I’m reviewing this workout after doing it a couple of times in the past couple of years.

General workout breakdown: This routine, clocking in at less than 55 minutes, mixes a few Pilates exercises in with yoga asanas; a few more moves are twists on poses from either discipline. (Jonathan divides the practice into three segments, so there are natural breaks if you don’t have time to do it all at once.) The practice begins sitting, moves to lying down, continues through inversions, works its way through reclining / sitting, and doesn’t move up to standing until the last section, which contains, among other things, a few sun salutations. It returns to the floor before the final relaxation. While there is definitely an emphasis on strength, there are lots of poses meant to improve flexibility.

Level: I’d recommend this to someone who’s at least at the beginner / intermediate crossover stage in yoga and Pilates through someone at the high intermediate level of both disciplines. This workout assumes the user has some preexisting strength and flexibility; even though Jonathan includes a lot of form instruction and some tips, he doesn’t mention the breath a lot and doesn’t provide many modifications (beyond watching the two less flexible members of the class). If you’ve never done a shoulderstand or other such inversion, this probably isn’t the best place to start. I consider myself almost a solid intermediate in Pilates and a low intermediate in yoga; I have about 3 years of experience in each discipline but am still working on my flexibility and strength. I found this challenging when I was at the beginner / intermediate crossover point; this is probably better suited to my level and abilities now.

Class: 2 men and 3 women join Jonathan. They look more like star members of his classes than fitness models. Several times Jonathan gets up to check on his class, but usually he performs the moves and instructs simultaneously.

Music: Soft instrumental music (sometimes flutes, sometimes a harp, sometimes something else altogether).

Set: Interior with white floor; one wall is brick and the others are covered (or suggested) with white curtains. Some furniture (bench, stool, pot stand) line the back wall.

Production: The sound and picture are good, though not super crisp (the sound a little echo-y, the picture a little fuzzy), but nothing I really noticed until I paid attention. Small inserts show Jonathan alone doing the poses, usually from a different angle than that used for the class.

Equipment: sticky mat (or equivalent). All participants are barefoot.

Space Requirements: You should be able to lie down with arms and legs extended as well as to sweep your limbs to each side.

DVD Notes: From the main menu you choose the introduction, workout, or contact information. The workout itself isn’t chaptered, which is frustrating because Jonathan has divided it into three distinct sections.

Conclusion: This is a nice workout. I just don’t use it, preferring to do my Pilates and my yoga separately. It’s more straight yoga / Pilates than videos such as Angles, Lines & Curves or Strength & Grace, for example. At the same time, though, this isn’t a spiritual or meditative practice as it is, so it will probably appeal to someone who wants a mind-body connection for athletic reasons (e.g. build strength or increase flexibility) rather than something looking to relax or to find something deeper.

Instructor Comments:
Jonathan has a calm, intelligent presence. He cues well and includes lots of form instructions; his form pointers are direct and helpful.

KathAL79