I’m reviewing this workout after previewing it once and doing it a couple of times.

N.B. When I was in Kauai this summer, I saw this DVD at Border’s with the name Yoga from Hawaii.

General workout breakdown: Denise and Leslie have already described this interesting approximately 70-min. yoga video well. I can’t think of much to add, except that for the Michaelle varies her presentation, sometimes pausing to instruct, sometimes not, sometimes stringing poses together in more a flow, sometimes not.

Level: I’d recommend this to someone with previous yoga experience, perhaps practicing at a high beginner through low intermediate level.

Class: Most of the time Michaelle is by herself, but in one or two bits 3 women and 2 men join Michaelle. For some segments Michaelle instructs live; in others, she instructs via voiceover.

Music: for some segments, Hawaiian slack-key guitar; for others, nothing. Sometimes you can hear the ocean waves in the background.

Set: Most of the practice is set outdoors at various beaches and gardens along Kauai’s northern shore, particularly Hanalei Bay, Kai Aina, Anini Beach, and Tunnels Beach, but a few moments take place inside a simple wooden structure with yoga equipment. At times the camera cuts away to the ocean, waterfalls, Kauai’s surreally beautiful Na Pali Coast, or tropical plants.

Production: Clear photography without any crazy camera angles, clear sound.

Equipment: yoga mat (or equivalent). Michaelle is barefoot. You’ll also want a strap for the shoulder opener segment. You may want a cushion, block, and/or extra strap for some poses.

Space Requirements: enough to do a full sun salutation and to lie down with arms and legs extended

DVD Notes: The main menu allows you to play the whole routine or pick your chapter (which Denise and Leslie have already noted).

Comments: This is kind of a quirky production. I love the scenery (even if Kauai didn’t have a special place in my heart, I’d still enjoy it) and the self-massage segments, but parts of the flow and the “little bit of this, little bit of that” aspect didn’t appeal to me as much. If you’re looking for something different from the mainstream, however, this may appeal to you.
I expected more focus on alignment throughout the video, but as with the flow and instruction Michaelle is more inconsistent than not. I did realize that I was leading with my head when I come out of sun salutations, so in that sense I found what she did include interesting, even helpful.
Interestingly, Michaelle lists Erich Schiffmann among her thank yous. I guess I can see that in her interest in carving out her own path within yoga. I prefer Erich Schiffmann’s shoulder stretches with the strap on his Backyard Series: Beginning Yoga, however.
This is a fairly straight-forward approach to yoga, although Michaelle does encourage you to focus on your breath, give yourself aloha (love), and do quite a bit of lion’s breath.

Instructor Comments:
Michaelle’s somewhat stiff in front of camera, although she seems more comfortable when she’s instructing via voiceover. She cues decently, although she’s somewhat inconsistent in her mirror cueing.

KathAL79