I had heard good things about yoga instructor Tias Little for years, so I was interested to try this practice. Little studied Ashtanga vinyasa yoga with Pattabhi Jois, but he is also a licensed massage therapist a long-time student Vipassana meditation, Tibetan Buddhism, and Zen, all of which influence his practice.

More than just a yoga routine, this DVD incorporates many elements as described on the main menu, which I have reproduced below. [I have provided the additional information in brackets.]

Play All
Poem by Takahashi [brief, titled "Words"]
Prelude
Dharma Talk on "Non-Clinging"
Meditation--6 minutes [6:40]
Asana--46 minutes [46:12]
Closing Meditation--5 minutes [4:45]
Savasana--5 minutes [5:09]
Poem by Wendell Berry ["The Peace of Wild Things"]
Credits & Out Takes

In the Prelude, Little refers to yoga as a "contemplative practice." The talk about non-clinging includes the concept of the "Teflon mind" as well as the non-permanence of things, from the Twin Towers in NYC to the sand mandalas created by Buddhist monks.

The meditation/asana practice starts at 22 minutes into the DVD. Little is shown practicing alone in various outdoor settings, and his instruction is via voiceover. He uses mainly Sanskrit names for the postures but will sometimes refer to the common English translations as well. Occasional still photos are interspersed with the video, usually to show a modification. The postures that appear in the routine are listed below. (I use the English pose names to make them more readily recognizable to most.)

Hero pose on block, adding chin lock and arms overhead
Downward-facing dog, coming to standing
Sun salutations
Standing forward bend variations, including hold toes, feet on palms, feet on hands
Triangle
Side angle pose
Warrior 2
Half Moon
Wide-legged forward bend
Pyramid, optional arms in reverse prayer pose
Vinyasa to downward facing dog; hold 5 breaths
Staff pose; supine staff pose
Half hero forward bend
Head to knee pose
Half lotus prep (rock the baby) to half lotus forward fold
Half fish pose
Vinyasa to butterfly with forward bend
Wide-legged forward bend; supine wide-legged pose
Legs up to wide-legged plow to plow
Shoulderstand variations; back to plow

This is a nice practice with excellent form and alignment cues. I find it more serious than some of my other yoga practices, but definitely good for when I feel the need for a refresher of basics. Also, I found the addition of the meditation segments and poems a nice bonus. I would definitely recommend this DVD.

Instructor Comments:
I liked Tias. As noted, he comes across a bit serious, but he certainly seems to be an excellent, knowledgeable instructor.

Beth C (aka toaster)