Yoga Radiance

This is a good workout, but it does expect you to know the basics going in. They do not give you the names of the poses most of the time and they don't spell out how to do them, though there is a basic talk-through. I like this, since it gets the narrator out of the way for all but the most necessary cues, but if you need things spelled out, it will be frustrating.

Also, it is important toknow your limits,some of the asinas are tricky and they don't give modifications, so give yourself time and don't be a hero,just do what you can and work your way up. Also, for the love of your back and everything breakable in your living room, if you can't already do a headstand practice up against a wall at the beginning! And just go straight up if you need to, don't worry about doing a straddle split right away. If you keep these things in mind, this is a great DVD that will give an intermediate beginner lots of room to grow and improve, which I love since there's nothing more annoying to me than buying a disk and being bored three months later because it's all too easy now.

The only thing that kind of bugged me was the fact that the instructors are very scantily dressed and there is something about some of the camera shots that felt distinctly, well, porn-ish. It wasn't bad enough to be overly distracting, it was mostly just moments of, "Really? That's a bit... unnecessary." It almost feels like the goal was to entertain the husbands while the wives do their workout or something. Like I said, though, it isn't too bad and once I started focusing on doing the movements I didn't really notice anymore.

One of the few yoga videos I have found that makes me sweat while maintaining its integrity as a -yoga- video, versus a "yoga" video that is more like a fitness tape that uses some yoga poses.

I do wish they would hold some of the poses for longer though and I don't like how it is broken up into five segments because I usually stop before I get to the fourth one since I am tired and I know it is quite difficult. I think it should be 1 segment and then the last segment (the lunar flow) should be its own segment.

This dvd is pleasant to practice with. The music doesn't get in the way, the instructors are beautiful, and the voice-over is zen. I enjoyed the vigerous vinyasa sequences and the fact that there wasn't a lot of repetition. Poses like headstand, shoulderstand, and lotus may be too challenging for a less experienced yogi.

The dvd is divided into four seasons as well as a very short lunar flow. I like to do all four together for a longer practice, nearly an hour, or use the gentle lunar flow for days when I'm not feeling up to the intensity of a full practice. Yoga Radiance incorporates many poses into a concise practice. I reccommend this dvd to confident intermediate and advanced practitioners.

This is a must try for anyone wanting to take their practice deeper! I also recommendTAMARA'S YOGA FUSION

Everyone loves this DVD because of the production values, but I found the set and sweaty women a little intimidating. The yoga teachers had wonderful form, but it felt as if they were saying look what we can do and look what you cannot do. I have other yoga DVDs with wonderful instructors dressed similarly, but for some reason I felt like I was watching soft porn during this DVD. Maybe these teachers and Bryan Kest can get together and do a soft porn yoga DVD. The class itself moves too fast and the cueing is awful. It also has a weird sequencing to the poses. If you are looking for a more advanced DVD, you probably will like this one because there are many difficult poses, and if you are a guy who wants to see beautiful, hot, sweaty women bending over backwards, you should also give this DVD a try.