A.M. Yoga for Your Week
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Movie Reviews of A.M. Yoga for Your Week
Movie Review: Great addition to a yoga DVD collecton
Summary: 5 Stars
Rodney Yee has had some hits and some misses in his yoga DVDs but mostly the former, in my book. Despite the occasional DVD that did not work, I think of him as a wonderful teacher, in fact he is one of my favorites.
I dont like philosophy mixed in with physical yoga. Because of the mind+body aspect of the origins of yoga, often a new age talk track accompanies the physical yoga on DVDs. The issue with this is that every teacher of yoga has their own interpretation of the philosophy behind yoga and frequently this seems, at least to me, very different from my own readings and interpretation. So although I think yoga is holistic, I dont find yoga DVDs of physical asana practice the best medium to impart simultaneous spiritual/philosophical ideology.
One of the reasons I like Rodney Yee is that he sticks to physical yoga. His talk track is form and alignment cues. Yee usually has a minimalist instruction style that is best suited for those who have some prior experience of yoga and want a DVD to follow along but not to really "learn" yoga asana. Another reason I like Yee is that his yoga is "classic" and yet features interesting combinations.
AM Yoga for your Week is a bit of a departure from Yee's minimal talk track style. He provides extensive and wonderfully helpful cues. Despite some years of yoga practise I discovered help with some sticky points from his cues in my forward bends. Full marks to the DVD for cueing. It should work well for beginners and beyond as its audience.
Before I ordered the DVD I had read that each 20 minute session had a separate focus - twists, backbends, forward bends, standing poses, hip openers. I typically do longer sessions of yoga with a bit of everything for what I consider a balanced practise. Forward bends are effective counter poses to backbends and so on. I wondered how separating the focus would work. I find it works very well as put together by Yee. Yee sets up with prep work before getting into the deeper poses and finishes with asanas that work as effective counter poses although they are not the typical choices. Doing 20 minutes with a specific focus each day is working as well for me as doing a long session twice a week that incorporates all the categories.
This DVD is particularly useful to busy people who cross train and want to do yoga apart from other forms of exercise like strength training and cardio. The 20 minute format is easy to tag on after another workout or as an independant yoga session in the morning if you do some other stuff in the evening.
The special feature of an intervew with Yee was enjoyable. I have often worndered what attracted him to Yoga since he says so little in his other DVDs. Hearing him explain in his sincere and understated style was good. He seems to have a good sense of humor.
Movie Review: Awesome -- Compliments Core Cross Train
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my hands-down favorite DVD, but it does have one flaw. Fortunately, I've just found Yoga - Core Cross Train, which addresses the missing element of "AM Yoga for Your Week."
AM Yoga contains five short workouts (around 25 minutes) suitable to do at home in the morning before you go to work. This is the only reliable time I have to exercise, and I simply don't have time for a 60 to 90 minute workout. Each of the five workouts focuses on one aspect of flexiblity, and each contains a secondary emphasis on strength using isometric exercises. The first is standing poses (for overall flexibility and balance), the second is forward bends (flexbility in your hamstrings and back), the third is for flexibility in the hips, the fourth is backbends to open your shoulders & upper back & chest, and the fifth is twists (looser movement).
Taken together, these five workouts are almost (oh-so-close) to being ballanced. But after doing these AM Yoga workouts most mornings for about 6-months (yes, really!), I noticed that while most of my body felt better and more flexible, my upper back still felt relatively tense and inflexible and often tense by the end of the day. Intermediate workouts (e.g., focusing on the plow or headstand) focus on the right area, but there is a large jump in flexibility from AM Yoga to a headstand. The missing element is present in Yoga - Core Cross Train. I highly recommend getting that DVD to compliment this one.
Movie Review: Rodney Yee saved my back
Summary: 5 Stars
I started doing yoga watching a free Rodney Yee video on my cable company's OnDemand channel. I stuck with it for several weeks, gradually increased my flexibility, and as long as I did it 2-3 times per week I never had back trouble. That is really saying something, since I routinely throw out my back. I don't know the exact reason why this works but it really does. So after trying a live yoga class for a while, I had to go back to video since the only time I can work out is at 6am and none of the yoga studios where I live are open then. So I bought A.M. Yoga because Rodney had been good to me and it turns out the Twists segment was the one from OnDemand -- SCORE! I think all 5 of these roughly 20mn segments are good and I usually combine 2 in a row for a full morning workout. One bonus feature: you can switch the audio setting to Minimum Commentary, which strips out all of the stuff about the "sacrum" (whatever that is), etc. and basically just tells you which pose to move to while you groove to the new age soundtrack. Doing this makes you realize how long Rodney makes you hold each pose and helped me concentrate more.
The DVD's interview with Rodney is actually kind of funny because he talks about how his Chinese dad didn't think highly of his gymnast/ballerina/yoga instructor son's chosen profession until the son started making more money than the rest of the family. Take that, Tiger Moms! Go Rodney!
Movie Review: Amazing.. transformative.. special.. top notch.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been practicing yoga with/without Rodnee Yee (DVDs..) for over a decade. I always love his calm, no-nonsense, organic approach to yoga. This DVD is exceptional for me in that 1) I feel wrung out of all toxins after each session, 2) the routines feel especially well structured leaving a special sense of wholeness and stability after moving through the sequenced poses Yee has choreographed, 3) the landscape of Arizona's red canyon is exquisite and nourishing for the eyes/soul/spirit during the practice, 4) the pacing and focus/grounding seems especially perfected among all his DVD practices. Each section is about 20 minutes and focuses on an entirely different pose type, yet after doing just one section your entire body feels well balanced and stabilized. Eventually, I will begin doing multiple segments at one sitting, but the idea is to work through all throughout the week so by week end each focus has been really worked. It's a great plan, transformative, should be part of preventative health programs everywhere. I mix it with Rodney Yee's Meditation DVD, which takes the bite out of urban living. I actually got up more than two hours earlier this morning to do his practice, since his intro requests you go to bed earlier and wake earlier and start each day with his practice. I'm feeling like that plan is an excellent program for long-term inner peace and productivity! Many Many Thanks, Rodney Yee!!Movie Review: From simple stretching back into yoga
Summary: 5 Stars
With a few years of beginning and advanced beginner yoga classes under my belt I needed a hip replacement. Yow! A few weeks after surgery I bought the excellent "am & pm stretch" with Madeleine Lewis and finally feel ready to step it up a notch. If you've never ever done yoga before this might not be the best DVD to start with (take a class) but it's not too advanced even for a gimp like me. I like the variety and that each segment feels like a complete practice ending with relaxation pose. These aren't really flow practices; each pose is held for a good few seconds which helps me a lot, and Rodney's voiceover instructions add remarkable insight into the pose. You can also choose minimal instruction if you prefer. He seems a lot more relaxed here than in earlier DVDs and gives an interesting interview. You'll need a mat, block, strap, and bolster or folded blanket but aren't told which until you're into the routine. An entire segment can be completed in under a half hour, including turning on the TV, navigating the menus, and unfolding/refolding your mat. Highly recommended.