga practitioner. As such, I find the routines to be quite "do-able", with the exception perhaps of some serious pretzel-type positons in the Strength workout that get easier each time I do them. Rodney Yee is a clear and inspirational instructor; half of the enjoyment of the workouts is listening to his calming instruction. My recommendation is to view each of the workouts once before engaging in them just to review any positions that may be potentially challenging. If you're looking for the one yoga DVD that will provide a challenging workout whatever your needs and time constraints, look no further. This is the one!
Rating:
Summary: NOT for beginners
Review: When you start the DVD the title pops up on screen as,"Power Yoga for Beginners." Perhaps it should read, "Power Yoga for Beginners Who Have Studied Yoga, Know the Names of All the Poses and How to Perform Them, and Can Do Them Quickly Enough to Keep Up with the Pros." I have now been doing yoga for 2 months, know the names of many of the poses, but still, I am a beginner -- ostensibly the target market for this DVD. Even with the advantage of having been taught the poses step by step in classes before trying this DVD, I was in no way able to keep up the pace of this instructor. There is absolutely no introduction to yoga, or to any of the poses. There are no modifications for any of the poses. If you can't do exactly what Rodney is doing, what should you do? How would you know? If you don't know "downward facing dog" from "forward fold" before starting this DVD - then it emphatically is NOT the DVD for you. Even if you do know the difference, you had better be prepared for far more than beginner speed. What a huge disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Great for intermediate to beginner practioners
Review: This DVD is broken up into 3 workouts, stamina, strength, and flexibility. The majority of the poses are beginner level (especially the stamina workout),each workout ranges from 20-30 minutes long. For a total workout do all 3 consecutively. I have been practicing yoga for 2+ years at least 5-6 days a week, and this DVD still gets plenty of usage. I think this DVD is challenging enough for intermediate level yoga students (check out some of the arm balances Yee demonstrates in the strength workout) yet easy enough for a beginner to try. However, Yee's workout is not for the faint of heart, the pace is fast (especially the second and third workouts), and you will sweat. Also, watch the DVD before you follow along with the routines, because they are fairly fast paced. So, if you want a good sweat, definitely give this DVD a try.
Rating:
Summary: Beginner's Use Caution - Overall Great Tape
Review: If you are truly a beginner to Yoga, you may want to start with another tape. With other tapes, you might find 3-4 people demonstrating poses for different levels of flexibility and strength. This tape has a very quick pace and offers no suggestions for levels other than what Rodney Yee uses. There was little or no mention of how much one should feel. As a result I overstretched my hip flexor the first time out (stretching too fast, and too much). At that point I re-approached this tape, doing it in segments until I found what worked both safe and comfortably for me. It also helps to familiarize yourself with the tape and listen rather than watch. At times his actions differed from his direction. With all that said, I LOVE this tape now, but approach with caution if you are a total novice. "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss" with Suzanne Deason is good for showing how you can do particular poses at your level of expertise, they use 4 women each doing the routine with different supports (blocks, towels, ropes etc).
Rating:
Summary: excellent workout
Review: This is an excellent video for someone with minimal knowledge of yoga and a good baseline flexibility. Rodney Yee's soothing, calm voice and flawless, succinct voice-over make this DVD worth every penny and ounce of your time. The locales of each segment take me away from my cluttered family room!! If I'm limited on time, I just do the flexibility portion, as each segment can stand alone or be done together as a very good workout. I sweat through each one, but feel energized after I do it.
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