DVD Review: MTV Power Yoga
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sun_salutationDVD: MTV Power Yoga
Instructor: Kirsten McGee (Jess Gronholm is the "advanced yogi" in the back.)
Year: 2003
Yoga style: Power Yoga/Flow Yoga
Difficulty: Intermediate Beginner. The pace of this routine means the beginner should already be familiar with the basic poses. Also, some of the poses require more upper body strength than other beginner routines.
Length: Approximately 45 minutes
CK's rating: Five stars
One of my favorite yoga DVDs is MTV Power Yoga.
I know, I know…
It gets mixed reviews on Amazon, ranging from people who love it to outraged people who declare that it isn't even yoga, just a yoga influenced aerobic workout.
The instructor, Kristen McGee is perky, bouncy, blond, and flushed in the desert heat. She has three people with her. Worth noting: Kari, the beginner, actually looks like she probably *is* a beginner and not just a person modifying the routine to help out the beginners. Also, Jess Gronholm, her advanced person, is amazingly hot. Just a beautiful man. As of 2008 he was Crunch's national yoga director.
This is a very fast flow yoga routine with a few sequences that beginners will find fairly challenging, though the poses themselves are basic.
It's funny because this was one of my first yoga DVDs, so I thought it was normal to move this fast! I think it has heavily influenced how I feel about what a yoga workout should be!
She starts with Sun Salutations, and she does them fast. So fast that on a tired or uncoordinated day I sometimes get a little behind and have to catch her when she gets to Down Dog.
When she's holding postures, she rarely holds any of them for more than three breaths.
The nice thing about the fast pace is that you actually do get something resembling an aerobic workout from the first 20 minutes or so of this routine. And you sweat too, even in a cold room.
Also, you get a lot of postures in the 40 minutes or so of the routine. That was fun for me as a beginner who was excited about trying new poses and learning new things.
Ms. McGee has put together a three or four of my favorite yoga sequences ever. I confess here that I write about characters who do yoga, and I often tap this DVD for their routines. The Standing Stretches section is amazing. She begins with a Dog Split, then continues through the regular sun salutation vinyasa with the leg raised. This requires more upper body strength than most beginner's DVDs. Every time I do it I have a sort of "Wow! I did that!" feeling. She continues through to half moon, then standing split and finishes with another of my favorite postures, side inclined plane. The vinyasa is liquid and when you get done you feel like you did something!
Her All Four Series is also challenging and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. This segment challenges you on every level – arms, abs, and balance. The sweat is always falling off me in huge drops on the mat by this point.
I like her style easing into the backbends section.
In all, this is absolutely one of my favorite yoga DVDs. I especially like it now when I don't have a lot of time for my yoga and I want an invigorating workout.
Mountain pose
Standing forward bend
Jump back
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Giant Lunge
Chandrasana
Awkward Chair
Warrior I
While holding awkward chair, prayer twist to the right
Virabhadra Mudra
Warrior II
Triangle
Reverse Warrior
Extended Side Angle
Pyramid
Rotated Triangle
Dog Split (you can see it on this page among the thumbnails
Half Moon
Standing Split
Side incline plane (side plank) (beautifully illustrated on this page in two places. Also, one-legged down dog.
Child's Pose
Balancing Table, with variations
Camel
Eagle on right leg.
Dancing Shiva (performed in the variation shown here and here.
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Head to Knee Pose
Fold right leg back for One Leg Folded Back. (Sorry, could not find an illustration of this pose. Will scan from my book and add.)
Heron Pose. Three breaths.
Revolved Head to Knee Pose, performed with variation
Reclined Hero, performed with one leg extended
Bridge
Upward Bow
Jathara Parivartanasana A
Seated Forward Bend
Boat
Sivasana
For the purposes of this description:
The Vinyasa Down is as follows:
Mountain pose
Standing forward bend
Jump back
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
The Vinyasa Up is as follows:
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Jump forward
Standing forward bend
Mountain pose
Also, please note that during the sun salutations, Ms. McGee has you perform all the forward bends in an intensified variation, with the hands clasped behind the back and falling forward toward the head. This adds to the aerobic component of her sun salutations, as moving the arms into and out of this posture at the pace she sets for the vinyasa is one of the most challenging components of the routine (at least for me!).
Sun Salutation Warmup
About a minute of forward bending and ujjayi breathing. Standing forward bend is with variations.
Right leg back to Giant Lunge
Downward Dog
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Right leg forward to giant lunge
Step left leg forward to standing forward bend
Mountain pose.
Left leg back to giant lunge
Repeat vinyasa
Repeat the complete set two more times
At end of third set, return to Mountain Pose
Chandrasana for three breaths on each side
Awkward Chair, three breaths
Mountain pose
Standing Forward bend
Jump back
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Right foot forward to Warrior I
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Left foot forward to Warrior I
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog, hold for three breaths
Jump forward
Standing Forward Bend
Awkward Chair
Mountain Pose
Repeat two more times
Return to Mountain pose
Warrior Stretches
Awkward chair
While holding awkward chair, prayer twist to the right, three breaths each
Return to Awkward chair
Prayer twist to the left, three breaths
Awkward chair
Standing forward bend and remaining vinyasa down
Right foot forward to Warrior I
Clasp hands behind back, slight backbend, then bow forward, Virabhadra Mudra, three breaths
Return to Warrior II
Prepare for Triangle
Triangle, three breaths
Triangle variation: Drop top arm, raise bottom arm, three breaths
Warrior II
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog Left foot to Warrior I
Repeat vinyasa on left leg
End in Downward Dog. Hold for three breaths.
Right foot to Warrior I
Open to Warrior II, three breaths
Reverse Warrior, three breaths
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior [hold each pose for just a beat, move with breath]
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior
Warrior II
Extended Side Angle, hold for three breaths
Hands to lunge
Shift back foot in for Pyramid, hold for three breaths
Rotated Triangle, hold for three breaths
Hands to lunge
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog, three breaths
Left foot to Warrior I
Repeat vinyasa on left foot
Return to Downward Dog, three breaths
Standing Stretches
Lift right leg to the sky.
Dog Split, three breaths (you can see it on this page among the thumbnails
Keep leg raised, Plank
Keep leg raised, Chaturanga
Keep leg raised, Upward Dog
Keep leg raised, return to Downward Dog Split
Bring raised right leg forward to a lunge.
Stand on right leg, raise left leg, Half Moon, three breaths
Raise left leg higher, Standing Split, three breaths
Contract left leg as if sitting, then return to standing split (burst open), three times, with breath
Step left leg back to a lunge
Downward Dog
Plank
Side incline plane (side plank) on right arm, three breaths (beautifully illustrated on this page in two places. Also, one-legged down dog.
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Lift left leg to the sky, repeat
From final Down Dog, drop into Child's Pose, three breaths
All Four Series
Balancing Table, with variations:
Come onto all fours, as in Cat Pose.
Extend right leg straight back in the air.
Counterbalance with left arm extended straight forward, hold for two breaths
Reach left hand back and catch foot, hold for three breaths
Release leg but keep bent, extend arm forward, hold for three breaths.
Repeat on other side.
Come to kneeling.
Camel. Perform twice, holding for three breaths each, increasing difficulty on second time.
Return to all fours
Return to Downward Dog
Jump forward.
Standing forward bend, intensified with arms clasped and dropping behind. Three breaths.
Standing Balances
Eagle on right leg.
Dancing Shiva (peformed in the variation shown here and here.
Switch Sides
Seated Stretches and Forward Bends
Awkward Chair
Vinyasa Down
Child's pose, performed with knees spread wide (to edges of mat), three breaths
Come to kneeling, and shift knees to the right, hips to the left. Lean to right side. Three breaths
Ardha Matsyendrasana, three breaths
Extend left leg, fold right leg – Head to Knee Pose, three breaths
Fold knees to the left, shift hips to the right. Lean to the left side and repeat.
Fold right leg back for One Leg Folded Back. Bend forward. Three to five breaths. (Sorry, could not find an illustration of this pose. Will scan from my book and add.)
Heron Pose. Three breaths.
Revolved Head to Knee Pose, performed with variation, three breaths.
Reclined Hero, performed with one leg extended, three breaths.
Extend right leg. Fold left leg. Repeat.
Backward Bending
Bridge.
Upward Bow (repeat two times)
Lie on back, knees bent. Cross left leg over right. Shift hips left, drop knees to the right. Jathara Parivartanasana A. Three breaths.
Repeat on other side.
Sit up.
Seated Forward Bend. Three breaths.
Boat. Three breaths.
Lift everything! (She pulls her legs in from boat, puts her hands on the ground, and lifts everything! While giggling!)
Boat. Recline slowly through Canoe to Sivasana.
Sivasana.
This is the first time I have attempted a "review" like this. Please let me know what helped and what was extraneous. Did you like having links to the poses? Was it OK just linking to the pose on the first reference, or would you have preferred a link every time? Was the list of poses at the beginning too much, or was it helpful? Was it good to show the whole routine? I'm interested in feedback, as I think I will be trying to "review" all the discs I have, plus the ones I pick up from the library, and I'd like to use a format helpful to the reader.
Instructor: Kirsten McGee (Jess Gronholm is the "advanced yogi" in the back.)
Year: 2003
Yoga style: Power Yoga/Flow Yoga
Difficulty: Intermediate Beginner. The pace of this routine means the beginner should already be familiar with the basic poses. Also, some of the poses require more upper body strength than other beginner routines.
Length: Approximately 45 minutes
CK's rating: Five stars
One of my favorite yoga DVDs is MTV Power Yoga.
I know, I know…
It gets mixed reviews on Amazon, ranging from people who love it to outraged people who declare that it isn't even yoga, just a yoga influenced aerobic workout.
The instructor, Kristen McGee is perky, bouncy, blond, and flushed in the desert heat. She has three people with her. Worth noting: Kari, the beginner, actually looks like she probably *is* a beginner and not just a person modifying the routine to help out the beginners. Also, Jess Gronholm, her advanced person, is amazingly hot. Just a beautiful man. As of 2008 he was Crunch's national yoga director.
This is a very fast flow yoga routine with a few sequences that beginners will find fairly challenging, though the poses themselves are basic.
It's funny because this was one of my first yoga DVDs, so I thought it was normal to move this fast! I think it has heavily influenced how I feel about what a yoga workout should be!
She starts with Sun Salutations, and she does them fast. So fast that on a tired or uncoordinated day I sometimes get a little behind and have to catch her when she gets to Down Dog.
When she's holding postures, she rarely holds any of them for more than three breaths.
The nice thing about the fast pace is that you actually do get something resembling an aerobic workout from the first 20 minutes or so of this routine. And you sweat too, even in a cold room.
Also, you get a lot of postures in the 40 minutes or so of the routine. That was fun for me as a beginner who was excited about trying new poses and learning new things.
Ms. McGee has put together a three or four of my favorite yoga sequences ever. I confess here that I write about characters who do yoga, and I often tap this DVD for their routines. The Standing Stretches section is amazing. She begins with a Dog Split, then continues through the regular sun salutation vinyasa with the leg raised. This requires more upper body strength than most beginner's DVDs. Every time I do it I have a sort of "Wow! I did that!" feeling. She continues through to half moon, then standing split and finishes with another of my favorite postures, side inclined plane. The vinyasa is liquid and when you get done you feel like you did something!
Her All Four Series is also challenging and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. This segment challenges you on every level – arms, abs, and balance. The sweat is always falling off me in huge drops on the mat by this point.
I like her style easing into the backbends section.
In all, this is absolutely one of my favorite yoga DVDs. I especially like it now when I don't have a lot of time for my yoga and I want an invigorating workout.
Mountain pose
Standing forward bend
Jump back
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Giant Lunge
Chandrasana
Awkward Chair
Warrior I
While holding awkward chair, prayer twist to the right
Virabhadra Mudra
Warrior II
Triangle
Reverse Warrior
Extended Side Angle
Pyramid
Rotated Triangle
Dog Split (you can see it on this page among the thumbnails
Half Moon
Standing Split
Side incline plane (side plank) (beautifully illustrated on this page in two places. Also, one-legged down dog.
Child's Pose
Balancing Table, with variations
Camel
Eagle on right leg.
Dancing Shiva (performed in the variation shown here and here.
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Head to Knee Pose
Fold right leg back for One Leg Folded Back. (Sorry, could not find an illustration of this pose. Will scan from my book and add.)
Heron Pose. Three breaths.
Revolved Head to Knee Pose, performed with variation
Reclined Hero, performed with one leg extended
Bridge
Upward Bow
Jathara Parivartanasana A
Seated Forward Bend
Boat
Sivasana
For the purposes of this description:
The Vinyasa Down is as follows:
Mountain pose
Standing forward bend
Jump back
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
The Vinyasa Up is as follows:
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Jump forward
Standing forward bend
Mountain pose
Also, please note that during the sun salutations, Ms. McGee has you perform all the forward bends in an intensified variation, with the hands clasped behind the back and falling forward toward the head. This adds to the aerobic component of her sun salutations, as moving the arms into and out of this posture at the pace she sets for the vinyasa is one of the most challenging components of the routine (at least for me!).
Sun Salutation Warmup
About a minute of forward bending and ujjayi breathing. Standing forward bend is with variations.
Right leg back to Giant Lunge
Downward Dog
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Right leg forward to giant lunge
Step left leg forward to standing forward bend
Mountain pose.
Left leg back to giant lunge
Repeat vinyasa
Repeat the complete set two more times
At end of third set, return to Mountain Pose
Chandrasana for three breaths on each side
Awkward Chair, three breaths
Mountain pose
Standing Forward bend
Jump back
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Right foot forward to Warrior I
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Left foot forward to Warrior I
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog, hold for three breaths
Jump forward
Standing Forward Bend
Awkward Chair
Mountain Pose
Repeat two more times
Return to Mountain pose
Warrior Stretches
Awkward chair
While holding awkward chair, prayer twist to the right, three breaths each
Return to Awkward chair
Prayer twist to the left, three breaths
Awkward chair
Standing forward bend and remaining vinyasa down
Right foot forward to Warrior I
Clasp hands behind back, slight backbend, then bow forward, Virabhadra Mudra, three breaths
Return to Warrior II
Prepare for Triangle
Triangle, three breaths
Triangle variation: Drop top arm, raise bottom arm, three breaths
Warrior II
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog Left foot to Warrior I
Repeat vinyasa on left leg
End in Downward Dog. Hold for three breaths.
Right foot to Warrior I
Open to Warrior II, three breaths
Reverse Warrior, three breaths
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior [hold each pose for just a beat, move with breath]
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior
Warrior II, Extended Side Angle, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior
Warrior II
Extended Side Angle, hold for three breaths
Hands to lunge
Shift back foot in for Pyramid, hold for three breaths
Rotated Triangle, hold for three breaths
Hands to lunge
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog, three breaths
Left foot to Warrior I
Repeat vinyasa on left foot
Return to Downward Dog, three breaths
Standing Stretches
Lift right leg to the sky.
Dog Split, three breaths (you can see it on this page among the thumbnails
Keep leg raised, Plank
Keep leg raised, Chaturanga
Keep leg raised, Upward Dog
Keep leg raised, return to Downward Dog Split
Bring raised right leg forward to a lunge.
Stand on right leg, raise left leg, Half Moon, three breaths
Raise left leg higher, Standing Split, three breaths
Contract left leg as if sitting, then return to standing split (burst open), three times, with breath
Step left leg back to a lunge
Downward Dog
Plank
Side incline plane (side plank) on right arm, three breaths (beautifully illustrated on this page in two places. Also, one-legged down dog.
Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
Lift left leg to the sky, repeat
From final Down Dog, drop into Child's Pose, three breaths
All Four Series
Balancing Table, with variations:
Come onto all fours, as in Cat Pose.
Extend right leg straight back in the air.
Counterbalance with left arm extended straight forward, hold for two breaths
Reach left hand back and catch foot, hold for three breaths
Release leg but keep bent, extend arm forward, hold for three breaths.
Repeat on other side.
Come to kneeling.
Camel. Perform twice, holding for three breaths each, increasing difficulty on second time.
Return to all fours
Return to Downward Dog
Jump forward.
Standing forward bend, intensified with arms clasped and dropping behind. Three breaths.
Standing Balances
Eagle on right leg.
Dancing Shiva (peformed in the variation shown here and here.
Switch Sides
Seated Stretches and Forward Bends
Awkward Chair
Vinyasa Down
Child's pose, performed with knees spread wide (to edges of mat), three breaths
Come to kneeling, and shift knees to the right, hips to the left. Lean to right side. Three breaths
Ardha Matsyendrasana, three breaths
Extend left leg, fold right leg – Head to Knee Pose, three breaths
Fold knees to the left, shift hips to the right. Lean to the left side and repeat.
Fold right leg back for One Leg Folded Back. Bend forward. Three to five breaths. (Sorry, could not find an illustration of this pose. Will scan from my book and add.)
Heron Pose. Three breaths.
Revolved Head to Knee Pose, performed with variation, three breaths.
Reclined Hero, performed with one leg extended, three breaths.
Extend right leg. Fold left leg. Repeat.
Backward Bending
Bridge.
Upward Bow (repeat two times)
Lie on back, knees bent. Cross left leg over right. Shift hips left, drop knees to the right. Jathara Parivartanasana A. Three breaths.
Repeat on other side.
Sit up.
Seated Forward Bend. Three breaths.
Boat. Three breaths.
Lift everything! (She pulls her legs in from boat, puts her hands on the ground, and lifts everything! While giggling!)
Boat. Recline slowly through Canoe to Sivasana.
Sivasana.
This is the first time I have attempted a "review" like this. Please let me know what helped and what was extraneous. Did you like having links to the poses? Was it OK just linking to the pose on the first reference, or would you have preferred a link every time? Was the list of poses at the beginning too much, or was it helpful? Was it good to show the whole routine? I'm interested in feedback, as I think I will be trying to "review" all the discs I have, plus the ones I pick up from the library, and I'd like to use a format helpful to the reader.