This is a good workout for those who find themselves easily bored by yoga and are interested in a more active practice. While not at the pace of power yoga, this workout moves quickly through the use of sequences: several poses are combined together in a flowing sequence, and rather than holding each individual pose for any length of time, the entire sequence is performed and then repeated several times.

The workout begins with instruction on breathing using the simple mountain pose. The first sequence involves mountain pose, standing forward bends, and chair pose. After this warm up, a longer sequence follows, containing lunges, push-up pose, simple backbends, and many repetitions of downward dog. For each repeated sequence, a slightly more difficult variation is introduced, and by the end of this series, your arms and shoulders have gotten an intense workout. A series of twisting lunges comes next, followed by some basic standing poses such as proud warrior, triangle, and side angle pose. Again, these are done in a sequence that flows quickly from one move to the next. A short abs section caps off the workout: after a few boat poses and seated backbends, there are also two Pilates-like exercises for the midsection. Finally, the practice ends with some brief seated stretches and an even briefer relaxation pose.

Sara's cues are detailed enough for those new to yoga, and the program is appropriate for beginners, especially with the modifications provided. However, some prior familiarity with basic yoga postures might be beneficial, and it should also be noted that this is intended to be intense and energizing rather than a relaxing practice. At 45 minutes, this program provides a nice change from traditional weight-bearing strength workouts while still offering the opportunity to work on toning at a more moderate pace.

Instructor Comments:
Instructor Sara Ivanhoe is completely non-intimidating; she uses language such as "wiggle your fingers and toes" and "you might want to take it up a notch." She places strong emphasis on breathing and enjoying the workout and de-emphasizes perfect form. Her yoga instruction is completely Westernized, with little evidence of the more mystical/mindful aspects of yoga practice.

Beth C (aka toaster)