YogaFit Flex and Flow

Production:

Beautiful poolside setting, outdoors.

Workout:

Working with the breath, Beth begins to warm you and prepare the participant for the yoga sequences. Moon pose warms up the upper and lower body. You'll stand with feet wide and perform a deep plie with arms bent and reaching them upward. Sun pose is next (you'll perform a similar motion but with the arms held straight to the side & moving them up and down). Chair pose performed rhythmically continues to warm you up. Down dog follows. A wonderful cat/cow will open the chest and spine. Opposite arm/leg balance pose will work the core. Side plank will strengthen the working arm and tone the thighs and obliques. Down dog will stretch you out. A plank/pushup flow will benefit the upper body. One legged dog is next, working upper and lower body together. A one arm down dog will add more weight to the working arm for additional toning benefits. Camel pose will follow and then you'll release into down dog. Modified Warrior 1 into 1 legged down dog moves into chatturanga pushup. This flow repeats several times. Traditional Warrior 1 is next. After this sequence you'll go back into the sun pose. A chair pose with twist follows into a side stretch. Warrior 2 with various holds will tone the lower body. Wide forward bend into side angle with flow is next. You'll then move into triangle with a twist. Down dog will stretch the hamstrings. Next you'll perform the plank flow with isometric holds. Camel into child's pose. The mat work that follows blends traditional exercises (tricep dips for example) within the yoga. Lots of abdominal work will enhance core strength. Beth concludes with wonderful stretches/relaxation to gentle cool you down.

The deep holds and various ranges of motion in this workout provide strength (and improve flexibility). Beth repeats the sequences for several "reps" (using your own body weight as resistance) like you'd do in more traditional weight lifting workouts.

This DVD is not chaptered. Beth Shaw instructs live. The background music is unobtrusive. There are 2 background exercisers with Beth, and they practice on yoga mats by the pool (nice mountainous backdrop). The production quality is very good. Each pose is repeated/alternated several times and also held static for about 10-15 seconds. The pace of the practice is deliberate. IMO, the practice is best suited for high-beginner to intermediate level of Yoga practice. The practice is approximately 52 minutes long. Beth speaks calmly and clearly; she doesn't use spiritual language (aside from saying "heart's center"). The camera is focused on all 3 exercisers most of the time. Sometimes the background exercisers show modifications for certain poses. Beth constantly instructs, but doesn't explain the proper body alignment/positioning for the poses. She encourages you to do as much as you can while honoring your limitations.

The practice consists of:

-Mountain pose

-Linking breath to movement: breathing while bringing arms overhead and then back down to namaste. (about 8 times)

-Moon pose (inhale arms towards sky and then exhale back into the pose)

-Sun pose (inhale arms towards sky and then exhale back into the pose)

-Chair pose (modifications are briefly shown): inhale up to standing and then exhale back into the pose

-Downward facing dog pose with alternating heel walks

-Child's pose

-Cat stretches

-Table balance pose with alternating opposite arm/leg lift

-Alternating modified side plank pose

-Downward facing dog pose

-Plank push-up flow (modified plank pose to modified crocodile pose to downward facing dog pose back to modified plank pose)

-3-legged downward facing dog pose

-1-arm downward facing dog pose

-Child's pose

-Modified camel pose

-Downward facing dog pose

-Modified Warrior I pose

-1-legged downward facing dog pose

-Plank pose to crocodile pose to cobra pose

-Modified Warrior I pose

-1-legged downward facing dog pose

-Plank pose to crocodile pose to upward dog pose

-Warrior I pose

-Sunflower pose

-Sun pose

-Chair pose

-Alternate twisting chair pose

-Alternate lateral flexion stretches

-Warrior II flow (moving Warrior II)

-Standing Yoga mudra pose

-Side angle pose with circular arm movements

-Triangle pose

-Pyramid pose

-Side angle twist

-Downward facing dog pose with alternate walking heels

-Plank pose

-Crocodile pose

-Plank pose

-Downward facing dog pose

-Camel pose

-Child's pose

-Moving upward table top pose

-Moving modified boat pose

-Inclined plane pose

-Row-the-boat pose (abdominal strengthening)

-Seated forward bend

-Seated twists

-Supine knees-to-chest pose

-Dead bug pose

-Moving bridge pose

-Slow-moving ab crunches

-Knees-to-chest pose

-Bridge pose

-Reclined butterfly pose

-Knee-to-side supine twist

-Seated side-to-side shoulder rolls.

There's no shavasana at the end.

I like this practice; it's a stretching and strengthening practice (using your own body weight). There's also a focus on balancing. There are certain parts of the practice that can be stressful on the wrist (ie. downward facing dogs) and you may need to modify.