I’m reviewing this workout after doing it several times, including once again just this past week.

General workout breakdown: This 39-min. yoga lesson focuses on the five directions of spinal movement: flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion, and lateral extension. Poses include neck undulations, neck oscillations, cat & cow tilt, spinal undulation 1, child’s pose, “hopping rabbit,” spinal undulation 2 (lateral rolling), lateral flexion & extension - sidewinder, bridge, jathara privartanasana, followed by another setu bandha, parivrrta ardha mayurasana (twisted half scorpion, or a reverse backbend spinal twist, as Jill calls it), boomerang, parivrtta janu sirsasana (revolved head to knee), urdhva pascimottanasana (upward facing intense stretch), and savasana (corpse).
This is structured as a complete practice, with an ending savasana. Even though in some ways this is more of a workshop or demonstration, as Beth mentioned, it’s easy to use and even meant to be used as a follow along practice.
Jill performs some “mini vinis” (aka short vinyasa flows – but these are not the usual chaturanga-down dog-up dog vinyasas at all) fairly quickly, although she does not move through them at lightning speed (at least, not at first), and I always take them at my own pace. Yes, Jill could do a better job of telling you to work at your own pace and to your own limits, which may be much less than the experienced, flexible her. Some other poses are held for a number of long breaths, though.

Level: I’d recommend this to experienced yoga practitioners, although you don’t have to be particularly advanced. Although this is in some sense an instructional video, Jill assumes you are already familiar with the basics. She provides only a few modifications, mainly for those with a little less flexibility. I’ve been practicing yoga for about 8 years now, and I find Jill’s practices challenging, particularly since I’m still working on strength and especially flexibility (although she’s the first to admit that her level of flexibility is definitely above average), but this one is one of her more doable ones for me. Also, I always feel like I get a lot out of Jill’s videos, both physically and intellectually.

Class: Jill alone, instructing live.

Music: none.

Set: a bright, rather plain interior studio.

Production: decent quality picture, with fairly straightforward, simple camerawork. Jill simply speaks to the video camera, which has obviously had its volume turned up to catch her voice since she is not wearing a microphone. You can hear her, but expect some background noise, too (e.g. you can hear a car and/or motorcycle passing by outside from time to time) plus some static. As Beth says, it’s a bit echo-y.

Equipment: sticky mat (or equivalent) and blanket or sheet / (very large) plastic garbage bag (although someone on the forum helpfully suggested a plastic painter’s drop cloth; this would be better than a blanket on carpet). You may want a strap (or something like a tie or dressing gown belt or long, thin towel) for one pose.

Space Requirements: You should be able to lie down with arms and legs extended and sweep your legs fully out to each side of you.

DVD Notes: This is a DVD-R, which I have trouble playing on my increasingly picky regular DVD player (6+-year-old Toshiba); I had trouble with it in my usually not-so-picky former laptop, too, but I have better luck with my newer one as well as the PS2. Because of this, I don’t use this series as often as I’d like.
Each exercise is chaptered separately; in fact, each side is chaptered separately, too, where relevant.

Comments: This particular video is no longer listed on Jill’s older site, jillmilleryoga.com, but you may still find copies floating around on the exchange. Many of the exercises appear scattered throughout Jill’s more recent productions, specifically Yoga Link (in particular Core Integration), Quickfix Rx, and Post Athletic Stretch. However, I’m very happy I was got this one, because I like this practice a lot and don’t feel that her later practice fully replicate this particular one. In fact, I’d love to see her devote a future video to the spine, whether it’s just a refilming or a total remake.

I use this program when my back feels stiff from too much sitting, overzealous weight lifting, that sort of thing, and afterward my spine always feels great.
I have a healthy back and neck, so I can’t tell you how this practice would work for those with any serious or even not so serious issue. There are a few moves performed while on all fours, so this is also best for those with healthy wrists and knees.
I can’t think of any other programs exactly like this, but Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga Therapy DVDs with Pranamaya (one for the upper back, one for the lower) aren’t all that dissimilar and are probably more accessible to the average person, in terms of level, availability, and production values. When I was trying to get into kundalini, practices like Ravi Singh & Ana Brett’s Rise and Spine segment from Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond (the original one) were one of the reasons I stuck with that effort as long as I did, although Jill’s approach works better for me for whatever reasons.

Instructor Comments:
Jill brings a real intelligence to her instruction; not only is it clear that she has spent a lot of time studying yoga, anatomy, etc., but she has a great awareness and intuitive sense of how the body moves. I love that she never talks down to you (e.g. she uses the full scientific names for muscles and other body parts rather than making up cutesy ones), yet she’s obviously not showing off or purposefully trying to go over your head. You can feel her excitement and enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge; she wants you to learn and benefit from the practice as she has. Also, Jill’s style of yoga is unlike the others I’ve experienced, yet she seems to have a deep appreciation for the traditions of yoga, so you never feel like she’s putting her own stamp on things just for the sake of doing something different.
I really like her on screen personality. Her sense of humor can be a little quirky, but it’s not really out there, and it’s right up my alley. Her language is straightforward and plain, peppered with conversational and colloquial phrases rather than flowery or mystical sayings. Her “real world” visuals make a lot of sense; when she tells you that it’s a jump rope action, you know exactly what she means. (In other words, I feel like I’m interacting with a real person who practices yoga, not someone assuming her role as “yoga teacher extraordinaire.”)
Jill’s instruction and cuing are excellent. She describes things well, giving you truly helpful tips and some quick demos of what not to do. Jill does not mirror cue, however; when she says “right,” she’s referring to her right, not the viewer’s.

KathAL79