Yogilates 2

I'm reviewing this workout after doing it a couple of times in the past couple of years.

General workout breakdown: This routine, clocking in at less than 55 minutes, mixes a few Pilates exercises in with yoga asanas; a few more moves are twists on poses from either discipline. (Jonathan divides the practice into three segments, so there are natural breaks if you don't have time to do it all at once.) The practice begins sitting, moves to lying down, continues through inversions, works its way through reclining / sitting, and doesn't move up to standing until the last section, which contains, among other things, a few sun salutations. It returns to the floor before the final relaxation. While there is definitely an emphasis on strength, there are lots of poses meant to improve flexibility.

Level: I'd recommend this to someone who's at least at the beginner / intermediate crossover stage in yoga and Pilates through someone at the high intermediate level of both disciplines. This workout assumes the user has some preexisting strength and flexibility; even though Jonathan includes a lot of form instruction and some tips, he doesn't mention the breath a lot and doesn't provide many modifications (beyond watching the two less flexible members of the class). If you've never done a shoulderstand or other such inversion, this probably isn't the best place to start. I consider myself almost a solid intermediate in Pilates and a low intermediate in yoga; I have about 3 years of experience in each discipline but am still working on my flexibility and strength. I found this challenging when I was at the beginner / intermediate crossover point; this is probably better suited to my level and abilities now.

Class: 2 men and 3 women join Jonathan. They look more like star members of his classes than fitness models. Several times Jonathan gets up to check on his class, but usually he performs the moves and instructs simultaneously.

Music: Soft instrumental music (sometimes flutes, sometimes a harp, sometimes something else altogether).

Set: Interior with white floor; one wall is brick and the others are covered (or suggested) with white curtains. Some furniture (bench, stool, pot stand) line the back wall.

Production: The sound and picture are good, though not super crisp (the sound a little echo-y, the picture a little fuzzy), but nothing I really noticed until I paid attention. Small inserts show Jonathan alone doing the poses, usually from a different angle than that used for the class.

Equipment: sticky mat (or equivalent). All participants are barefoot.

Space Requirements: You should be able to lie down with arms and legs extended as well as to sweep your limbs to each side.

DVD Notes: From the main menu you choose the introduction, workout, or contact information. The workout itself isn't chaptered, which is frustrating because Jonathan has divided it into three distinct sections.

Conclusion: This is a nice workout. I just don't use it, preferring to do my Pilates and my yoga separately. It's more straight yoga / Pilates than videos such as Angles, Lines & Curves or Strength & Grace, for example. At the same time, though, this isn't a spiritual or meditative practice as it is, so it will probably appeal to someone who wants a mind-body connection for athletic reasons (e.g. build strength or increase flexibility) rather than something looking to relax or to find something deeper.

Yogilates is a blend of yoga and Pilates, and in Workout 2, instructor Jonathon Urla leads an intermediate-level class. The practice is broken into three sections, thus allowing you to customize your workout. The first 12-minute segment focuses mainly on stretches from a seated position to warm up the body. In the second segment, you'll start immediate with a shoulderstand/plow series and then move right into the Pilates rollover, which was a nice flow. You'll continue with additional Pilates-inspired abs work and then do some additional core work from an all-fours position; this entire segment lasted about 17 minutes. The third segment was the longest at 29 minutes. After some opening stretches, you'll move into a sun salutation series from yoga, gradually adding in additional poses such as lunges and the warrior series. The total time for the workout is 54 minutes.

Overall, I enjoyed this hybrid practice, although I found it to be more yoga-focused than Pilates and was a bit disappointed that it did not include more Pilates matwork. This practice is probably most appropriate for those with some prior exposure to both yoga and Pilates who are interested in combining the two disciplines.

This is a wonderful program. Jonathan Urla brings a great deal of intelligence and experience to this hybrid pilates/yoga practice.

The set is lovely, nice cast, perfectly ok music. Excellent production values. Insets used when necessary to show the move. Jonathan is very clear and caring in his instruction. He has that hard-to-replicate intuition of knowing just how much to instruct - and the ways you might be veering off path.

I love the progression of the movements. I'd describe the tape as intermediate - and I guess that's how he describes it. I particularly love (let me say again - LOVE) the fact that he puts sun salutation and warrior/triangle poses at the end of the workout. I know many generations of yogis may disagree, but to me - that's where they belong - at least for a westerner who is at the humble beginnings of any true yoga practice.

A +. Really. I'd be hard pressed to find a program I'd recommend with less reservation. Effective, sophisticated and charming.

Jane C.