Living Yoga - Power Stamina Yoga for Beginners

I strictly watched this tape the first time so I'd know what to expect. Then I rewound it and I've been using it on a daily basis ever since!

As I mentioned before, I used to do high-impact aerobics. It was the only way I knew how to stay in shape but it was very hard on my bad knees.

Rodney Yee's Yoga tape really challenges your strength and stretches your muscles without jarring your joints like aerobics does. I do Yoga in combination with a light walking program on my treadmill. After I walk, I use the tape and get some good solid stretches in.

I am so much stronger and before I started the walking program, I used this tape alone. I noticed a difference almost immediately. Even now, my muscles still ache a bit because this tape is so good.

Rodney Yee's Power Yoga for Beginners is challenging for those who are already strong and in shape but also easy on those who are trying to get in shape. My mom has arthritis and she can make it through this workout!


slick production, weak on yoga   July 25, 2000
42 out of 44 found this review helpful

This is a very nicely produced video, shot on a beautiful back drop. A very professional job was done. As for being a yoga program for beginners, it's just weak. Why? This is watered down ashtanga, without the most important element: breath. There's no attention to breath, no explanation of how to breath, and no association between breath and moving in and out of each posture. Without the breath, this is just stretching. And you will not be able to develop or maintain the internal heat that is characteristic of ashtanga practice.

There is no introduction to the postures or the basics of the sun salutation, which makes this unsuitable for beginners without a supplementary text. I doubt you'll find a text on Rodney Yee yoga.

And since this whole thing was slapped together as a custom program by Rodney Yee, it's not really useful without being in front of the screen unless your interested in memorizing Rodney Yee's basic yoga. Finally, this tape has a useful lifespan of maybe 2 months. After that, any reasonably fit person should have mastered the series and have nothing to move on to.

In general, you'd be much better off learning the primary series in ashtanga or if that's too much, look at the short forms tape by David Swensen, which is an excellent starting point with 15 and 30 minute workouts.

BTW: I'm not an ashtanga purest or fanatic. I think that the living arts series that focus on yoga for toning specific areas are great. For example, I really like Rodney Yee's Yoga for Abs tape. It's just this Power Yoga series that's a bit weak.


Warning: great tape, but not a true "beginner" video   January 5, 2001
37 out of 38 found this review helpful

Although this video--and the rest of the power yoga for beginners series--has many great attributes (flow, music, Rodney Yee's excellent style), I wouldn't consider it a truly beginner-level video.

I bought this video for my 56-year old mother, who is brand new to yoga and who brings to her yoga practice some arthritis and back pain. As I followed this course in the living room with my mother, I found the pace and approach of these particular videos somewhat inappropriate or intimidating to someone who isn't already something of an athlete or a yoga practitioner. Keep in mind that this is coming from a student of Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga of over a year.

There is little to no introduction from which the beginner student could glean the basics of breathing, flow, and the philosophy of yoga. Likewise, I felt that the flow moved a bit quickly for a beginner tape, making it difficult for the less-limber or slightly-out-of-breath to easily and confidently enter into a Yoga practice of his or her own.

While Rodney is an excellent and respected teacher, and although this tape is otherwise very well done, I would hesitate to recommend it to a very "green" student of yoga.