After a discussion on VF, I bought Total Yoga at Best Buy, looking for a good basic non-power yoga tape with a variety of poses. It was just what I was looking for.

It's about an hour long and begins with a lengthy discussion about yogic breathing techniques. This is followed with spine "rocks", and several salutation series (A, C & others). They are not classic sun salutations, but include other postures like lowering and lifting legs while on back, spine "rocks", squats, gentle warrior poses, triangles. The tape also includes the plow, the modified headstand, the (?) dancer, and several spinal twists, both seated and lying down. The pace is slow, certainly more so than most power yoga tapes. It ends with a fairly long corpse pose during which you listen to music, and then Tracey's voice gently brings you out of this silence, back to consciousness. No jarring entry into trailers for other tapes, or loud music or static as the tape runs out. You can really relax because you know you'll be gently guided out of your quiet state.

Total Yoga is said to be designed for beginners to yoga, and I agree that beginners will be comfortable doing this tape. However, with the modifications, this is a tape that you can grow with.

I used this tape sequentially for a few days because I had pulled a muscle in my lower back. It did great things to release the pain and tension in my back and spine without further injury, especially all the spinal twists. This is an excellent tape if you're looking for something a step beyond Yoga Zone beginner's series or a tape with many varied yoga postures at a comfortable pace.

Instructor Comments:
Tracey Rich does the yoga postures, with occasional shots of Ganga White demonstrating poses for "more flexible" students. She's graceful and gorgeous. Her voice is the voice-over and is soothing and gentle; Ganga White's voice interrupts occasionally to discuss the postures he's demonstrating for more flexible students. The instruction is okay, form reminders as you go, but not as thorough as Yoga Zone beginner tapes.

Pamela B.