Sara Ivanhoe's 20 Min Yoga Makeover - Power Beauty Sweat

Rating:
Summary: Deceiving Title
Review: Another enjoyable and quick yoga workout, though as with the previous review, I barely broke a sweat. I like this DVD when I'm pressed for time and need to fit in something.

Rating:
Summary: Nice routine with a standing posture and twist focus
Review: In Power Beauty Sweat, instructor Sara Ivanhoe does not rely on a traditional series of sun salutations to build heat in the body; rather, she adds movement to standing postures to intensify. She begins in a seated position with a simple side stretch and twist, then moves to kneeling for a kneeling side stretch (gate pose) and side plank. From here, the practice evolves to standing postures, including fan pose, a standing twist, and chair--each pose is repeated with movement and then a twist to both sides. Balance work comes in the form of eagle pose, and then there is a series consisting of dog pose, lunge, runner's stretch, and cow (or bull) performed to both sides. Dolphin pose further strengthens the arm muscles, and finally, there is a lying hamstring stretch. As with all the practices in this series, Ivanhoe ends with a mudra--or yogic hand gesture--using a detoxification mudra here.

Despite the title, I felt only minimal sweat as a result of this practice; it definitely did not build as much heat as a power yoga routine. However, the large number of included twists felt wonderful for my spine, and the excellent hip openers felt great as well. Instructor Sara Ivanhoe's personality in this practice is similar to her prior Crunch and Dummies videos: she is very down-to-earth, although some may find her language a bit patronizing at times. Overall, this is a nice, short yoga routine for focusing on standing postures and streching the spine and hips.