DVD Review: Kristen McGee: Power Yoga
Sep. 25th, 2009 06:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muck_a_luckI'm sure everbody knows how I love MTV Power Yoga. When I saw Kristen McGee had a new DVD, it went straight on my must have list.
Overall, this disc is not as good as the MTV routine in my opinion, for a number of reasons.
First, she launches with the awesome one-legged vinyasa as one of the very first sequences. I think it was way too early. I was not anywhere near ready. Then she weirdly follows it up with Surya A and B. I was all revved up, then I was like. OK. This is not new. :D
The remaining portion of the standing sequence is fine. She does a revolved Half Moon thing that kicks ass.
Mostly, on the standing sequences, if you already have MTV Power Yoga, you've done it before, and the MTV session is better put together.
That said, she really does know how to get those hamstrings opened up and MAN do you sweat. Really, really sweat.
The reason I will do this disc in alternation with MTV Power is the last sequence of seated postures. It was very, very relaxing, and she works your hamstrings open so well in the first section and you're so hot by the time you get to the floor, you can flatten out into the seated postures just like a yoga instructor! :D
Another reason to do this video a few times. OMG. I did Tree, and it was easy. How could Tree be easy?!?!
What this DVD lacks are sequences specifically devoted to twisting and backbending. There is ONE seated twist, and the remaining twisting is built in to the standing and seated postures: Head to Knee Pose, that lungey thing with the prayer twist that makes me feel like I had three beers before I started because I fall down so terribly *goes over to Yoga Journal to find a link* - Ha! Yoga Basics shows it! Scroll down to Namaskar Parsvakonasana. High lunge with a prayer twist. Side Triangle. Backbending is in Reverse Warrior and Upward Dog.
For a 50 minute routine, you will feel very open in the hips and hamstrings when you are done, but I don't feel the spinal ease that I get after the twisting and backbending.
She suggests a tripod-handstand on one of the iterations of Wide Angle Standing Forward Bend. She also has Bakasana, which was a total pathetic FAIL for me this morning. *sigh*
On totally non-yoga-related comments, I liked the music. It was a nice acoustic guitar track, very soothing for me. On the instructor, Kristen McGee is a pretty good coach, but, and I don't say this to be mean, she has a weird smiley face. I could not stop wondering if the smile was going to eat her whole head. I think it was something weird with her makeup and the lights, but she looked a little like an alien simulating human facial expressions. Actually, kind of like someone who had been asked to smile for too long. I wonder if they did a couple of takes or something.
All in all, now that I *have* this DVD, I don't regret it. But if I could have checked it out from the library, I might have been happy to do that occassionally rather than own it.
Overall, this disc is not as good as the MTV routine in my opinion, for a number of reasons.
First, she launches with the awesome one-legged vinyasa as one of the very first sequences. I think it was way too early. I was not anywhere near ready. Then she weirdly follows it up with Surya A and B. I was all revved up, then I was like. OK. This is not new. :D
The remaining portion of the standing sequence is fine. She does a revolved Half Moon thing that kicks ass.
Mostly, on the standing sequences, if you already have MTV Power Yoga, you've done it before, and the MTV session is better put together.
That said, she really does know how to get those hamstrings opened up and MAN do you sweat. Really, really sweat.
The reason I will do this disc in alternation with MTV Power is the last sequence of seated postures. It was very, very relaxing, and she works your hamstrings open so well in the first section and you're so hot by the time you get to the floor, you can flatten out into the seated postures just like a yoga instructor! :D
Another reason to do this video a few times. OMG. I did Tree, and it was easy. How could Tree be easy?!?!
What this DVD lacks are sequences specifically devoted to twisting and backbending. There is ONE seated twist, and the remaining twisting is built in to the standing and seated postures: Head to Knee Pose, that lungey thing with the prayer twist that makes me feel like I had three beers before I started because I fall down so terribly *goes over to Yoga Journal to find a link* - Ha! Yoga Basics shows it! Scroll down to Namaskar Parsvakonasana. High lunge with a prayer twist. Side Triangle. Backbending is in Reverse Warrior and Upward Dog.
For a 50 minute routine, you will feel very open in the hips and hamstrings when you are done, but I don't feel the spinal ease that I get after the twisting and backbending.
She suggests a tripod-handstand on one of the iterations of Wide Angle Standing Forward Bend. She also has Bakasana, which was a total pathetic FAIL for me this morning. *sigh*
On totally non-yoga-related comments, I liked the music. It was a nice acoustic guitar track, very soothing for me. On the instructor, Kristen McGee is a pretty good coach, but, and I don't say this to be mean, she has a weird smiley face. I could not stop wondering if the smile was going to eat her whole head. I think it was something weird with her makeup and the lights, but she looked a little like an alien simulating human facial expressions. Actually, kind of like someone who had been asked to smile for too long. I wonder if they did a couple of takes or something.
All in all, now that I *have* this DVD, I don't regret it. But if I could have checked it out from the library, I might have been happy to do that occassionally rather than own it.
