Easy Toning Workout

Wai Lana is very different! First, her outfits change with every pose but it flows together very nicely. The tape is voice-over but done well. The music is nice, sorta singsongy chanty like her voice. Her accent is heavy but seems to suit the music and wild outfits. filmed outdoors. very colorful set. Seems like she sways and sings during the meditation but I was almost asleep so I didnt' see her until I watched a preview at the end!

She does some of the usual yoga poses and adds some I haven't seen before or haven't associated with yoga. she focuses on the abs some too with some 'simple' lifts that are harder for a beginner than they look! I liked the workout overall but dont' know how 'easy' it really is. I found some of the moves challenging somewhat but most of them I could do.The total workout itself is around 30 minutes. Overall this was worth the $5 I paid for it.I will probably do it from time to time to stretch and tone the lower body.

Instructor Comments:
bright outfits, heavy accent but understandable

Susanna (smith938)

In this video, which is from the "Easy Workout" series, Wai Lana offers a sequence of dynamic poses focused on stretching and toning various areas of the body. She begins with a basic breathing exercise plus some simple stretches for the neck. Next, you'll wake up the legs by alternating between a squat and a toe raise, then move on a standing knee to chest stretch. Still in a standing position, Wai Lana performs what she calls a "Dancing Forward Bend" (the names for all of her poses appear briefly on screen, which is helpful because she frequently uses names I've never seen before), which is basically a continuous flow between a standing forward bend and a standing backbend. The final standing posture is a variation on triangle pose in which your legs are only shoulder-width apart.

Wai Lana then moves to the floor for some back stretches, including a locust variation, a rear leg lift on hands and knees, and a cat/cow series. From a seated position, she performs a forward bend and a simple twist. Moving to lying on your back, you'll finish with a single leg lift, bridge pose, single leg cirlces, and then double leg circles. After setting you up for savasana, Wai Lana invites you to join her in seated chanting, but I just stayed in savasana the entire time (about 5 minutes); the entire practice comes in at just under 38 minutes. Overall, I found this practice to be enjoyable and relaxing, and I felt nicely stretched out afterwards. Because there are brief pauses between every pose segment, you can perform as many or as few postures as you choose, simply picking up where you left off the next time, so this practice is easily customizable to your needs. The Wai Lana series is definitely worth checking out if you have been practicing yoga for awhile and are looking for a departure from mainstream yoga videos.

Instructor Comments:
If you've never tried Wai Lana before, you should be aware that she wears an elaborate new outfit for each asana, uses bright makeup, and has a heavy accent; all of this takes a bit of getting used to. However, she provides very good instruction with frequent form reminders (although her cueing is non-mirrored), is quite encouraging, and practices against an absolutely gorgeous setting in Hawaii with a Pacific Ocean backdrop.

Beth C (aka toaster)