Living Room Yoga - Twist and Bend

NAME Eva Barash

DURATION 71 minutes

EQUIPMENT Yoga mat, block and straps optional

TYPE Yoga

MUSIC good

IMPACT None

LEVEL Intermediate

This is an intermediate yoga routine led by instructor Eva Barash. This is a great yoga practice for intermediates you like a flow routine as opposed to just a series of disconnected poses.

As for production quality, it's not up there with Cathe or Amy. It's a more of a homemade feel but not amateur. More like Amy Bento's first series of workouts. But that works here, because it matches her personality. No pretensions. The workout takes place in what looks to be a Brooklyn apartment. Nice Ikea furniture. Sometimes, her voice gets muffled by the microphone when she does poses but it doesn't detract from the workout too much.

Okay, now with the workout. She begins with a warm up during which you meditate and breathe a little first. She then moves on to neck rolls and stretches. Next, you continue with sun salutation, about two in a row with instruction, the final without. During the sun sals, there are differing speeds at which she moves. Next you move into standing poses then poses on the floor. Naturally, lots of poses that twist and bend.

Her instruction isn't bad. She definitely cues as though you have more than the bare beginner's knowledge of yoga and even uses the sanskrit names for some of the poses. There are some intermediate poses such as wheel included in this session as well.

If you are pretty new to yoga, she has a section on the DVD called the Library where you can hang out and learn some of the poses. Here, she has two exercisers demonstrating various poses (down dog, wheel, mountain, etc.). She even includes some modification and prop work.

I definitely like the feel of this DVD and would recommend it to anyone who likes a little "woo woo" but not so much that you feel the instructor has drank all the kool aid. If you want an instructor who seems to feel excitement about yoga but who keeps it toned down, I definitely recommend this DVD. If Eva came out with a beginner DVD or a restorative DVD, I would definitely get it.