Video Fitness

Yoga with Ateeka

Yoga with Ateeka is filmed in Hawaii where she teaches Hatha Yoga. Ateeka starts you out with a shorth breathing exercise which slowly warms up the body. You then move to Sun Salutations (A&B), Ateeka starts you out at 2 sets for each sun salutes, and ask you to gradually work up to 5 sun salutes of A and B. You then progress to standing and balancing poses. Warrior I, II and head under your leg pose, King Dancer, Prayer behind the Back, then vinyasa to floor poses. A little bit of ab work here then Bridge to Wheel pose, to plow to shoulder stand. From those poses to seated forward bends and yoga mudra. The entire video is about 60 minutes long and flows well from asana to asana. She is constantly guiding you and reminding you how to best attain the pose. This video is very invigorating. Although no triangle or side-bend poses this video is a great work-out, especially when you start off with 10 sun salutes. I thorougly enjoy her and the program she has put together for her first video. Hope to have more from Ateeka.

Instructor comments: Ateeka is a wonderful teacher. She goes through each pose in an exact manner and guides you through. She has a soothing voice and flows from pose to pose.

Maria M. Welters
maria.m.welters@us.arthurandersen.com
02/28/00

There is already one review of this video on VF but I wanted to add my thoughts...This is just about my favorite yoga video among the many I have or have done. The music is haunting and is the kind that stays in your head all day, the scenery is incredible --along the coast of Maui or amongst a grove of trees. Ateeka is very thorough and gives good descriptions of the poses and purposes of the poses (i.e. shoulder stand is helpful for varicose veins). Her voice is so relaxing and she uses words like "melt" and "bliss". The video starts out with about 6 min. of breathwork and centering, moves into about 10 minutes of 3 rounds each of sun salutation A and B, then back and forward bends, warrior series (about 6 min.), balancing posture, bridge pose and full backbend, seated postures, hip openers, and inversion postures. The workout flows nicely, no endless sun salutations and down dogs. Of course, it ends with the requisite guided relaxation done so nicely as Ateeka tells us to take this feeling of bliss and love outward to others. Her website is www.yogawithateeka.com. A great yoga video!

Instructor comments: A wonderful instructor with a voice like butter. One could only hope to look that gorgeous in a unitard. She is very supple and elegant in her movements.

Sandy Mascio
mmascio@stratos.net
4-4-00

Good news: Beautiful location, beautiful instructor, beautiful music...

Bad news: It was too hard for an inflexible yoga beginner like me! I think it would be great for an intermediate or advanced person. Her voice is soothing, she tells the benefits of the poses, but there is little instruction or examples of modifications given. The workout really flows nicely, but I got too frustrated to finish. Sigh! Alta
3/6/01

Yoga with Ateeka is a visually beautiful video and equally enjoyable Yoga session. The workout could be classified as intermediate plus, because she doesn't hold the moves for an extremely long time, but the duration was long enough for me. Her graceful personality blended beautifully with her demonstration of the postures and the gorgeous Oceanside Maui setting (oh my!) While Ateeka performs the various moves, her voice over encourages proper positioning and motivation. She speaks a great deal about going to "your edge" and not taking your stretches beyond that. Your edge is the farthest point you are able to take a stretch to without hurting yourself or losing all personal motivation or confidence.

Ateeka then proceeds through a seated breathing warm-up and continues on to perform sun salutations (always lowering to full plank to up dog and quickly again to down dog – where you take 5 much needed breathes). She then proceeds to display warriors, chair pose, dancer for balance, triangle (not in this order), plough, shoulder stand, bridge, backbend, and so many more. She always followed a strong forward fold with a back arch/bend or visa versa, which I liked very much. For the most part she showed beg/int/adv levels for the majority of poses. I felt I completed a very thorough yoga workout and the time flew by. This is a definite keeper. Grade A+

Janet O'Neil
6/7/01

Others have broken down this components of the video but I just want to add that this video is very difficult if you are not super flexible. It's not really suitable for beginners or people who are inflexible. Some of the poses she does require extraordinary flexibility - similar to a gymnast, for example full backbend and another pose where you are twisted into a pretzel shape. I had to do serious modifications on these poses.

Having said this, if you are willing to modify, this is really a great yoga video. As others have said, the music and scenery are simply outstanding and the whole video has a very meditative, relaxing feel to it. As I have said, a couple of the poses are really suitable for only super flexible people, however, most of the poses are do-able for the average person.

Instructor comments: Ateeka is a wonderful instructor...she has a really soothing voice, and she gives clear instruction. She is really pretty and inspiring as well.

SassyGirl

2/25/03

I'm reviewing this workout after previewing and doing it at least once.

General workout breakdown: This general yoga practice runs about 55 min. The pace is measured and deliberate; you wonít feel like youíre flying through the poses and will have some time to linger in a number of the asanas. This will help you build strength and flexibility, especially in the lower body. Ateeka pops up a few times between sections to explain the purpose of each segment.
Begin seated w/ crossed legs for breathing, then into arm and spinal stretches coordinated with the breath. Move into down dog, uttanasana (standing forward fold), and tadasana (mountain); next come 4 repetitions of sun salutations. Then parsvottanasana (intense side stretch), warrior series (including virabhadrasana 1 & 2 and a lunge w/ hand wrap), and natarajasana (lord of the dance). Move to seated and slowly roll down for urdhva dhanurasana (bridge) and then full backbend / wheel / upward bow, with knees to chest after each. Return to seated for janu sirsasana (head to knee), paschimottanasana (seated forward bend), dandasana (staff). Return to down dog to move into low lunge w/ slight backbend, then move into pigeon. Roll down to supine for halasana (plow), moving into sarvagasana (shoulderstand), coming down into supine twist w/ legs extended. Sit up w/ hands in yoga mudra, then forward bend; come out and hug knees to chest. Roll back into savasana (corpse).

Level: Iíd recommend this to experienced exercisers practicing yoga at least at a beginner / intermediate level (i.e. youíre familiar with the basic poses, have some existing flexibility, and are working your way up to stronger practices). Ateeka makes a few suggestions of how to advance your practice.

Class: Ateeka alone, with instruction via voiceover.

Music: very nice gentle instrumental music with harp, flutes, and small cymbals; ocean waves lap on the shore in the background.

Set: Ateeka practices on a lawn next to the seashore in Maui during a sunny day, although sometimes she demonstrates the pose in another Maui setting.

Production: clear picture and sound. Helpful camera angles usually show all of Ateeka.

Equipment: yoga sticky mat (or equivalent). Ateeka is barefoot.

Space Requirements: enough space to do full sun salutations and to lie down with arms and legs extended, with space behind you for plow.

DVD Notes: The main menu (at least for the version I have, which has a white and blue cover with shots of Ateeka overlying a shot of a palm tree) offers you these choices: Play, Introduction, Sun Salutation, Parsvottanasana, Virabhadrasana, Natarajasana, Halasana, and Ending Credits.

Instructor comments: Ateeka cues as well as explains the poses, telling you what to do when plus what the pose does. She reminds you to do the class in a way that makes sense to you, modifying where necessary (although she doesnít always provide suggestions for them). She mirror cues. Ateeka alternates between English and Sanskrit names for poses. She moves beautifully and elegantly through the poses.
In a way, Ateeka strikes me as a slightly older (i.e. more mature), less flowery cousin of Rainbeau Mars. She talks about setting an intention, nurturing yourself with the breath and poses, etc., but itís not quite so hippy dippy as Rainbeauís usual sayings.

KathAL79

February 25, 2008 (written Jan. 2008)



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