I’m reviewing this after doing it a number of times during the months that I had it.

General workout breakdown: This DVD has a 25 minute Yoga Flow and a 15 minute Pilates-inspired matwork portion 5 minute stretch for a total of 45 minutes. (I don’t have the DVD anymore, so I can’t provide a break down of the moves. I remember there were sun salutations and lunges in the Yoga Flow and lots of boat poses in the Pilates matwork, though.)

Level: I’d recommend this to someone who’s at least moving into the intermediate level of Pilates and yoga (or related disciplines). I considered myself at the beginning/intermediate level when I had this DVD, and I found this workout quite challenging, especially with my limited flexibility. I think it would be more doable now that I’m at the low intermediate (and improving!) stage. Familiarity with yoga and Pilates is helpful; I’m not talented enough to tackle disciplines I don’t know, so I can’t tell you how it would work for a non-Pilates and/or -yoga person. Be aware, though, that beginners may find that this challenges their strength, flexibility, and balance a little too much at first.

Class: just Karen. She alternates between demonstrating the move while doing voice-over narration and cueing while demonstrating the move. She uses two slightly different outfits, and I’ve yet to figure out if there is a pattern (i.e. wearing one while doing modifications) because it appears to be a random thing which one appears when.

Music / Set / Other Production Notes: The instrumental music is soft and Classical-inspired, with a Gershwin tune in there. It’s very pleasant, relaxing, and appropriate for a yoga / Pilates routine. (But apparently I’m the only one who likes it.) The interior set consists of a raised platform and some colored banners over a white wall. The picture and sound quality are very good, as you would expect from a KV production.

Equipment: sticky mat (or equivalent). Karen demonstrates some modifications with yoga block

Comments: This workout does not require much space. You should be able to lie down with your legs and arms extended.
Karen does not intend for this routine to be anyone’s normal strength routine; it is instead meant to be something one might throw into a rotation to shake things up or pop in at the end of a week full of hard workouts or stress. Karen doesn’t ever say that her buff body is from Pilates and yoga alone; we all know about her many weights videos. However, she does mention that she values yoga and Pilates for their ability to improve, tone, strength, and flexibility. And you can’t say that Karen’s not flexible . . .

DVD Notes: This identical program is also available on DVD with (Pilates) Core Essentials (aka Core Plus More) as Yoga & Sculpting. The DVD allows you to do the entire program, just the yoga flow (25 minutes), or just the Pilates routine with the stretch (20 minutes). I found it easy to add on the yoga or Pilates segments to strength workouts.

Conclusion: I traded this one away. I didn’t dislike it; I just found things I like better. I never got into the Pilates segment; I’d rather do straight Pilates. And I decided that since I acquired Karen’s Yoga Focus I didn’t need two similar yoga flows, and I love the stretch segment on YF so that one had to say. I think, however, that I much prefer the yoga flow on YS over the one on YF, which is jerkier and a little more complicated.
The focus of these routines is more traditionally athletic rather than relaxing or spiritual. Karen wants you to focus on performing each move, not the centuries of traditions and beliefs associated with it or even its name. If you’re looking for a challenging yet “real” (rather than fusion-fied) yoga flow that isn’t “New Agey,” this is a good candidate.

Instructor Comments:
is an excellent cuer and very focused on proper form and technique. She works each side evenly and intends for you to mirror her moves. She doesn’t exhibit much of a personality here.

KathAL79