About.com Rating
Updated May 01, 2014.
The Bottom Line
Rodney Yee is a master of yoga, something you notice right away when doing any of his videos. His cueing is excellent, allowing you to focus on what you're doing without having to see the screen and the workout, which includes 3 separate sections for stamina, strength and flexibility, is challenging without being impossible. He builds on each series, starting with easier exercises and adding intensity slowly, allowing you to master more challenging poses with ease.
The workouts are lovely to look at with calming views of the ocean, desert and mountains. Overall, a great choice for a solid power yoga workout.
Pros
- A great introduction to the high energy practice of power yoga
- Beautiful scenery and soothing, relaxing music
- Includes three 20-minute workouts that can be combined or done separately
- Excellent cueing keeps the moves flowing
- A variety of poses, some relaxing and some challenging, offer a balanced workout
Cons
- Exercises move very quickly, so exercisers should be familiar with yoga
- Poses can become repetitive and a bit tedious when doing each workout together
Description
- DVD includes three different 20-minute workouts for stamina, strength and flexibility
- You have the option of doing workouts separately or combining them into one 60-minute workout
- Includes a combination of basic yoga poses and more advanced moves for a challenging and balanced workout
Guide Review - Rodney Yee's Power Yoga the Complete Workout
Power yoga is high-energy, involving speed and fluidity, elements that Rodney Yee excels at in his video.
The DVD includes three 20-minute workouts, each with a different focus: Stamina, strength and flexibility, with the option to do them together for a 60-minute workout. Each section starts with warm up poses of sun salutations, downward dogs and upward dogs, but eventually flow into poses tailored to each goal. Each section compliments the other with different poses and levels of intensity for a balanced workout.
He suggests that this is a beginner workout, but the pace is quick, so you'll want to be familiar with basic yoga exercises.
Stamina
This section is filmed on a gorgeous beach with incredibly blue water and soft, flowing music. After warming up, your body is prepared for the more vigorous poses that focus on stamina including warrior poses, back bends, low lunges and boat pose. He builds on each series to gradually add intensity, for example going from cobra to a more difficult upward dog in subsequent repetitions.
Strength
This is the toughest section and is filmed on a grassy slope with mountains and the ocean in the background. After the warm up, you move into several tough series that include pushups, exalted warrior, side arm balances, cross-legged lunges and one of the hardest exercises, the crow. The workout becomes progressively more challenging and is great for pushing boundaries without feeling overwhelmed.
Flexibility
This is my favorite section for stretching the entire body and is filmed in the desert with crisp, blue skies. After warming up, you move on to a variety of lunges and warrior poses that open the hips and chest. He also includes pigeon pose to stretch the hips and a variety of seated stretches for the lower body. This section is the most relaxing and a great way to end the workout.