[stillclock]

i have never used a fitness video before, so this is virgin ground for me.

i was looking for a basic flow video, preferably in the hatha tradition that i could do at home after the girl went to bed. i can get all the cardio and strength stuff i need at the gym, but the flexibility component is key to overall fitness, and it's really tough to add the extra 30 minutes to do a proper stretch to every workout.

shiva rea is a dancer and longtime yoga practitioner. she is beautiful and extremely bendy, and looks amazingly serene throughout the entire video. she has a wonderful voice that is easy to follow and to listen to over her well chosen music, though you can turn the music off if you prefer.

the dvd runs about 70 minutes, but there are 4 distinct flow sequences and a 4 minute savasana (meditation song), so you can do a whole workout or choose which flows you would like to focus on at any given time. the transition between the flow chapters is a little bit quick, but familiarity seems to have cured my need to pause and rewind all the time.

i appreciate her use of the proper pose names. she also describes how things should feel and common mistakes, so self-correction is reasonably possible (i think). it would be better if you have taken at least one yoga class before you try to do this dvd - it is not an absolute beginner deal.

shiva rea suggests a couple of augmentations to the poses for you to try, but if you are round like me you will find your body getting in the way from time to time. i pause the dvd, and try to figure out how to amend the pose so i am working generally the same muscle groups without straining myself.

this dvd assumes a reasonable level of fitness, but does not demand it. one could easily adapt to her practice, and i feel the dvd will be useful for a long time, as my practice progresses and my abilities deepen.

i give it a solid 8 out of 10. i would have liked her to include the sunrise salutation, a hatha staple, but we can't always get what we want eh?

isolde