Power Yoga For Beginners: Strength

In this power yoga workout, instructor Rodney Yee moves very quickly, even faster than in any other vinyassa-style practices I've done. In particular, he transitions through the sun salutation series so fast that even those familiar with the poses in the series (which is a MUST) will have some trouble keeping up with Yee's pace. You will perform MANY downward facing dogs in this practice, as Yee frequently returns to this posture as a resting pose between more challenging moves. Once he gets to the arm balances, Yee moves a bit more slowly, allowing time to get into more strenuous postures such as Pendulum and Crow and to hold these poses briefly. I've been practicing yoga at home for about 2 1/2 years now, and I definitely wasn't able to complete all of the poses in this practice. However, I felt that it offered me an excellent opportunity to expand my current practice to more challenging poses. This fast-moving practice is appropriate for intermediate to advanced yoga practitioners.

First off, this "beginners" tape is not for beginners, despite the title. Most of Rodney Yee's workouts seem to be under-rated as far as experience required. This one is challenging because of the arm strength required -- it's great for intermediates and lower-advanced. The workout is 20 minutes, and as with all of Rodney's tapes, is beautifully produced. Grade A.