Yoga to the Rescue, Feel Good from Head to Toe

This is anusara teacher-extraordinaire Desiree Rumbaugh’s first video offering. Many of us have done workshops with her – always fun and challenging. The sessions I’ve had with her have been somewhat yoga-goes-to-the-circus, although she’s good at giving everyone a door into the practice. In any event it was a bit of a surprise for me to see that her first video is therapeutic in approach and is such a good one too. Desiree illustrates very clearly how the home practitioner can build strength and increase flexibility safely.

Yoga to the Rescue is definitely geared toward the beginning practitioner, but I'm a long-time practitioner who has completed teacher training and have still been using parts of this vid in my home practice. She reminds me to do stuff I don't like to do but should, like toe-breaker (although I wish she had spent more time in this one) and she has interesting ways of doing some standard poses. I have to say her way of presenting reclining twist, as more of a shoulder stretch than a core strengthening completely changed the way I approach that pose. Isn’t it strange how a simple thing can make such a big difference.

There's some really nice forward bend stuff. She shows it done with toes elevated (that anusara/Iyengar stand by) to help PF and then with hands clasped behind you to open the shoulders. You don’t often find really detailed instruction in forward bend and it's nice to see it here.

Again, if you're looking for fast flow you won't find it in Rescue.. You won't find dancey. It's just solid foundation stuff -- even to the natural curve of the lumbar spine. If you've taken a lot of anusara classes, as I have, you'll be familiar with most of this material -- but I still found some surprises.

I like that it really does start with the head and end with the feet by the way – a real change of yoga pace.

I realize not everyone uses videos like I do. I use media in pieces, worked into my own home practices. I often deviate from the video instruction or pose and I often stop the player so I can insert an inversion practice, or some arm balances or some wheels...or whatever. And I'm not into flow, except the one I follow in my own head. Rescue is well-chaptered so it’s ideal for adjusting to individual needs.

The production is attractive. Desiree appears a little stiff at times, but no big deal. The music sucks – wish there were a music-off option (something I think all yoga, pilates etc vids should have) so I could play my own. The video contains about 50 yoga minutes.

Instructor Comments:
Desiree is anusara-certified and has a background in Iyengar yoga as well. Her solid training and many years of experience are apparent in her presentation of key yoga poses.

Sharon Frost