The various postures
of yoga have long been used as a basis for the stretching moves that are
prescribed for athletes or used in other forms of exercise. It's no surprise,
then, that a flood of yoga tapes is hitting the market.
There are tapes for
Olympic-level athletes and tapes for rank beginners. There are tapes that will
challenge your strength and endurance, and tapes that will lull you into
blissful relaxation.
Here's a look at four
yoga tapes, from the most difficult to the most basic. The only thing you need
to get started is comfortable clothes and a non-skid surface like a sticky mat.
Embracing Power Yoga
This tape, led by Los Angeles
instructor-to-the-stars Mark Blanchard, is the yoga version of boot camp. It's
85 challenging minutes of constant movement designed to build strength and
endurance, with Blanchard leading a class of 13 men and women.
The tape is billed as
appropriate for all levels, and there's a 5-minute segment at the beginning
that offers a quick summary of how to do many of the basic yoga poses in the
tape.
But that's not enough
for novices, and the rest of the tape is far too strenuous for those who aren't
extremely fit. You can tell that Blanchard isn't very interested in newcomers
to yoga because he ignores the poor, fumbling fellow in the back row who has
little flexibility.
Despite these
deficiencies, this tape is wonderfully challenging and effective workout,
judging by the sweat that pours off the members of the class. But unless you're
already in good shape -- and by the standards of this tape, that means you can
do push-ups, balance easily on one leg and have abs of steel -- you'll be
better off with an easier tape.
Yoga Zone: Power Yoga
for Strength and Endurance
This routine provides
a great introduction to the strength-building postures of power yoga. It's
taught by Lisa Bennett, who leads two exercisers through the 55-minute class.
One exerciser is a
beginner; the other is more advanced. Beginners will be heartened to see that
Bennett devotes plenty of time to helping Gina, the beginner, find modified
versions of the postures that allow her to complete every segment of the
routine. And veterans can learn much from her work with Charles as she guides
him into more challenging moves.
One of Bennett's
major strengths is her ability to provide clear, detailed descriptions of
proper form, from the angle of a bent knee to the direction of an extended arm.
Though there's hard
work to be done in this routine, Bennett's comforting tone and understanding
demeanor make it pleasurable.
