This is my favorite of the short, 20 minute videos in the series that includes A.M. Yoga, Power Yoga for Beginners, and Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners. The production quality is wonderful. The video was filmed in Death Valley. The music is new-agey with some subdued vocals (chanting, but not as much as in Ali McGraw's yoga video). Patricia Walden starts out by talking about the purpose of P.M. Yoga, which is to help the participant relax and energize; to make the transition from being busy to being relaxed. The program has four "sections", although they all flow together. The first one is Centering, where you sit in a cross-legged position and are taken through a progressive relaxation. Next is Circulating, which includes a series of standing poses (Warrior I, Gate Pose, and Downward Facing Dog). You will get wonderful stretches in your spine, chest, shoulders, and legs. The third part is Cooling, which consists of seated forward bends. The purpose of these are to help you start to relax. You will also get a great stretch in your hamstrings. Finally, there is Calming. These are the supine poses. I like the way Patricia does not rush these poses. She does a progressive relaxation exercise here as well.

I recommend this video to people of all fitness levels. It is a good program for beginners, since Patricia describes the poses in detail and focuses on correct form. More advanced people will like it as well, and of course you can take the stretches as deep as is comfortable. A great value for the price! The 20 minute length makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule on its own or after a strength or cardio workout.

Instructor Comments:
Patricia Walden's instruction is very clear. She describes very thoroughly how your body should be aligned during the poses. Her form is wonderful, and her voice is calming. One odd thing, though--she does not mirror R/L like in many videos, so it appears that she is using the opposite side from you. During the seated leg stretches, however, she does mirror you. Patricia Walden also instructs the video Yoga Practice for Beginners, as well as Yoga Practice for Flexibility and Yoga Practice for Relaxation.

Kristin Aziz