Week 5, Day 4 - Making Yoga Work

I don't hate Yoga X, but nor do I love Yoga X. And as Mary pointed out tonight, it isn't really yoga. When Tony Horton starts yelling at me to get my legs straighter, well, that's not yoga, is it? To me, yoga should be a mind-body workout, one from which you walk away feeling an all-too-brief sense of strength and peace. Do I sound too "granola"? Basically, yoga should be like having a perfect cup of tea and then going on a moderately difficult nature hike - challenging, but peaceful. It's about the balance of pushing your body while maintaining tranquility in your thoughts.
Believe me, there are no tranquil thoughts going through my head during Yoga X. Mostly, it's some variation of "omigod thisuxsobad" or "I hate you, Tony Horton". Forty five minutes of warrior poses (like the advanced Leg Warmer Reverse Warrior), where your legs are shaking and your back hurts and you're cursing in an unladylike fashion....well, I don't think that's yoga. It's "Yoga-inspired Body Toning". Let's say "Yogatone X", because that sounds more hard core.
Yesterday, I flat-out decided to take a stand. My left knee has been getting better, and I wanted to do some yoga that wouldn't undo that. Yoga X was out.

Over the last few years, I've collected quite a few yoga videos. Some are good. Most are awful. I wanted to share a few favorites with you.

1) Trudy Styler's Warrior Yoga
For an intermediate yoga practicer, this video is wonderful. It features Trudy Styler (wife of notorious rockstar, Sting) and her insanely flexible Indian friend who wears really tight shorts as they make pretzels of themselves in a gorgeous Italian villa, all the while playing acoustic renditions of Sting's music in the background. It's good to be Sting's wife. Anyway, there's very little in the way of difficult strength-building poses. However, it provides a fantastic stretch (literally, you will stretch everything on your body), and offers a relaxing but motivating practice. If you want to improve your flexibility, I highly recommend this DVD. There is a full 50-minute practice, as well as a 20 minute one, which I love. My only critiques are, again, that you won't be building much strength and also that the Indian guy doesn't provide many variations on poses.
Another thought on the Indian guy in his no-imagination-required shorts: I'm not sure how to open my head like a "thousand petaled lotus", but maybe if my shorts were that tight, I'd be thinking crazy thoughts too.

2) Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners
This was where I started! This DVD has a really great introductory section that teaches you the basic poses (downward facing dog, cobra, mountain, staff, the warrior poses, etc.) and how you should compose your body as you move through them. It's simple and clear. There are also two short practices that just about anybody can do, and you'll walk away feeling relaxed and like you accomplished something. I still do this video! My only criticism is I simply wish there was more. While perusing Amazon, I discovered "Rodney Yee: Abs Yoga for Beginners" and "Rodney Yee Intermediate Yoga"...might need those.


3) Rodney Yee's Power Yoga
OK. I'm a fan of Rodney Yee. He's the man. Also, his body is exquisite. Just sayin'. This video is challenging, and not for the yoga newbie. Also not for someone who is disturbed by the use of the term "pubic bone". In any case, this DVD will make you break a sweat! He provides much more detailed descriptions of how to arrange your body (that's where the "pubic bone" comes into play), and the poses require much more physical strength. Next week, I will be replacing my Yoga X video with this one!



4) Hot Nude Yoga
OK, just kidding. I don't own this. But seriously, a "2 Disc Strengthening Set"? He he. Right.