I don't think that any video, with the possible exception of Yoga Zone Conditioning & Stress Release, has ever made me feel so RELAXED! So relaxed, in fact, that right after I finished doing this tape the other day my 6-year old came in to tell me that he had stuck some Silly Putty in the carpet. My reaction--I smiled, told him that was OK, and we cleaned it up (and I stayed cool, calm and collected the entire time!). If you've been curious about the mind/body benefits of tai chi and yoga but haven't been sure if you'd like it or not, this is the one to try. If you have knots of tension that need to be loosened (like, who doesn't?), this one will do that, too. If you want to gain more body awareness--you guessed it--get this tape! Ever since I did this one for the first time, I'm now aware that I'm holding lots of tension in my shoulders. Hopefully after a few more run-throughs, I'll be able to get rid of my shoulder tension (of course, don't tell my husband that--I still want that massage gift certificate for Valentine's Day! :-) ).
This is an hour-long CIA production. The set is basic CIA. The music is really nice, kind of new-agey, and doesn't overpower the workout. VERRRRRRY relaxing! Scott and the rest of the crew are wearing tanks and white baggy pants and bare feet--definitely a martial arts look. This video begins, as has been mentioned, with the 8 Poses of Empowerment. Like Runita said, I haven't quite figured out how these benefit me. I know that they do, I just haven't figured out just HOW! :-) When I do this tape I'm very tempted to skip these, but I know I shouldn't so I don't. You do a brief standing series, and then you go to the floor for most of the rest of the tape. Unlike some other stretch tapes which rush through the stretches, in this one Scott holds the stretches for a LONG time. I really can feel my muscles releasing. You'll definitely increase your flexibility! I really enjoy the Feldenkreis exercises (basically a visualization exercise), where you do a seated twist, then close your eyes and visualize yourself being able to stretch further, and then you actually do it. Believe me, it really works! Actually, we do a similar mind-body technique in the childbirth education classes that I teach. I plan on incorporating this idea into my other workouts as well--who knows how heavy I'll be able to lift! :-)
A couple potential negatives that could get tiresome over time--Scott is very chatty, and some of his quips and jokes might get old if you do this tape often enough. They are the kind of comments that would really set you at ease in a live class, but I'm not sure how well they work on a video. For example, there is one pose, called the Rock, I think, where you sit on your heels with your knees out in front of you. Scott starts by saying that this pose is good for digestion. He goes on to say that sometimes he'll get into this pose and drink a cup of herbal tea... and then I get the image of him sitting in this pose with his tea doing you-know-what!!! Also, this video is an hour long (which it needs to be to get all the benefit from it), so many people might have difficulty fitting this in their rotation with any regularity (no pun intended).
Overall, I really like this tape. Because of the potential negatives (they are only potential ones), I'm not sure if I'll do this tape more than once every few weeks (which is still a lot for me, given the number of videos that I have), but it helps me relax like no other!

Instructor Comments:
Scott Cole really seems to try to make this workout accessible to everyone. He seems to understand that tai chi, yoga and vocalization might make some people uncomfortable, and he really tries to remove the intimidation factor. His cues are clear, as he tells you exactly where your body should be and you should be feeling the stretch. He has a great rapport with his background exercisers.

Kristin Aziz