Sarah Powers
I just got this DVD this week and there a ton of material on it. I'm really loving
it - lots of new stuff to try!
First - about me - just so you know, Sarah's first DVD Yin and Yang Yoga is in my
Yoga Hall of Fame DVDs - one of my favorite vinyasa practices of all time. I've
also been practicing with the Grilley DVD right before bedtime for the last two
months or so. I very much enjoy Yin style yoga.
This DVD was produced by Pranamaya, the same as the Grilley DVD, and the production
values are good. The practices themselves though are not chaptered which isn't
much of an issue for me since I usually do it whole, but I know some people depend
on this.
There are 2 Yin practices - one for the liver and one for the kidney. The style
of instruction is quite different from the Grilley DVD - she focuses on breathing
much more carefully and the meridians and energy flow. She tells stories while
you are in a pose and gives lots of information - but there is an option to turn
of the speech and just get the cues (I didn't try it yet). So while the Grilley
DVD focuses on hips or the spine, she focuses on the meridians. I believe all the
holds are for five minutes while on the Grilley it varies from 2-5.
The Yang practices are very much stylistically like her previous DVD - very slow
careful movement - long breaths, detailed instruction. There is a 40 minute sun
salutation sequence that is not very typical - there are lunge sequences and shalabasana
sequences. It's very different and taught skillfully. The 55 minute standing pose
sequence is similar in instruction style but a different sequence all together.
Her 11 minute savasana has some instruction at the beginning and then goes into
some chanting singing that is beautiful and very relaxing.
The only piece I haven't done yet is the 31 minute mediation which I hope to get
to this week.
If you had a problem with the original Powers DVD, I would not recommend this because
it is similar in style, but the practices are quite different and she goes into
way more depth about the merdians.
If you didn't like the Grilley DVD, you also might not like this because the production
is similar - although their teaching styles are quite different.
Since I really like both those previous DVDs, I'm thrilled with the material in
this one. Two mudras up!
Instructor comments:
Christine Miyachi
cmiyachi@alum.mit.edu
10/30/05
