Lower Body Yoga

Suzanne Deason
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Yoga


I really like this tape, but I am not exactly sure how to explain what it does for me. I thought it would be a lower body toning tape, but I never really feel that it helps me much in that area. However, I believe beginner exercisers will find good toning benefit from this tape, and may find several of the poses difficult without both lower body and upper body strength. Overall, this tape is more difficult for me in terms of my upper body. It also contains poses which works the abs.

This video is certainly different than Suzanne's other videos in the beginners series, in which the poses are structured to relax and stretch you out. On the other hand, it also seems different than the Power Yoga tapes that I have tried - I would say it is a bit easier. When I do this video I feel both energized and stretched out. It goes through many poses fairly quickly and you will probably get warm when doing them. The overall workout is 25 minutes long.

Since I am having trouble explaining this video I will list the poses found in the workout. All of my yoga experience is from videos and I may get some of the pose names wrong. Any pose done on one leg is then done on the other. The poses:

  • Hero's pose
  • Downward Facing Dog, held for awhile alternating lifting one heel and bending one knee to get a good calf stretch.
  • Lunges followed by Downward Dogs
  • On hands and knees lift one leg and opposite arm
  • Downward Dog, lift leg into 3 legged dog, move into lunge, repeated a few times with variations
  • Downward Dog, jump legs forward into Standing Forward Bend, to Chair to Mountain
  • Standing forward bend
  • Plank
  • Downward Dog
  • 3 legged Downward Dog into Exhalted Warrior
  • Jump legs forward into Standing Forward Bend to Chair
  • Proud Warrior
  • Triangle and variation
  • Half Moon (balancing on one leg and one hand)
  • Plank to Upward facing dog to Downward Dog
  • Standing Forward Bend to Chair to Mountain
  • Plank
  • 3 legged Dog to Warrior 1 to Warrior 3 (balancing on one leg bending forward with arms together)
  • Plank to Upward Dog to Downward Dog
  • Standing Forward Bend to Chair to Mountain
  • My favorite pose, of which I don't know the name. You bring one knee to your chest and grab your leg (right hand to right leg) and pull your leg back so that you are doing a standing quad stretch. Then you continue to pull your leg back balancing on one leg and your body is more horizontal with you hand still holding your lower leg or foot.
  • Plank to Upward Dog to Downward Dog
  • Child's pose
  • Bridge repeated several times
  • Various leg stretches holding foot
  • Various poses to work the abs including Boat pose
  • Forward bend
  • Cobblers pose laying down, then extend legs
  • Wide angle forward bend
  • Another pose I don't have a name for, and this one is my least favorite because it is hard for me. You start sitting up straight and put your hands behind you and you lift your whole body up.
  • Finally a few relaxation poses.

One reason I really like this video is that it contains poses requiring balance which I love, but I do wish some of these poses were held longer. With all the downward dogs and plank poses, I felt like this video was actually targeting the entire body. I do not mind this factor, because I felt like it got my blood going everywhere and also gave me a good full body stretch.

If you are familiar with other Living Arts videos, you can expect the same good and bad features from their other yoga tapes (no mirror-cueing, beautiful production quality - this one shot at Haleakala volcano in Maui, etc.) One nice difference for those experienced in yoga is that Suzanne does the poses in the normal form not the modified form, like she does in Gentle yoga or Stress Relief. There is a short section at the very end showing modifications to about 10 of the poses using the block and strap.

Instructor Comments:
Suzanne is a pleasant instructor and usually gives good form pointers. For some reason I prefer her tapes to Rodney Yee's. I am not sure if it is a personality thing or if it is just that I prefer Suzanne's routines more.

Lisa C

01/09/2000